A Collection of Medals to the 42nd Highlanders and 73rd Foot (Black Watch) 682
A fine Great War 1915 ‘V.C. action’ D.C.M. awarded to Private J. McGregor, 1st Battalion, Royal Highlanders, for gallantry at Aubers Ridge, 9 May 1915. He was killed in action whilst serving with the 6th Battalion, 21 March 1918 - the first day of the German Spring Offensive
DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, G.V.R. (2186 Pte. J. McGregor. 1/R.Hdrs) minor edge bruising, very fine D.C.M. London Gazette 5 August 1915:
£800-1200
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the 9th May, 1915, at Rue du Bois. While lying on the German parapet firing, Private McGregor saw a bomb thrown into a shell hole some distance behind him, and knowing that an Officer and two men were lying wounded in this hole, he ran back, picked up the bomb, and hurled it away before it exploded, thereby undoubtedly saving their lives.’
James McGregor was born in Dundee, Scotland, and served during the Great War with the 1st Battalion, Royal Highlanders in the French theatre of war from 26 September 1914. McGregor distinguished himself whilst serving with the Battalion during the secondary attack on 9 May 1915, at the Battle of Aubers Ridge. The Regimental History gives the following:
‘After an artillery bombardment of twenty minutes the Battalion advanced to the attack, and made one of the finest assaults it delivered during the war, distinguished by skilful leadership of officers and section commanders under the most adverse conditions, and great gallantry on the part of the men.... As in the original assault, the wire had not been sufficiently cut, nor had the German breastworks and machine guns been much damaged. Against them, A and B companies advanced over the open, followed by two platoons each from C and D companies...
The companies advanced to the sound of the pipes - for the last time - since gas helmets were shortly to muffle the pipers. It was not possible to recognise “Highland Laddie” in the noise of gunfire, but the pipes themselves could not be silenced, and there is no doubt that they raised the spirit of the attackers. As soon as our men topped the breastworks, they were met by a terrific rifle and machine gun fire, which seemed to come from every direction; machine guns were not only firing from the breastworks, but from tunnels cut underneath them.
The distance between the lines was about 300 yards, so that it did not take more than two minutes for the leading troops to reach the enemy wire. A few gaps existed, and into these the attacking platoons converged; then, forcing their way into the German line, they began to clear the trenches by hand-to-hand fighting. The advantage lay with the enemy from the first, since the platoons could only enter the breastworks on narrow fronts where the gaps existed; and though the Battalion established itself at various points, it was attacked from three sides, being bombed from both flanks, and fired into from the enemy’s rear line.’
A number of D.C.M.s were awarded to members of the 1st Battalion for the action, and Corporal John Ripley was awarded the Victoria Cross. Lance Corporal David Findlay of the 2nd Battalion was also awarded the Victoria Cross for the Battle of Aubers Ridge. The 1st Battalion suffered casualties of 14 officers and 461 other ranks killed, wounded or missing. Only ‘8 officers and 354 other ranks could be assembled to march back on the 9th of May, and the next two days were needed for the reorganisation of the Battalion, which was carried out in Divisional Reserve at Beuvry and Béthune. On both these days H.R.H. the Prince of Wales paid a visit to the Battalion, and interviewed several non-commissioned officers and men who had actually been in the German trenches on the 9th.’ (Ibid)
McGregor transferred to the 6th (Perthshire) Battalion, Royal Highlanders, and was killed in action on the first day of the German Spring Offensive, 21 March 1918. The 6th Battalion were entrenched in the Flesquières area at the start of the German Offensive, and suffered heavily over the following five days and nights - ‘the cost to the Battalion during these five days was 20 officers and 620 other ranks. The greater number of these were lost during the first day’s fighting when, owing to the retirement of the Divisions on the right and left, practically the whole of the front line garrison was either killed or captured. For services on this occasion the Battalion received three Military Crosses, one Bar and 14 Military Medals’ (Ibid).
Private McGregor is commemorated on the Arras Memorial. 683
A Great War 1916 ‘Mesopotamian theatre’ D.C.M. pair awarded to Corporal D. S. Bell, 2nd Battalion, Royal Highlanders
DISTINGUISHED CONDUCTMEDAL, G.V.R. (1890 Pte. D. Bell. 2/R. Hdrs); BRITISHWARMEDAL 1914-20 (1890 Cpl. D. S. Bell. R. Highrs.) suspension slightly loose on last, very fine (2)
£600-800 D.C.M. London Gazette 11 March 1916:
‘For conspicuous gallantry. When shell fire had buried five guns, L/Cpl. Blyth, and Ptes. Bell and McLeod dug them out and continued to serve, the one gun remaining uninjured. Later they dug out the guns of another unit and served them till they were destroyed by shell fire. Private McLeod was wounded.’
David Shaw Bell was born in Lochhead, Dunfermline, in May 1891. He served during the Great War with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Highlanders in the French theatre of war from 12 October 1914. He advanced to Corporal, and left France with the Battalion in November 1915. Bell served with the Battalion in the Mesopotamian theatre of war from January 1916. After the war he was employed as a Coal miner, and died in Edinburgh, 15 May 1938.
Sold with original copy of citation.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285 |
Page 286 |
Page 287 |
Page 288 |
Page 289 |
Page 290 |
Page 291 |
Page 292
