239056 Capt. Bernard Edward "Bunny" Rightford MC, MM.British Army 5th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment from:Cape Town My father, Bernard Rightford was one of three members of the South African forces to have received both the MM and the MC for actions during WW2. He was born on 25th December 1916.
He joined the British Army in 1935 for a six-year deployment to learn a trade and was posted to 5th Btn Royal Tank Regt at Bovington.
When war was declared on Germany he was deployed to France with his unit as part of the BEF. He and his unit formed part of the defence of the Dunkirk perimeter, and were evacuated a week after Dunkirk from Cherbourg.
By now a Staff Sergeant, he was posted to Egypt to train and eventually join the South African forces that were assembling after the Abyssinian campaign, but before this came about he saw action at Bir el Gubi and was awarded the MM for rescuing another tank crew in distress.
Following the 8th Army campaign from El Alamein to Tripoli, he was transferred to the Natal Mounted Rifles and returned to the Union of South Africa for training of the 6th SA Armoured Division, which formed part of the 8th Army in the Italian campaign.
He was awarded the MC for using his tank as an artillery target at a stalemate situation at Chiusi. By the end of the war he had had 13 tanks blown up underneath him, which I am told is a record.
After the war was over, he returned to South Africa, married and had a son, and built up an earthmoving contracting business. He passed away on 16th February 1992.
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