Lieutenant J. Devlin M.C.

Prior to the attack of Pt.2171 near MOGAUNG by 1/Bedfs Herts R (16 and 61 Colns), this officer was ordered to take a small party to carry out a thorough recce of the Jap positions. He managed to get his patrol inside the wired and booby trapped perimeter. Then ordering the remainder of his patrol to a supporting role he commenced to examine the dugout and pillboxes systematically. The first three were unoccupied. But just as he was about to examine the next one  he came face to face with three Japs. The first he killed , the others fled. He then withdrew his patrol to the outside of the perimeter and waited to observe the actions of the Japs as they ran to their alarm positions. In this way he obtained valuable information.

On 8th August 1944 he first led a platoon to its assault position through a booby trap field and then returning conducted his own platoon to its assault position. During the assault his platoon had to cross a cleared field of fire. He saw a Jap LMG coming into action. He doubled across the open ground to within ten yards of the post and threw a grenade which knocked out the Jap crew. At the same moment a supporting bunker opened short range automatic fire on him and his platoon. Again his boldness caught the Japs by surprise and this bunker was silenced by another hand thrown grenade. Throughout this action his boldness and audacity enabled his platoon to reach its objective, in spite of accurate enemy defensive fire, with the minimum of casualties.

This officer has shown outstanding capability in the conducting of patrols and in attack.

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