TOPIC:

A relisting of this group by DNW. It did not sell in Sept 2016 perhaps in part because of the renamed QSA? The estimate has been reduced from £400-500 to £300-400.


Picture courtesy of DNW

MM GV (MS-4947 Pte. E. Watts. RAS.C.) prefix to number officially corrected;
QSA (5) CC, RoK, Paard, Drie, DH (5603 Corpl. E. Watts. King’s Shropshire Lt: Infty:) re-engraved naming, fourth clasp a tailor’s copy;
KSA (2) (5603 Corpl: E. Watts. Shrops: L.I.);
1914 Star, with copy clasp (MS-4947 Pte. E. Watts. A.S.C.);
BWM and VM (MS-4947 Sjt. E. Watts. A.S.C.)

E. Watts served during the Great War with the Army Service Corps, and was awarded the Military Medal whilst attached to the Guards Division, Motor Transport Company.

A magnificent group to WO J Home, Dorset Regiment.


Picture courtesy of DNW

DCM, G.V.R. (5655 C. S. Mjr: J. Home. MM 1/Dorset R.);
MM GV, with Second Award Bar (5655 Sjt: J. Home. 1/Dorset: R.);
QSA (2) CC, Laing’s Nek (5655. Pte. J. Home. 2/ Dorset: Rgt.);
1914 Star, with clasp (5655 L.Sjt. J. Home. Dorset R.);
BWM and VM (5655 W.O. Cl Feb J. Hime. Dorset R.);
Defence Medal;
Army LS&GC GV 1st issue (5655 W.O. Cl.II J. Home. DCM MM Dorset R.)

DCM LG 1 October 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid in leading the men of his company to their objectives. On reaching the first objective he reorganised a platoon and led it forward to fill a gap in the line. On the withdrawal he remained behind, and was instrumental in bringing in a number of wounded men. His gallantry was most marked.’

MM LG 11 November 1916. MM Second Award Bar LG 24 January 1919.

John Home was born at St. Pancras, London, in 1880, and attested for the Dorset Regiment in London on 20 January 1898, having previously served in the Militia. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he joined his new Regiment at Shorncliffe two days later, he served with the 2nd Battalion in South Africa from 7 March until 5 August 1900, where he was present during operations in the Cape Colony, and in the operations around Laing’s Nek, 2-9 June 1900. Proceeding with the Regiment to India on 22 December 1900, he spent the next eleven years on the subcontinent, re-engaging at Madras on 8 April 1909 to complete 21 years with the Colours. A keen sportsman, he won Regimental trophies in rugby, football, and cricket, and was also a committed member of the temperance movement. Promoted Corporal on 16 November 1909, he transferred to the 1st Battalion on his return from India on 2 November 1911, and was appointed Lance Sergeant on 25 January 1913.

On the outbreak of the Great War Home went to the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force on 16 August 1914, and was swiftly promoted to Sergeant on 25 August 1914. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Battle of the Somme, where he was wounded by a gun shot to the right hand on 2 July 1916, after his battalion had been in fierce action in the vicinity of Authuille Wood and suffered 501 casualties, including Home, over the first two days of the battle: ‘On the 1st July advancing from the Wood, and encouraged on by Drum-Major Kerr who was out in the open playing the Regimental March-Past on his flute, the 1st Dorsets suffered high casualties before reaching the British front line (about 100 yards away). Relieved to Authuille, the following day they made a further attempt, and having made it back in the front line by night fall were relieved and withdrawn to Senlis’ (British Battalions on the Somme refers). It is probable that it was for this action that he was awarded the Military Medal - his first medallic gallantry award of the Great War. Promoted Colour Sergeant and appointed Company Sergeant Major on 14 December 1916, he was wounded a second time, this time severely, by gun shot to the left thigh on 3 October 1918, on the very same day he learnt of the award of his Distinguished Conduct Medal, and after a spell in a French Field Hospital was repatriated to England on 25 October.

Awarded a Second Bar to his Military Medal in 1919, and awarded his Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal the same year, Home was discharged on 8 March 1919, after 21 years and 48 days’ service. Retiring to Harlesden, Middlesex, he subsequently served as a Commissionaire at the British Museum.

Group to G Russell who served in the Sussex Regiment during the Boer War.


Picture courtesy of DNW

MM GV (9-13416 Sjt: G. Russell. 2/S.W. Bord:);
QSA (4) CC, Joh, DH, Witt (5674 Pte. G. Russell, 1st Rl. Sussex Regt.);
KSA (2) (5674 Pte. G. Russell, Rl. Sussex Regt.);
1914-15 Star (13416 Sjt. G. Russell. S. Wales Bord:);
BWM and VM (13416 Sjt. G. Russell. S. Wales Bord.);
France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1914-1916, with bronze palm

MM LG 10 November 1916. The following recommendation is taken from regimental records and is difficult to read in parts:

‘On the night of 29/30 April, Sgt Russell was in charge of the wire cutting party of the raid party. His party advanced in front, immediately behind Capt. Byrne commanding the raiding party. The party came under heavy shell fire on the way to the German wire, and 7 out of 10 were killed or wounded by the time the wire was reached. Sgt Russell and one man whom he called to follow him, cut the wire between two trestles, pulled the trestles out and cut a way through the trip wire. It was at this time that 2 Lt Granger (?) decided to give up the raid owing to losses. Sgt Russell was of great assistance in collecting wounded and in helping to organise parties for carrying them off, and he also did a lot of good work searching the shell craters along the front of the German wire. All this was done under fire alone in front of the [?] trenches and while the party was fully exposed under the continuous Very lights which were fired from the German lines. Sgt Russell showed great courage and dash in the way he advanced through the shell fire to the German wire.

