NAM.2017-09-7-26-42

Photograph of FM H P L Alexander shaking hands with Maj W P Sidney VC, 5th Battalion Grenadier Guards, as he presents him with the Ribbon of the Victoria Cross on behalf of HM The King, Italy 1944. Soldiers of the 5th Battalion can be seen lined up in the background. While serving as a company commander in the 5th Battalion Maj Sidney led a handful of men in the defence of the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Later he led another counter-attack engaging the Germans with his tommy gun at point-blank range, forcing a withdrawal. Sidney was wounded but during this time, although extremely weak from blood loss, he continued to encourage and inspire his men. The ribbon for his Victoria Cross was made from one of his father-in-law Lord Gort's uniforms and was awarded by General Alexander on 3 March 1944 in Italy. From an album of 96 photographs entitled: ‘The Regiment 1940s’; with images taken between 1940 and 1949 in places such as Windsor, the Guards Depot, Germany, Belgium and Tunisia.

World War Two, Italy (1940-1942)