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Death of Colonel Paul Dessain
Officer who won an MC for the first act of gallantry of the Second World War
Colonel Paul Dessain, who has died aged 89, was awarded an MC for the first act of gallantry in the Second World War, in which he knocked out the first enemy tank of the war in the Norway campaign in the spring of 1940.
By April 9, 1940, the Germans had infiltrated Norwegian ports with German soldiers concealed in coal ships, and had followed this up with an airborne and naval assault. The Allies, caught by surprise, responded with a mixed invasion force of varying quality, but made a fight of it which lasted for two months.
On April 26, Dessain, then a Captain, was commanding an anti-tank company of the Green Howards near Kjorem, in appalling weather conditions, with three gun detachments in the frontline. These could only be reached from behind, by a main road which was being swept by heavy enemy machine-gun fire.
Nevertheless, Dessain visited his detachment throughout the day and, as his citation attested, 'by example and personal disregard for danger, encouraged his gunners to hold on and bar the way to any advance by hostile armoured vehicles.
'In particular, in the afternoon, when the situation was becoming critical, the sight of this officer riding a lady's bicycle up the road under machine-gun fire and some shell fire encouraged all who saw him.'
Dessain's personal feat of putting a German tank out of action attracted widespread admiration, and resulted in his being featured in a boy's comic called the Victor. Later in the campaign, he was also mentioned in dispatches.
Paul was born on 26 February 1909, and educated at the Oratory School, Reading, and Sandhurst. He was commissioned in 1929, and served in anti-riot operations in Palestine the same year, and was then posted to Shanghai, where he was attached to the Shanghai Defence Force. During that period, he traveled up the Yangtze by naval boat, a trip no longer possible. After service in India, He returned to Palestine in 1938, on internal security duties. In 1940 he was a Captain, commanding an anti-tank company of the Green Howards near Kjorem, Norway. He was awarded an MC for an act of gallantry in that campaign.
After Norway, his career was interrupted by tuberculosis, but after recovery he held various staff appointments, and became an instructor at the Staff College, Camberly, from 1942 to 1944. After further staff appointments - including Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office from 1945 to 1948 - he was Assistant
Military Secretary in Western Command from 1948 to 1951.
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He was Military Attache in Rome from 1952 to 1955, after which he appointed OBE. He was then Deputy Chief of Staff in the Intelligence Division of SHAPE, until 1957.
After leaving the Army in 1959, Dessain worked for a time in the printing industry, then became export sales manager for Rylands Wire Drawers (a subsidiary of Lancashire Steel) in Warrington. By the time he finally retired in 1963, he had raised the company's export sales from zero to 20 percent of production.
Dessain was a good linguist, and qualified as an interpreter in French and German. A keen sportsman, he was secretary of the Cheshire Polo Club, and a useful golfer.
Outgoing, amusing and a good raconteur, Paul Dessain always managed to look smart, whatever the conditions. Montgomery approved of him strongly, and was responsible for the posting to SHAPE, although it was contrary to the wishes of the War Office, who believed Dessain should have had a home posting after Rome.
He married, in 1947, Hester (nee Thompson), who survives him, together with their three sons and one stepson.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
February 19, 1999
SIR, - Colonel Paul Dessain was not the first to be awarded an MC during the Second World War (obituary, Feb 17). He won his award for gallantry on April 26, 1940. However, 2nd Lieut Michael Shephard, 5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, was awarded the medal for his bravery during an engagement on April 3 on the Sarr front.
FRANCIS HENN Wincanton, Som.
February 20, 1999
SIR, - Your obituary of Col. Paul Dessain (Feb 17) says he knocked out the first enemy tank of the war, in Norway on April 26, 1940. In that same theatre, as a platoon sergeant major of the 1st/5th Leicestershire Regiment, I knocked out two German light panzers on April 23 - St George's Day. The tanks had laid an ambush for a platoon of Sherwood Foresters and I got them side-on with a .55 anti-tank rifle. They returned fire, but three rounds into each silenced them.
Until now it had never occurred to me that I may have put the first dents into Hitler's Panzers. Now there's a thought.
JOHN SHEPPARD, Rothley, Leics.
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February 20, 1999
SIR, - Neither Col Dessain nor 2nd Lieut Michael Shephard (letter, Feb 19) was the first recipient of the Military Cross in the Second World War. The first decorations awarded to the Army were for a four-man patrol action on the night of Jan 3-4, 1940 at Waldwisse, on the French-German border, which resulted in the immediate award of the MC to Captain Peter Barclay and the Military Medal to Lt Cpl Davis, both of the 2nd Royal Norfolks.
JOHN STORY, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
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