1 May 1916, G. T. Raikes, Major, Cmdg 2/S Wales Borderers’

George Russell enlisted into the Royal Sussex Regiment on a Short Service Engagement on 26 September 1898, seeing service at Malta and in South Africa during the Boer War. He re-enlisted on the outbreak of the Great War into the South Wales Borderers, on 29 August 1914, and went with the 2nd Battalion to Gallipoli, 1 September 1915, and subsequently to France. He was discharged from the 3rd Battalion on 20 May 1917, and is entitled to the Silver War Badge. Croix de Guerre confirmed in the regimental history.

Great War MM group to Private A. Dudley, Royal Army Medical Corps, late Royal Fusiliers


Picture courtesy of DNW

MM (8849 Pte. A. Dudley. R.A.M.C.);
QSA (3) CC SA01 SA02 (7722 Pte. A. Dudley. Rl. Fusiliers.);
1914 Star (8849 Pte. A. Dudley. R.A.M.C.) initial officially corrected;
British War and Victory Medals (8849 Pte. A. Dudley. R.A.M.C.) the Victory Medal officially re-impressed.

Hello
I have been collecting and researching Boer War Medals to the King's Shropshire L.I., and my initial findings regards to soldiers of the Regiment who served in South Africa and going on to serve in WW1, and winning the Military Medal are very few, so when this group came up I snapped it up, I can only find at this time an handful of men with a MM and QSA combination, this topic will insure I look more in to the subject
thank you for bringing this to the forum
Philip
MM and QSA Combination to 6393, Sgt. Frederick Jenkins 7th King's Shropshire Light Infantry

Picture courtesy of DNW

DCM, GV (4940 A.L. Cpl. G. Williams. 1/Linc: Regt.); 
MM GV (4940 Cpl. C. Williams. 1/Linc: R.); 
QSA (4) RoK, Paard, Drie, Joh (4940. Pte: G. Williams. 2/Linc: Rgt:); 
KSA (2) (4940 Pte. G. Williams. Lincoln: Regt.);
1914 Star, with later slide clasp (4940 Pte. G. Williams. 1/Linc: R.); 
BWM and VM (4940 Cpl. G. Williams Linc. R.); 
Territorial Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (4795547 W.O. Cl. II. G. Williams DCM., MM 4 - Linc. R.)

DCM LG 30 June 1915:

‘For devotion to duty and ability on the night of 21st February 1915, at Ypres. When a German patrol of about 20 men approached his trench from the rear and opened fire, he collected a few men and dispersed them at point blank range.’

MM LG 16 July 1918.

George Williams resided at Rasen Lane, Lincoln and was employed as a Blacksmith. He served with the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, during the Second Boer War. Williams transferred to the 1st Battalion, and served with them during the Great War. Having advanced to Corporal, WiIliams served with the Battalion in the French theatre of war from 6 September 1914. The Lincoln Leader of June 1915 adds the following:

‘Amongst the list of Lincolnshire heroes who have been fortunate enough to gain the D.C.M., as mentioned in the latest despatch from Field Marshal Sir John French, appears the name of Acting Lance-Corpl. George Willams (4940).

Born at Upton some 35 years ago, Williams came to Lincoln in the early part of his life, and soon joined the Lincolnshire Regiment. During the South African campaign he won two medals for services at Paardeburg, and the Relief of Kimberley. He was on reserve for several years, and when the war broke out in August last was called up to serve with his old regiment, but, as his wife tells us, if he had not been on the reserve he would have volunteered to go, so eager was he to serve his country in her hour of need. Going to Grimsby for two or three weeks’ training he was drafted to the front with the 1st Battalion, and was soon in the thick of the fighting. Most of our readers will, no doubt, be able to form an idea of what our soldiers suffered during this winter campaign, and Corpl. Williams endured those hardships and perils wonderfully well, only having a touch of rheumatics.

On the 11th June he wrote a letter to his wife: “I have some pleasant news for you; I have received the D.C.M. I got to know only yesterday, and I get this medal presented to me by the King and I also get £20.” ‘

Williams served with ‘B’ Company, and The History of The Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-1918, adds the following for his gallantry at Ypres:

‘During January, and part of February, the 1st Lincolnshire were in a comparatively quiet part of the line east of Kemmel.... On the 17th February the battalion, with the rest of the 9th Brigade, was ordered to Ypres to relive troops in that area. Two other brigades were ordered up at the same time to take the place of a division which needed a rest. The Lincolnshire moved into their new trenches on the 21st. B Company (Captain Boys) found theirs to be a thoroughly untenable ditch, up to the knees in mud and water. The Germans at one point were actually in the same trench, an interval of fifteen yards separating the Lincolnshire and the Germans, with traverses between. In places the Germans were actually in rear, and sentries had to be posted to the rear as well as to the front.

B Company held the left of the line, and C Company lost eleven men killed (shot through the head) in the first half-hour, and later a German raid took place in rear of our trench. The Lincolnshire set to work with a will to improve the line, and the Germans made no more attempts to shoot our men in the back. When the battalion was relieved, our line was like a fortress.’

Williams was presented with the riband for his D.C.M. by the Divisional Commander, Major-General J. A. L. Haldane, on 12 June 1915. He served as Company Sergeant Major with the 4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, after the war and was awarded his Territorial Efficiency Medal in October 1930.

Approximately 35 ‘Relief of Kimberley’ clasps to the Regiment.