Description
Amazing World War 2 period medal grouping to Company Commander Captain Donald Lowndes May of the 1st Armored Division “Old Iron Sides”, 13th Armored Regiment, Company ‘A’. Born in Washington D.C. on 9/2/1917 he would attend the Virginia Military Institute where he would earn an Officer commission after graduating in 1940. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor he would enlist in the U.S. Army. Making his way overseas to North Africa in February of 1943, he would’ve made the company commander of the 1st Armored Division “Old Iron Sides”, 13th Armored Regiment, Company ‘A’, taking place in the battle of Tunis and Bizerte while attached to a British unit. After the African campaign he would participate in the invasion of Salerno Italy on September 9th, 1943. A few days later he was captured by German troops on September 12th, 1943, during this battle he would be wounded earning his Purple Heart, during the invasion is when he earned the Silver Star for “exposing his Sherman tank to enemy artillery fire which allowed other tanks in his battalion to escape.” As a POW for 22 months he would recover from wounds in France before being sent to Stalag 3A, Oflag 3-6, Luckenwalde, Germany. He would also be a prisoner at Oflag 64 in Szubin, Poland where he would escape May 15th, 1945. After the war he would stay enlisted until 1946 where he was discharged with the rank of Major. He would live a long and successful life where he would pass away 3/31/1997 back home and later be buried with full military honors in the Southern-shores Cemetery in Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879. This medal group was unfortunately split up from a huge grouping of his a few years ago by the family, the medals are WWII period government engraved and untouched. Great piece of American history here!!
