Indian General Service Medal clasp North West Frontier 1930/31 named 4445046 PTE A J MORRISSEY DURH LI, 1939/45 Star, Defence & War Medals all not named & Regular Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal named 4445046 CPL A J MORRISSEY DLI. Comes with LS&GC original box.
Alphonus Joseph Morrissey born on 3rd Nov 1907 in Sangor, India to a Police Sergeant Alphonus Joseph & Stella Morrissey. Junior enlisted into the 2nd Durham Light Infantry on 28th Dec 1925 at Kaduli, Punjab, India. He was posted in 1926/1927 to Sialkot, Amritsar and hill station Bartodie.
In Jan 1927 the battalion was then sent to China to help deal with the troubles in Shanghai. The battalion became part of the Shanghai Defence Force as the Chinese Nationalist Partywas causing trouble.
On the 21st March 1927, about sunset a mob of armed Chinese fired rifles towards the defence barriers of the Elgin Road where the Durham Light Infantry were guarding. They did not return fire as they were under orders only to open at the last extremities. The mob finally attacked the barriers and attempted to tear them down and open the gates during which two soldiers of the DLI (one was Morrissey) were wounded. Finally the DLI open fire on the mob and were reinforced by A Coy of the Glousters. Fire was opened four times before the mob surrendered and laid downs their arms and bombs. Morrissey was confirmed as severley wounded in the Evening News 25th March 1927 along with Pte Newby.
After he recovered he rejoined his battalion and was sent back to India to guard the North West Frontier and saw lots of small skirmishes, one being with the Wazirs and Mahsuds who attacked them in 1930 killing 8 and wounding 36 soldiers of the DLI. Finally in 1935 the battalion was sent back to the UK which was Junior first visit to his motherland. In 1937 the battalion was sent back to Shanghai as the Japanese were threatening to start a war with China. There were several snatches of soldiers by the Japanese for no reasons but they were all returned. The battalion duties included Embassy Guard in Peking a tradition dating back to the Boxer Rebellion.
When WW2 started the battalion was sent to guard the Suez Canal and Junior was now posted to the 10th Battalion and sent back to the UK and then into France with the BEF. It was a Mercatel while waiting for transport, they were attacked by the Luftwaffe but still managed to get to Lattre to a defence position. It was while here that they were attacked by tanks and they managed to kill several tank commanders who popped their heads up before they were quickly overun by the Germans.
During the Battle of France and the retreat to Dunkirk, Morrissey was again severely wounded in action and taken Prisoner of War. He was listed as a casualty missing before being confirmed POW. It seems that Morrissey wound had not healed and he was swapped via Sweden in 1943 and sent back to the UK. He was given a medical discharge in 1944 and died in 1989.
