Presentation of the Norwegian Defence Medal to Tom Welsh on Tuesday 14th March 2017 at Sudbury Town Hall by Norwegian Attache Col. John Andreas Olsen.
Members of the Branch joined his Family and the Mayor of Sudbury in the Mayors Parlour for the Presentation.
It is some 70 years since Tom was there helping to repatriate Norway from the Germans.
Congratulations Tom on your deserved special day.
Tom Welsh Bio
Stationed at Shudy Camp near Cambridge 1945 we were on standby for the Varsity Operation but Orders were cancelled. After various schemes I was at Shepherds Grove Airfield near Stanton with the 1st Air Landing Brigade (1st Airborne Division) training on Gliders on standby orders when we were ordered to take off in Stirling Aircraft for Norway and I was in the leading Aircraft heading for the Rendevous which was Gardemoen Airfield some 30 miles NNE of Oslo.
The Skipper of the aircraft received orders to abort the Mission and we returned to Shepherds Grove Airfield. During that evening we learned that two of the Aircraft of our Regiment had crashed due to bad weather on the approach to Norway losing over 50 men.
The next morning we got on a bus at 4.00 a.m. for departure again and to our surprise the weather was clear and we took off and landed on Gardemoen Airfield.
As we had been trained to do we jumped out of the Aircraft and took up defensive positions and I was told off by the Platoon Sargeant about Orders, amended by the Canadian Platoon Officer! However we got together and marched off to the Control Tower where we mustered awaiting further Orders.
Having been issued with two 24 hour ration packs I put mine down to speak to my mate and when I turned back one was ‘swiped/missing’. However we all shared together.
Our C.O. organised German transport of the Germans surrendering, and we were convoyed to the outskirts of Oslo arriving just before midnight where we de bussed and then formed up to march into Oslo where citizens were aghast at our presence. A lot could speak English and seeing our Red Berets and Battle Order they fell over themselves and greeted us.
The first nights sleep was in a school and in my inquisitiveness I went down to the Cellars to see if Jerry had set any booby traps and I found a large pile of mattresses thinking ‘we are alright tonight’ which we slept on. The next morning we were covered in bites so we all had to strip off and cover ourselves in DDT powder!
For the first few days we were ordered to go around in twos or threes as there were a number of Quislings still around.
We did a reccy of the Capital during which we had the fortunate sight of seeing the German Commander in Chief being arrested.
We were then billeted in a village just outside Oslo called Smesstad and were ordered to stand by for a raid on the German H.Q. at Lillehammer. This was a complete eye opener and the Operation went very well. We then again moved north of Oslo to Aarnes the home of the Norwegian Ski Centre when I was then detailed with others to guard the H.Q. which had been set up in Oslo. Unfortunately I had the experience of being put on a Charge for not carrying out Orders as defined when we took Post. (i.e. C & C of the Operation requested entrance to H.Q. and I failed to ask for his I.D.) I also was detailed with others to Guard the Royal Palace and I was again enquired of the Security by a high ranking Officer of the Royal Household. I then had to escort an Officer into the Building to safeguard His Royal Highness in case of any trouble. Having carried out a search and not finding a member of the Royal Family I, and others ventured outside into the gardens and found Prince Olaf surrounded by the Norwegian Beauties! Being a young man I lived for 3 days on my nerves because whatever I did, seemed to be not right and I was on another Charge!
As I have said we went from Oslo to Aarnes and one day a runner came to tell me I was to report to Gate number 3 in the Camp. When I asked ‘why?’ I was promptly told ‘ I am only the ‘B’ runner’ so I went to the Gate and was met by a young lady and her mother who had asked if I could be given 48 hours leave to visit their home. The C.O. turned to me and said ‘Welsh what have you been up to?’ and I was granted the leave, why I don’t know! Whilst at Aarnes I had been transferred from a Rifle Company of the Battalion to Battalion H.Q. the Q.M. section to take over duties of a Corporal Les Hunter who was being sent home on compassionate grounds. He was the D.I.D. (K/A Rations NCO).
We then marched across Norway to Bergen. I usually slept at night under the water wagon. When I woke one morning I and my mates were covered in bites. None of us had noticed we had slept that night beside a swampy area resulting in two days later having a mild attack of Malaria. I went to sick bay at Bergen and was dosed with Quinine and Mepercrine and pronounced fit for duties.
At the beginning of September we were shipped from Bergen to Oslo and came home on HMS Stratheden out of Oslo. Whilst 3 hours into the journey to the UK somebody shouted ‘a mine over there’ but luckily enough the escort returned and soon dealt with it. My first re-action was to go down below to the Elsan! I am not a lover of the Sea!
We dis-embarked at Liverpool and proceeded to Perham Down Camp in Wiltshire where the 1st Airborne Division was stood down and the Battalion returned to an ordinary Infantry Battalion where we had to take up many Duties in Europe finishing in 1948 in Palestine.
