A fine Liberation of Greece and early Greek Civil War Patras Military Liaison Team Cipher Section Advance Party British Empire Medal group awarded to Sergeant G.H. Pye, Royal Corps of Signals, who served with Headquarters Patras District Military Liaison in Patras, the largest city in western Greece, at the time of its liberation from the Germans.
Group of 5: British Empire Medal, GRI 2nd type; (14338942 SGT. GEORGE H PYE. R.C.S.); 1939-1945 Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal. Mounted loose style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine
George H. Pye served as a Sergeant (No.14338942) with the Royal Corps of Signals during the Second World War, and was involved in the occupation of Greece during 1944 to 1945 when serving as part of the signals unit attached to Headquarters Patras District Military Liaison in Patras, the largest city in western Greece, Pye being a member of the Advance Party
Pye's services are recorded in the recommendation for the British Empire Medal written on 29th April 1945 and awarded to him for 'gallant and distinguished service' in the London Gazette for 20th September 1945. The recommendation reads as follows: 'This NCO arrived in Patras with the Advance Party on 18th October 1944 with a totally inadequate cipher staff and a shortage of cipher books. Signal traffic became very heavy. Sergeant Pye showed the greatest devotion to duty during an extended period, going often without sleep and invariably working until the early hours of the morning. He obtained no relief until the cipher section arrived from Preveza in mid-December. Operational traffic was at that time very heavy and Sergeant Pye continued to work at high pressure. Throughout the six months he has been in Patras, Sergeant Pye has always given of his best. During the most difficult period when it seemed impossible to cope with the work he never complained but stuck doggedly to his job and by his example and imperturbability kept his team going when it might well have collapsed under the strain.' Pye was serving at the time that the Germans were pushed out of Greece, and also at the time that the country erupted into Civil War.
