A very fine posthumous Second World War Italian theatre Distinguished Conduct Medal group awarded to Lance Sergeant Henry Sye, 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles for his outstanding gallantry in a night attack on Hill 387, north of Monte Pieve, when, having single-handedly attacked one machine-gun post and killed or wounded all of its occupants, he tried twice more to reach another enemy machine-gun but was severely wounded in the attempt. He would be found 36 hours later, lying wounded by a patrol, and subsequently died of his wounds the next day. He is now buried in Rome War Cemetery. His sisters would receive his Distinguished Conduct Medal from the King at Buckingham Palace on 30th July 1945.
Group of 5: Distinguished Conduct Medal, GVIR, 1st type bust; (7020431 L.SJT. H. SYE. LOND. IR. RIF.) 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star, bar 1st Army; Italy Star; War Medal. Court-mounted for wear
Condition: edge-knock to the reverse rim of the DCM at 6 o’clock, lightly polished otherwise Good Very Fine
‘On 21st October 1944 on the occasion of ‘H’ Company’s night attack on Hill 387 N of Monte Pieve the above named N.C.O. was at the outset Platoon Sgt. Early in the attack his platoon which was leading the Company came under very intensive small arms fire and heavy shelling. Considerable casualties were caused and the Platoon Commander was killed. L/Sgt Sye immediately rallied the few remaining men of his platoon and continued to press up the steep slopes towards the objective. All the time he was facing heavy M.G. fire and grenades at short range, but despite this he pressed on with total disregard for his personal safety.
By crawling forward he attacked single handed one M.G. post and successfully killed or wounded all of its occupants.’
Not content with this feat, he tried twice more to reach another enemy M.G. but was severely wounded in the attempt.
Throughout this attack, as on many previous occasions L/Sgt. Sye behaved with great personal courage and displayed the highest quality of leadership.’
A regimental account adds ‘On the morning after the successful operations, ‘G’ Company took over Point 387 from a company of Inniskillings and found Sergeant Sye, who had been lying wounded for more than thirty-six hours. He had refused the aid of stretcher-bearers, but finally had been unable to make his own way back. He died of wounds the next day.’
Sye’s Distinguished Conduct Medal would be formally announced in the London Gazette of 12th April 1945.
A newspaper article tells the story of the act that led to the award of a posthumous Distinguished Conduct Medal. Titled ‘Heroic Belfast Non-Com. Posthumous D.C.M.’ it reads:
‘Crawling forward on his hands and knees on the face of the heavy machine-gun fire. 22 year old Lance Sergt. Henry Sye. L.I.R. (R.U.R.) attacked an enemy machine gun post at Hill 387, north of Monte Pieve, Italy and killed or wounded all the occupants. Later he twice attempted to reach another machine-gun post but was severely wounded.
For these feats he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal which his sisters Misses Annie and Lily Sye, 49 Stratheden Street, Belfast, received from the King at a Buckingham Palace investiture on July 30.
Lance-Sergt. Sye who had four years’ service, was in a platoon which came under intensive small arms fire and shelling. Considerable casualties were inflicted and the platoon commander was killed. Immediately Lance-Sgt Sye rallied the few remaining members of his platoon and pressed up the steep slopes towards the machine-gun nests.
The official citation states: ‘Throughout this attack, as on many previous occasions, Lance Sergeant Sye behaved with great personal courage and displayed the highest quality of leadership.’
Another local newspaper would subsequently report:
‘A striking tribute to the courage and self-sacrifice of Sergeant Henry Sye, London Irish Rifles, who died from wounds in Italy, is contained in a letter received by his sister, Miss Annie Sye, 49 Stratheden Street, Belfast from Lieutenant-Colonel H.E.N. Bredin, D.S.O., M.C.
Colonel Bredin in his letter to Miss Sye states ‘Your brother’s actions during the engagement when he was wounded were some of the most gallant performed by this battalion. Without his leadership and personal fighting abilities his company would never have got as far as they did.
His self-sacrifice when wounded, of refusing to be taken away by the stretcher-bearers, and trying to crawl by himself, resulted in his beling lost for a number of hours.
The constant hammering that the battalion gave the Germans at Monte Spadins, in which your brother played such a great part, was very largely responsible for the capture of this important position by the Division with the loss to the enemy of nearly 200 prisoners and upwards of 50 killed.
Colonel Bredin adds – ‘I would also like to say how very much beloved he was by his brother sergeants and indeed by all of us. He was a very fine soldier of the type that only Ireland can produce.’
Corporal Henry Dye, 2nd Battalion, The London Irish Rifles, Royal Ulster Rifles is noted by the Commonwealth War Graves as having died on 7th November 1944, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Sye, he is buried in Rome War Cemetery