Beschreibung:

Sergeant “Gentleman Jim” Almonds, one of the “Tobruk Four” was in many ways to the desert born. In this environment he was totally at home. He excelled in the velvet darkness and revelled in the vast emptiness of North Africa. His nickname was apt; six feet and four inches tall, his gentle, quiet and considerate manner hid enormous self-discipline and control which left him cool, efficient and deadly when the situation demanded it ... [He] was held very high in Stirling’s esteem’ Alan Hoe in David Stirling: The Authorised Biography of the Creator of the S.A.S. (Little, Brown and Company (U.K.) Ltd., 1992) ‘Jim Almonds always ran to the battle. He chose to operate behind enemy lines during the siege of Tobruk. He went forward for David Stirling and drove straight at the enemy with all guns blazing during the raid on Benghazi. After escaping twice from an Italian prisoner-of-war camp, he risked his own life while still in enemy territory to reconnoitre an enemy minefield, no doubt saving many Allied lives later. On arrival in England, he insisted on returning to the S.A.S. so that he could parachute into enemy territory in France.’ The late Earl (George) Jellicoe, from his foreword to Gentleman Jim, The Wartime Story of a Founder of the S.A.S., by Lorna Almonds Windmill (Constable & Robinson, 2001) The highly important Second World War M.M. and Bar, French Croix de Guerre group of nine awarded to Major J. E. “Gentleman Jim” Almonds, a member of the “Tobruk Four”, whose tactics were later adopted by David Stirling’s nascent S.A.S. - indeed few could claim greater title to being a founder member of ‘L’ Detachment, Almonds actually having built the famous parachute course at Kabrit: subsequently present in the attack on Sidi Haneish airfield - among many other notable ‘L’ Detachment actions - he was towed around Benghazi in a cart, shackled, with a loaded gun to his head, on his capture in September 1942, but escaped in Italy in time to be parachuted into France in June 1944 as part of “Operation Gain”, where, having driven unnoticed through a German convoy, he wrought havoc on enemy communications in Forest of Orleans and survived a heated interview with General Patton (“If you’re Brits you’ll be O.K. If not, you’ll be shot”): he was shortly thereafter commissioned at Paddy Mayne’s insistence on the steps of Montgomery’s famous caravan Military Medal, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar (2655648 Sjt. J. E. Almonds, S. Gds.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R. (Capt. J. E. Almonds, M.M., Glosters); French Croix de Guerre 1939, with star riband fitment, mounted as worn from two separate wearing bars, contact marks, generally good very fine and extremely rare (9) £40,000-50,000 Footnote Just six members of the S.A.S. would appear to have been awarded the M.M., and Bar in the 1939-45 War. M.M. London Gazette 26 November 1942. David Stirling’s original recommendation for an immediate award states: ‘This N.C.O. has at all times and under the most testing conditions shown great powers of leadership. After a raid on Nofilia aerodrome, he took command of his party after his officer had been killed. He showed great resource in managing to extricate this party with only one casualty, although all but one of his trucks had been destroyed. On another raid in the Agheila area, he led a party which destroyed five heavy enemy M.T. and he participated in shooting up an enemy post in this locality (It is requested that details of these operations should not be published owing to their secrecy).’ Bar to M.M. London Gazette 27 April 1944. The original recommendation states: ‘Captured at Benghazi on 14 September 1942, this N.C.O. was first taken to Campo 51 (Altamura). While here Almonds and three others, on 4 February 1943, bribed an Italian officer and sentry with coffee and remained working in the Red Cross hut till it was dark. The officer was decoye