Sergeant Denis Patrick Sullivan M.M. D.C.M.
A
Narrative
by
Phil
Roderick
| The
following is part of the letter from The Welch Regiment Museum
regarding 25728 Denis Patrick Sullivan 17th and 18th (service)
Battalions, The Welsh Regiment |
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Enclosed as requested the Military Medal and Distinguished
Conduct Medal citations of D.P.Sullivan who was a brave
and gallant soldier.
His gallantry and leadership at Mory, 23/24 March 1918,was
such as to merit a mention in the official history of the
regiment.
The 18th Welsh during four days, surrounded and fighting
against great odds was virtually wiped out. Only the commanding
Officer, one officer and twenty other ranks survived to
tell the tale, and amongst them was D.P.Sullivan.
The remainder died at their posts or being wounded were
taken prisoner.
Through their and other efforts the German advance was halted,
and thereafter the course of the war turned in our favour.
Seargeant
Sullivan's medals, two gallantry awards, have often been
on display as part of the rotation on display of a large
collection of medals
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His
other two medals The British War and Victory medals were not presented
to the regiment.
The
citations from the London gazette-
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25728
Private Denis Patrick Sullivan 17th (service) Battalion,
The Welsh Regiment
1st Glamorgan Bantam Battalion THE MILITARY MEDAL
For gallantry in the field and for great dash and courage
during a raid on enemy trenches at La Vacquiere on the night
of 5th / 6th May 1917
25728
Sergeant Denis Patrick Sullivan M.M. 18th (service) Battalion.The
Welsh Regiment THE DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when his
company commander had been badly wounded. This N.C.O. took
charge of two platoons and held on to the position for forty
eight hours
without food or water,keeping up fire on the enemy until
his ammunition was exausted. He was eventually surrounded,but
fought his way out, rejoining the battalion with the remnants
of his men. The action took place near Mory on the
23rd /24th March, 1918 His gallantry was recorded in the
official Regimental History.
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Denis Patrick Sullivan was born in Cardiff in 1897 the son of
Denis Sullivan and his wife Catherine Sullivan nee Manley.
His
mother was to die in childbirth whilst he was on active duty in
France.
Prior
to the First World War he worked with his father as a ship's boiler
descaler in Cardiff docks.
After the war he continued working in the docks until there was
a slump in trade, then in the 1930s he went to work in Llanbradach
coal mine, a few miles north of Cardiff.
During
World War Two he was in the A.R.P. in Cardiff, whilst his younger
brothers were away serving their country. (His brother, my grandfather
Leo Sullivan, was in the Tank regiment but after a severe accident
in training was transferred to the Pioneers at Folkstone. There,
he was involved in the building of the floating dock used at Normandy.
The
other two brothers John and Patrick were merchant seamen in the
convoy ships. John was torpedoed three times whilst in the Murmansk
convoys.)
