This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies.
If you enjoy this siteplease consider making a donation.
Site Home
WW2 Home
Add Stories
WW2 Search
Library
Help & FAQs
WW2 Features
Airfields
Allied Army
Allied Air Forces
Allied Navy
Axis Forces
Home Front
Battles
Prisoners of War
Allied Ships
Women at War
Those Who Served
Day-by-Day
Library
The Great War
Submissions
Add Stories
Time Capsule
TWMP on Facebook
Childrens Bookshop
FAQ's
Help & FAQs
Glossary
Volunteering
Contact us
News
Bookshop
About
241329L/Cpl. Peter Seddon MM.
British Army 1st Btn. West Yorkshire Regiment
from:Leigh
Peter Seddon served in West Yorkshire Regiment, 48th Indian Infantry, 17th Indian Division.Recommendation for Military Medal awarded to Lance Corporal Peter Seddon, dated 15th of May 1945.
During the period 15 Feb 45 to 15 May 45 L/Cpl Seddon has been the NCO i/c stretcher bearers attached to a company. In all the battles in which his company has taken part during this period L/Cpl Seddon has distinguished himself as a leader of considerable initiative and daring. He has organized the evacuation of casualties under extremely difficult circumstances in a manner beyond all praise.
During operations near Meiktila on 20 March his Coy was given the task of sweeping the village of Kinlu which had to be approached across about two hundred yards of open ground. The coy succeeded in getting a footing in the village but once inside began to suffer heavy casualties from enemy snipers using a large proportion of LMGs from well concealed positions all around and inside the village.
As is the custom of the Japanese, once they had hit a man they kept his body covered by fire in order to make the job of recovery a difficult one. In spite of this and acting with remarkable coolness and efficiency L/Cpl Seddon personally extricated four of the wounded men from exposed positions and carrying them back behind flimsy cover from view dressed their wounds and set about the task of evacuating them. This was not an easy one. The R.A.P. was nearly a mile away and the first two hundred yards of open ground was by now covered by fire from an enemy LMG and several riflemen snipers.
L/Cpl Seddon decided that he must go with the stretcher party himself to select the best route and ensure the arrival of the casualties at the R.A.P. Placing two of the casualties on to stretchers he and his three other men set off on their hazardous journey across the open. Although the enemy fire at his small party became intense, L/Cpl Seddon did not allow them to falter for one moment but led them on with their burdens at a steady pace until the safety of cover was reached and the enemys fire had died down.
Having reached the R.A.P. he at once returned to the Coy with more bearers where he was able to continue his heroic work of collecting and dressing the wounds of the casualties under intense and accurate fire for a further five hours of extremely trying battle.
On 25th of March 45 his Coy was in position giving covering fire for another Coy to enter and clear the village of Kyigon near Meiktila. Shortly after getting into position both Coys came under accurate shellfire which continued throughout the day. His own Coy suffered a number of casualties in one of its forward Platoons and, completely disregarding the shelling L/Cpl Seddon took his three stretcher bearers and fetched the casualties back to the Coy HQ area where, still under shellfire he expertly dressed their wounds and sent them back to the R.A.P.
He then learned that the other attacking Coy was suffering severe casualties from the shelling and that amongst these were three of that Coys stretcher bearers. Without hesitation he took his own men into the village and brought some of the wounded out where again he dressed their wounds in the open and under fire before they were evacuated. L/Cpl Seddon continued in this valiant manner through the entire battle which lasted for over six hours in the most stifling heat.
In all he tended to twenty-eight casualties and at the end of the day, although almost dropping from exhaustion he refused to be carried back to the Lines in a jeep but insisted on marching with the Coy in case more casualties were inflicted by shellfire.
The N.C.O.s outstanding bravery and loyalty in spite of all obstacles earned for him the highest respect of the Coy who would go into action in the knowledge that should they become wounded they would be in the best possible hands.
Recommendation signed by: Comd. 1st Bn. W.York.R. (P.W.O) H.H.Crofton Brigadier Comd 48 Ind Inf Bde. R.C.O. Hedley Maj-Gen. Comd. 17 Ind Div D.Tennant Cowan Lt. Gen Comd. 4th Corps Co F.W. Messervy and Gen. C-in-C Allied Land Forces, SEAC W.F.Silm.
From the National Archives: WO 373/42
W.F.Silm was better known as Sir General Bill Slim, the Head of the Burma Campaign!
Related Content:
Can you help us to add to our records?
The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them
Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area?
If so please let us know.
Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice.
Celebrate your own Family History
Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc.
Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.
The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.
The website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions.
If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running.
Hosted by:
Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV
- All Rights Reserved
We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.