Escape from Greece
This account relates to a group of Second World War medals awarded to a Royal Signals soldier, and the events surrounding his escape from Greece during the German invasion of 1941.
Within my own collection of Royal Signals items is a group of five Second World War medals, including the Africa Star and Italy Star, awarded to Richard Duckworth of Taunton.
At first glance, the medals themselves reveal little detail. However, through further research, including contemporary newspaper reports, a remarkable story of survival begins to emerge.
Background
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Richard Duckworth was employed as a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist with the General Post Office. His background in communications led him to join the Royal Corps of Signals.
As is often the case with Second World War medals, the lack of naming makes research more difficult. However, local newspaper reports from the Somerset County Herald provide valuable insight into Richard’s wartime experiences.
The Evacuation of Greece
In April 1941, Allied forces were deployed to Greece to resist the German advance, however, following the collapse of Yugoslavia, the situation the allies found themselves in became more dangerous and an evacuation was ordered.
Richard Duckworth was among those caught up in the events that followed.
A newspaper report titled “Safe Out of Greece” records how Richard’s father had received a cablegram confirming that his son was alive and had escaped, with a further article, published a few days later, providing a far more detailed account of Richard’s experiences.
Under Attack
Having completed a special assignment, Richard and his unit were to be evacuated by ship, but their transport failed to arrive, and they found themselves in the thick of the German attack and were forced to attempt their escape by road.
Travelling south by truck, they came under repeated attack from German aircraft, and machine-gun fire and bombing forced them to abandon their vehicle and take cover in nearby fields, where they found themselves caught in the middle of an intense aerial assault.
At one point, around fifty German dive-bombers attacked a nearby anti-aircraft battery, with bombs and bullets striking the ground around them.
Parachutists and Escape
As the attack subsided, cries of “PARACHUTISTS” were heard, and approximately one hundred German paratroopers were seen descending from the sky.
Richard and others made a desperate attempt to escape, repeatedly coming under fire, and during one attack, a bullet struck his steel helmet, another grazing his eye.
After further attempts to flee, including travelling with Australian troops who had commandeered an ambulance, and later in armoured vehicles, Richard again found himself under attack, eventually taking cover in fields and gullies while trying to avoid advancing German forces.
Reaching Safety
After multiple attempts to escape, and travelling long distances over difficult terrain, Richard eventually reached the coast, and he was evacuated by sea.
Even then, the danger was not over. The evacuation vessel was attacked by German dive-bombers on three separate occasions before finally reaching safety.
Richard later described being “badly shaken but safe”, and reflected that he was fortunate to have survived.
A Personal Connection
Further research identified another soldier, Lance Corporal Maurice Trood, who was also from Taunton, and shared a remarkably similar background to Richard, going to the same grammar school, having the same employer, and being in the same regiment.
It is highly likely Richard and Maurice knew each other well, but unfortunately, Maurice was captured by German forces and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner.
Context
The evacuation of Greece was completed under extremely difficult conditions, with thousands of Allied troops either evacuated or captured. Around 7,000, including Maurice Trood, were taken prisoner at the Port of Kalamata alone.
This story highlights how, even where official records are limited, a combination of medals and historical research can reveal a deeply personal and dramatic account of wartime experience.