Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry

A Second War 1942 ‘North Africa’ M.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant R. Miller, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, who was decorated for multiple acts of gallantry during the Western Desert Campaign in June and July 1942 and was subsequently taken P.O.W. following Operation Agreement - the amphibious raid on Tobruk, September 1942 Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4342485 Cpl. R. Miller. R. North’d Fus.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (4342485 Fsr. R. Miller. R. North’d Fus.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; War Medal 1939-45, good very fine and better (5) £2,000-£2,600 --- M.M. London Gazette 24 September 1942: ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East.’ The original recommendation states: ‘Throughout the whole of the period during which his team has been in action this N.C.O. has shown a complete disregard for personal safety. At Sollum, during the rearguard action, four enemy tanks appeared at 2000 yards. Cpl. Miller immediately engaged them with his section, and during the firing stood high on the parapet the better to observe the results and the strike of his bullets, destroying their carrier observation post before the tanks withdrew. Later that day the position was shelled and mortared for a period of nearly two hours; Corporal Miller’s cheerful bearing and nonchalant attitude towards the shelling did much to maintain the confidence and morale of his Section. At Garawla, on 28 June 1942, a column pushed out on a destructive raid and was halted by a heavy enemy barrage. His machine-gun section immediately went into action, and for a period of roughly half an hour was subject to heavy machine-gun and shell fire. Corporal Miller immediately told his No. 1 to get down from the gun, which was mounted on a truck, and himself took over the firing. He maintained his fire despite this heavy fire until ordered to stop by the O.C. Column. Later investigation proved that his truck had been hit four times during this action. Again, during the action west of Barrel Hill, a large enemy gun was spotted at a range of 1800 yards. The Section immediately took this on frontally - thus allowing the other Section to get into action on the flank. Heavy enemy fire, both Breda and Anti-tank, were returned on Corporal Miller’s Section. Here again this N.C.O., with complete disregard of personal safety stood high up to observe the results of his fire. When the return fire became extremely fierce, Corporal Miller took over the job of No. 1 until ordered to cease firing. On 18 July 1942, on Hill 64, the enemy subjected that area to several hours shelling. During the whole of that time Corporal Miller’s cheerful courage was reflected in his Section.’ Richard Miller served with the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in Palestine during the Arab Revolt, 1936-39 (medal and clasp) and subsequently in North Africa during the Second World War with the 1st Battalion. He was wounded in Cyrenaica (Eastern Libya) on 24 November 1941 during Operation Crusader following which his battalion spent some time refitting in Egypt. As the Axis launched their new offensive at Gazala in late May 1942, the 1st Battalion was ordered back to the desert only to be driven back over the following weeks from Tobruk into Egypt with the rest of the British and Commonwealth forces. Corporal Miller distinguished himself during the retreat firstly at Sollum in late June where Miller’s Z Company remained as a rearguard following the withdrawal of the rest of his battalion to Mersa Matruh. After 24 hours this force also evacuated to rejoin the battalion. Then, on 28 June at Garawla, just east of Mersa Matruh, the 151st Infantry Brigade, with Z Company, 1st R.N.F., under command, was ordered out into the desert to the south to ‘smash the enemy’s Lines of Communication’ as they were rapidly by-passing the defences. Here Miller again displayed great bravery with his machine-gun section in a prolonged fire fight. The following month, during the first Battle of El Alamein, Miller distinguished himself twice more under heavy fire, at Barrel Hill and at Hill 64. Shortly after Miller’s M.M. recommendation was approved on 18 August 1942, his unit - 14 Platoon, Z Company, 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers - was selected to participate in Operation Agreement together with a combined force of S.A.S., Long Range Desert Group, Royal Marines and the Palestinian Special Interrogation Group (in German uniform) also supplemented by one company of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The main objective was the destruction of the oil storage facility on the south side of Tobruk Harbour. Although Miller was among the few men who got ashore, the raid itself was a disaster with losses in both personnel and equipment amounting to three warships, seven M.T.B.s, a few dozen other small craft and several hundred soldiers and Royal Marines killed or taken prisoner. The regimental history takes up the story of these ill-fated events with respect to Miller’s machine-gun platoon: ‘The raiding party left Alexandria in motor torpedo boats on 11 September and arrived off Tobruk on 13 September after two very unpleasant days at sea. Surprise, essential to the success of the operation, was not effected. As a result Sergeant Miller’s section alone succeeded in landing. After evading capture for a considerable time, all but one of its members contracted dysentery and were compelled to surrender. The one man to escape, Corporal Wilson, after many adventurous experiences in and around Tobruk, regained the British lines two months later after the Battle of El Alamein. The remainder of the Platoon had no alternative to returning to Alexandria, which, despite being heavily dive- bombed en route, they reached safely.’ (The History of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War by Brigadier C. N. Barclay C.B.E., D.S.O.). Besides being named in the Regimental History, Miller is also mentioned in the books ‘Tobruk Commando’ by Gordon Landsrough and ‘Massacre at Tobruk’ by Peter C. Smith. Having gone into the bag at Tobruk, Sergeant Miller was transported to Italy where he was initially held prisoner of war at No. 70 Camp, Monturano, Parma. He was subsequently transferred to Stalag IV-B at Mülberg, Germany for the remainder of the war. Sold together with a copy of Corporal Wilson’s escape report from National Archives file WO201/740 describing the Tobruk raid his subsequent evasion, and the Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for the recipient’s M.M., named to ‘4342485 Cpl. R. Miller, M.M., The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.’