GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 124
A Great War Jeancourt 1918 operations M.M. group of three awarded to Pte. D. S. Kyle, 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who was severely wounded in the process of winning his decoration
MILITARYMEDAL, G.V.R. (1118 Pte. D. S. Kyle, 3/Aust. Inf.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (1118 Pte. D. S. Kyle, 3 Bn. A.I. F.), polished, thus good fine (3)
£600-800 M.M. London Gazette 17 June 1919. The original recommendation states:
‘Near Jeancourt on the night of 11 September 1918, Private Kyle went forward with a ration party to the front line. In pushing through a heavy enemy barrage, the whole party was wounded. Though severely wounded in the leg, Private Kyle succeeded alone in getting the rations forward to the men in the line. His courage, determination and devotion to duty set the finest example to his unit.’
Douglas Stanley Kyle was born in Newcastle, New South Wales in 1894, where he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in April 1916. Drafted to the 3rd Battalion, he arrived in France in October 1917 and was attached to the 1st Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery at the time of winning his M.M. at Jeancourt in September 1918. Owing to his severe wound - in fact a gunshot to his right thigh - Kyle was invalided to England. He was discharged in Australia in March 1919.
Sold with copied service record and M.M. recommendation.
125
A Great War battle of Messines M.M. group of three awarded to Corporal A. W. Browne, alias ‘A. Cooper’, 42nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who was wounded in the course of winning his decoration
MILITARYMEDAL, G.V.R. (2052 Pte. A. Cooper, 42/Aust. Inf.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (2052 Cpl. A. W. Browne, 42 Bn. A.I.F.), good very fine (3)
£700-900 M.M. London Gazette 18 August 1917.
Albert William Brown - alias ‘Albert Cooper’ - was born near Mildenhall, Suffolk and emigrated to Australia where he found work as a labourer. Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force at Rockhampton, Queensland in May 1916, aged 30 years, he was drafted to the 42nd Battalion and arrived in France in February 1917. As cited above, he was wounded in the course of winning his M.M. at Messines in June 1917, namely a compound fracture of his left arm caused by a gunshot. Rejoining his unit in the Field at the year’s end, he later transferred to 11th Field Ambulance and was discharged in Australia in May 1919. It was in March 1918 that he revealed his true identity as Albert William Browne, rather than ‘Albert Cooper’.
Sold with copied service record and M.M. recommendation.
126
‘I vividly recall our progress along the duck-boards and taking up position in No Man’s Land, as we silently awaited our barrage, one of the Company proceeded to light a cigarette without trying to shield the light: needless to say he soon put it out. After the German barrage had been going for some while, a round object fell into the shell-hole in which three or four of us sat. In the semi-darkness we were loath to touch it, as we thought it was a human head. Eventually one of us picked it up and, to our relief, we found it was a loaf of bread tossed up by the burst that had probably killed the poor troop carrying it. One can still recall that ‘relief unutterable’ when our guns opened up, but I can never forget the colossal blaze of M.G. fire which, for the time being, outdid the barrages and bursting shells.’
Corporal W. R. Stevenson recalls events at Broodseinde Ridge on the night of 3 October 1917, shortly before collecting his second wound; Our Dear Old Battalion - The Story of the 7th Battalion, A.I.F., 1914-1919, by Ron Austin, refers.
A notable Great War M.M. group of three awarded to Corporal W. R. Stevenson, 7th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who was wounded on three separate occasions, the last of them necessitating the amputation of his left leg
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (3268 Cpl. W. R. Stevenson, 7/Aust. Inf.); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (3268 Cpl. W. R. Stevenson, 22 Bn. A.I.F.), good very fine (3)
£800-1000 M.M. London Gazette 20 August 1919. The original recommendation states:
‘During the attack west of Peronne on the night of 9 August 1918, this N.C.O. displayed great gallantry and devotion to duty. The enemy held some gun pits and the fire from these pits was continually checking the advance. Corporal Stevenson took charge of a party and skilfully worked his way up communication trenches to these pits and captured them. This action enabled the advance to continue. Corporal Stevenson was badly wounded that day. During the period July to September 1918, Corporal Stevenson’s work was of a very high standard in and out of the line, and his courage in the line had been a stimulating example. His work out of the line has been very efficient and he materially assisted in the thorough training of the men of his company.’
William Richard Stevenson was born in Mansfield, Victoria in 1896 and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915. Drafted to the 22nd Battalion, he was embarked for Egypt in late November 1915 and, having transferred to the 7th Battalion in the interim, was embarked for France in March 1916. During the course of his subsequent services on the Western Front, he was thrice wounded. Thus gunshot wounds to his chest and elbow received on the Somme on 22 July 1916; a gunshot wound to his left foot, received at Broodseinde Ridge on 4 October 1917, and a serious gunshot wound to his left thigh during the course of winning his M.M. near Peronne on 9 August: the latter necessitated amputation. He was discharged in Australia in July 1919 and died in January 1975.
Sold with copied research, including M.M. recommendation.
www.dnw.co.uk
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