South Yorkshire Times, December 23rd 1944
Military Medallist
Signalman Dennis Roy Bawden, whose wife and three-year-old son live at 68, Addison Road, Mexborough, has been awarded the Military Medal for valiant service in Italy.
He joined the Forces six years ago, and went abroad with the B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force), being evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, he has been abroad for the past two years, having served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
The citation of the award states that Sig. Bawden was driving a jeep behind a medical carrier following the infantry. The shelling was very heavy, and a burst wounded the driver of the medical carrier, killed one and wounded one of the passengers in Bawden’s jeep.
The jeep was so badly damaged that it was dangerous to drive it, but Sig. Bawden reported the incident and fetched a relief carrier driver. He then helped to get the wounded back, then completed his task, made minor repairs to his jeep and returned to his unit. The citation refers to signalman Bawden’s gallant and valuable service, and his disregard for personal danger.