WW2 Sicily Military Medal and Mentioned in Despatches Group of Six – Regimental Sergeant Major M. Rodger, 2nd Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers

A second world war Sicily MM group awarded to 3124671 Regimental Sergeant Major Michael Rodger, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, a pre-war regular who served with 1st Battalion in Palestine before the war. 

George VI Military Medal named to 3124671 W.O.Cl.2. M. Rodger. R.S. Fus. 
General Service Medal (Clasp – Palestine) named to 3124671 Cpl. M. Rodger. R.S. Fus. 
1939-45 Star unnamed as issued 
Italy Star unnamed as issued 
War Medal 1939-45 (with MID oak leaf emblem) unnamed as issued 
George VI Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal named to 3124671 W.O.Cl.2. M. Rodger. R.S. Fus. 

The medals are in good condition and are court mounted for display. 

London Gazette:
M.M. – 23rd March 1944
The citation reads:
  “The Unit Landing Officer was wounded on landing at 0400rs 10th July. This W.O. was his assistant, carried on with his work in a very cool and unperturbed manner. The work was complicated in that the bn had two assembly areas on account of the advance leading off the right-hand corner of the beach. This W.O. ran everything in a calm and orderly way, during the bombing of the beach and never failed to send vehs and men up to his Bn as soon as they were ready to leave the Beach Area.”

M.I.D. – 4th April 1946

W.O. Class 2 Rodger was a pre-war regular. He qualified for the GSM Palestine when serving with the 1st Battalion who served there from 1932 -36.

He was serving with the 2nd Battalion during the Sicily/Italian Campaign with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. Being awarded the Military Medal for his actions on 10/7/1943 during the landing at Sicily.

As the ships closed with the shore, a high wind rose as the moon went down and brought on a blustering night, and there was much sickness among the troops in the landing craft. Through a corridor of naval craft XXX Corps moved towards the Pachino Peninsula and XLII Corps in the general direction of Avola, an anxious and uncomfortable voyage of five miles.

The Scots Fusiliers lowered a first assault flight into the sea at 1.15 a.m. It consisted of ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies and Battalion Headquarters, loaded into 1 2 landing craft. The swell delayed the forming up of the flotillas and the first wave did not land at its appointed place, a small bay opposite Cassibile, until 3.45 a.m. “A” Company was on the right, “B” in the centre and “C” on the left. “A” Company beached 300 yards to the south of their fixed position and some delay was caused in the northward march, in course of which they encountered and rushed a pillbox. The wireless sets, drenched in salt water, refused to function and Colonel MacInnes, still out at sea, had no information about events on the beaches nor of the situation of “D” Company which was still afloat in landing craft. Battalion Headquarters landed in three assault craft at 4.25 a.m. This was not well done, according to Colonel MacInnes, as the craft conveying his second-in-command, himself, and the beach naval party set them down on a rock in deep water and half an hour was lost before they could land. The headquarters staff refused to swim, as the precious wireless sets which remained to them would have shared the fate of the others. A Commando unit which should have landed to the north to soften up the beach defences did not arrive until the Fusiliers were completely disembarked; however the absence of resistance on the beaches made this unimportant. “D” Company appeared at 4.25; its landing craft had struck ground in three feet of disturbed water and the company had to wade ashore, accompanied by some attached troops, holding equipment and ammunition overhead to keep them dry. At some points on the beaches the Navy had used grappling irons to tear away the defensive hedges of barbed wire, but the Fusiliers relied upon Bangalore torpedoes brought for the purpose. A distant Italian field battery shelled the foreshore and the passage of a minefield proved difficult. The battery and the minefield both inflicted some casualties, including Major V. McNeil-Cooke, M.C., commanding Headquarter Company, who had been Adjutant of the Battalion after the return from Dunkirk in 1940, and five men of’ B” Company. Its immediate difficulties overcome, the Battalion eventually moved off northwards from the assembly position towards Syracuse at 5.30 a.m. “B” Company was leading, followed by the reconnaissance and order groups, “C” Company, “D” Company, rear headquarters, regimental aid post and “A” Company less one platoon. Company Sergeant-Major Rodger and Sergeant Guthrie were left on duty at the assembly points.

He is mentioned in the History of the Royal Scots Fusiliers three times.

He was subsequently promoted to Regimental Serjeant Major of the battalion and awarded a M.I.D.

Comes with research.

Regiment: Royal Scots Fusiliers

Era: WW2