GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 100
A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Warrant Officer Class 2 W. J. Checkley, 3rd West Riding Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
MILITARYMEDAL, G.V.R. (785262 Sjt:- A.B.S. Mjr:- J. W. Checkley. R.F.A.); 1914-15 STAR (1208. Bmbr. J. W. Checkley. R.F. A.); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (1208. W.O. Cl. 2. J. W. Checkley. R.A.) light contact marks, very fine (4) £340-380
M.M. London Gazette 14 May 1919.
Joseph William Checkley was born in 1895, in Sheffield, and served with ‘C’ Battery, 150th (3rd West Riding Brigade), Royal Field Artillery during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 April 1915, being awarded the M.M. in 1919. He died in Sheffield in 1951. His brother, Willie Checkley, served with 1st/8th Middlesex Regiment and was killed in action in France on 24 August 1918, aged 19.
101 A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant E. Freeman, Royal Lancaster Regiment, late Liverpool Regiment
MILITARYMEDAL, G.V.R., (29067 Sjt E. Freeman. 8/R. Lanc: R.); 1914 STAR (9307 Sjt E. Freeman. 1/L’pool: R.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (9307 Sjt. E. Freeman. L’pool R.) good very fine and better (4)
£340-380 M.M. London Gazette 14 May 1919.
Edward Freeman was born in London in 1888, and was a handle bar bender by trade. He attested for the 2nd Battalion Liverpool Regiment in 1905, having previously served with the 6th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, and served firstly as Sergeants’ Mess Waiter. He went absent on 3 March 1907, was declared a deserter on 23 April 1907, and was apprehended and tried by District Court Martial and sentenced to 56 days detention for desertion on 6 August 1907. He returned to duty and over the next few years rose through the ranks to Sergeant by May 1913, serving for some time as Sergeants’ Mess Caterer and Musketry Instructor. On 13 June 1914, he was reprimanded for serving a N.C.O. liquor when already drunk. In July 1914 prior to transferring to the Army Reserve, he was employed as Drill and Musketry Instructor. Recalled to the Colours on the outbreak of the Great War, he served with the 1st Battalion on the Western Front from 12 August 1914, and was wounded in the right thigh by shrapnel on 3 November 1914. He was sent home on 28 December 1914 and on recuperation was posted to the 3rd Battalion Liverpool Regiment and appointed Acting Staff Sergeant Instructor of Musketry. He transferred to the 11th Battalion Liverpool Regiment, and subsequently to the Royal Lancaster Regiment on 31 March 1918. Posted to the 8th Battalion on 2 April 1918, he received gun-shot wounds to the face on 2 October 1918 and was sent home. He was discharged with 70% disablement on 30 January 1919 from the 3rd Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment, whilst attached to the 53rd (Young Soldier) Battalion, Liverpool Regiment. He was subsequently awarded the Military Medal in July 1919.
102
A Great War posthumous M.M. group of three awarded to Private W. Baird, Seaforth Highlanders, originally recommended for the D.C.M., he was killed in action at Ledeghem, 1 October 1918
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (S/43333 Pte W. Baird. 7/Sea: Highrs); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (S-18887 Pte. W. Baird. Gordons.) good very fine (3)
£300-400 M.M. London Gazette 14 May 1919.
William Baird was born in Dumfries, and attested for the Gordon Highlanders at Hexham, Northumberland. After serving with the Gordons during the Great War on the Western Front, he transferred to 4th and then 7th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, and was killed in action on 1 October 1918, aged 41. He is buried in Dadizeele British Cemetery, Belgium, and was posthumously awarded the M.M. He is also commemorated on the Kirkton War Memorial and the headstone of the family plot at Kirkton Church.
The Dumfries and Galloway Standard of 9 October 1918 contains an article regarding Private Baird, headed ‘Missing Soldier Recommended for the D.C.M’. The article notes that Baird was recommended for the DCM, ‘for very fine action during the recent advance’. It is likely that these deeds occurred on 28 September 1918 in the attack and successful taking of Frezenberg Ridge, where pill boxes and dug-outs were cleared and many P.O.W.s taken. The village of Dadizeele was taken by the 9th Scottish Division on 29 September 1918 followed by intense fighting on Hill 41 and the taking of the village of Ledeghem “after a sharp struggle”, on 1 October 1918. The Battalion War Diary notes 19 men killed, 4 missing and 69 wounded on 1 October 1918 and includes Baird’s award of the M.M. in a list of awards in October 1918. The 7th Battalion suffered 24 fatal casualties on 1 October 1918.
103 A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Corporal B. A. Butcher, Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (87233 Cpl B. A. Butcher. R.F.A.); 1914-15 STAR (87233. Cpl. B. A. Butcher. R.F.A.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (87233. Cpl. B. A. Butcher. R.A.) mounted as worn in the wrong order, good very fine and better (4) £340-380
M.M. London Gazette 17 June 1919.
Bertram Albert Butcher was born in 1877, in Bridport, Dorset, and attested for the Royal Field Artillery at Richmond, Surrey, on 25 August 1914. He served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 1 June 1915, being promoted Corporal and posted to 65th Brigade Ammunition Column prior to embarkation on 29 May 1915. On reorganisation in May 1916, he served for short periods with 12th Divisional Ammunition Column and D Battery, 62nd Brigade, before being posted to V 12 Trench Mortar Battery in August 1916. On 18 January 1918, he was severely wounded in the right hand and head by shell fire and removed to 38th Field Ambulance and admitted to 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital at Outreau, along with 24 other admissions that day. On 24 January 1918, he was transferred to 72nd General Hospital, Trouvelle. On recovery, he was posted to Y 12 Trench Mortar Battery on 8 April 1918 and was awarded the M.M. for his bravery with this unit. He transferred to the Army Reserve in March 1919 and returned to his family home in Bridport. After the war, he set up in dental practice as a Dental Surgeon in Bridport. He later moved the practice to Fareham, Hampshire, where he also became an A.R.P. Warden. He died at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth in 1963.
104 A Great War M.M. group of three awarded to Gunner M. J. Newman, Royal Field Artillery
MILITARYMEDAL, G.V.R. (234600 Gnr: M. J. Newman. R.F.A.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (234600 Gnr: M. J. Newman. R.A.) edge bruising to BWM, otherwise good very fine (3)
£240-280 M.M. London Gazette 23 July 1919.
Martin John Newman attested for the Royal Field Artillery at Finsbury Park, London, and served during the Great War on the Western Front with ‘C’ (Howitzer) Battery, 83rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, as part of 18th (Eastern) Division.
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