Sgt. Mel McAuley was from Wheatley. He served with the First Special Service Force [FSSF], Devil’s Brigade.  During the battle of Anzio, Italy the enemy attacked the Mussolini Canal. A machine gun was put out of action and the men abandoned it. Mel ran to the machine, repaired it under fire & repelled the attack. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal [DCM], 2nd highest Canadian medal. One Remembrance day myself, Murray Reid [see file] & Mel were sitting in the Wheatley Legion and we asked Mel about the medal. He replied that his officer told him that if he had been killed he would have put him in for the Victoria Cross. Mel seemed quite happy to settle for the DCM. He died in 1992 at the  age of 69.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards	Distinguished Conduct Medal
Sources	Bill Siddall, Historian

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