Captain Alfred Ian Douglas Prentice
Unit : 195th Airlanding Field Ambulance, RAMC
Army No. : 274142
Awards : Military Cross
For outstanding courage and devotion to duty.
On 24th March 1945, as Officer in-command Field Ambulance Section attached to 2nd Oxford and Bucks he landed by glider at 1035 hours on a Landing Zone about ½ mile North East of Hamminkeln. The Landing Zones were under heavy machine gun fire and also mortar and shell fire. Captain Prentice at once set up a Casualty Collecting Post in an adjacent house and, undeterred by the intense enemy fire he personally carried out a casualty sweep of the Landing Zones. His jeep was twice hit by enemy fire, but, with utmost gallantry, he continued his sweep and personally brought in over 30 wounded men. He also organised and led other clearing parties on the Landing Zones so that, within two hours, upwards of 60 casualties had been brought to the Collecting Post. Throughout this time enemy machine, mortar and shell fire was continuous but Captain Prentice remained cool and unshaken, and showed a fine example to members of other clearing parties. At about 1300 hours, his Collecting Post was hit by shell fire. Still unshaken he moved the wounded to other cover and continued to carry out First Aid Treatment.
Throughout his personal courage and disregard of danger were exceptionally outstanding and, besides setting a magnificent example to his own men, cannot be too highly valued in their effect in maintaining the morale of the men of the Battalion.