GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 53
A Great War 1918 ‘Somme’ M.M. awarded to Corporal A V. Holt, 28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, for his gallantry at Villers Bretonneux, 8 August 1918, when ‘The Diggers of ‘A’ Company, led by Lieutenant J. Hopkins (later wounded), advanced with a home-made flag bearing the 28th Battalion colour patch, made from material ‘salvaged’ from Villers Bretonneux. Another machine gun nest temporarily held up the advance, until Sergeant M. A. Farrelly and Corporal A. V. Holt attacked the post, killing six of the garrison and capturing six others. The advance was immediately resumed’
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (5878 Cpl. A. V. Holt. 28/Inf: A.I.F.) very fine £600-800
M.M. London Gazette 24 January 1919. The original recommendation (in which Holt is jointly listed with Sergeant M. A. Farrelly) states:
‘During the attack East of Villers Bretonneux near Amiens on the 8th August 1918, these two N.C.O.s rushed a German Machine Gun which was firing on our troops. They captured it killing six of the crew and taking six prisoners. This act enabled the advance to be continued.’
Alexander Victor Holt was born in Perth, Australia. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, 20 April 1916, and embarked for France 10 October 1916. Holt served with the 28th Australian Infantry Battalion as part of the 7th Australian Brigade, 2nd Australian Division in the French theatre of war.
Holt was awarded his M.M. for gallantry in operations on the Somme, in particular during an action east of Villers Bretonneux, 8 August 1918. The Battalion War Diary for 7-8 August 1918 records that the attack was a complete success with the Battalion taking 5 German officers and 68 other ranks prisoner, as well as capturing four 77mm field guns, three heavy and four light machine guns, and 4 light trench mortars.
The Blue and White Diamond - The History of the 28th Battalion 1914-19 gives the following additional details for the attack:
‘Lieutenant J. C. Birt, brandishing his revolver, leapt into an enemy post and forced the surrender of its garrison of twenty enemy troops and two machine guns. The Diggers of ‘A’ Company, led by Lieutenant J. Hopkins (later wounded), advanced with a home-made flag bearing the 28th Battalion colour patch, made from material ‘salvaged’ from Villers Bretonneux. Another machine gun nest temporarily held up the advance, until Sergeant M. A. Farrelly and Corporal A. V. Holt attacked the post, killing six of the garrison and capturing six others. The advance was immediately resumed. Privates S. W. Robinson and A. Knowles rushed a third strong point. The two Diggers charged the post with a Lewis Gun, inflicted heavy casualties on the garrison and forced the surrender of twenty Germans.’
Holt received a gun shot wound to his knee, 2 September 1918, and was invalided back to Australia in H.T. Takaola 25 December 1918. He was discharged 26 May 1920.
54
A Great War 1918 ‘Somme’ M.M. awarded to Private P. E. Hall, 54th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, for heroically carrying out his duties as a stretcher bearer at Villers Bretonneux, despite being both gassed and blown up by a Minenwerfer shell, 24-25 April 1918
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (3396 Pte P. E. Hall. 54/Aust: Inf:) lacquered, nearly very fine M.M. London Gazette 29 October 1918. The original recommendation states:
£600-800
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. This man was a stretcher bearer and although suffering from the effects of gas, during the action at Villers Bretonneaux, France, on 24th and 25th April, 1918, he continuously attended wounded under intense artillery and machine gun fire. He was blown up by a Minenwerfer shell, but refused to leave his work until all wounded had been evacuated. His self-sacrifice, courage and devotion to duty are deserving of the highest praise.’
Percy Edward Hall was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, in 1894. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, 18 November 1916, and embarked for France on H.M.A.T. Anchises, 24 January 1917. Hall served with the 54th Australian Infantry Battalion as part of the 14th Australian Brigade, 5th Australian Division in the French theatre of war. He was wounded in action 9 April 1918, before being awarded his M.M. for gallantry in operations on the Somme, in particular during the action of Villers Bretonneaux, 24-25 April 1918. Hall was gassed at least twice during the Great War.
Hall returned to Australia in H.T. Ceramic in January 1919, and was discharged 24 April 1920. He died in December 1953, and is buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, Australia.
55
A Great War 1918 ‘Somme’ M.M. pair awarded to Private A. N. Bowley, 2nd Battalion Australian Machine Gun Corps, Australian Imperial Force, who was twice wounded during the course of the war
MILITARY MEDAL, G.V.R. (1324 Pte. A. N. Bowley. 2/Aust: M.G.C.); 1914-15 STAR (1324 Pte. A. N. Bowley. 24/Bn A.I.F.) very fine (2)
£600-800
M.M. London Gazette 24 January 1919. The original recommendation states: ‘In the attack on the 9th August 1918, at Franerville near Amiens, he [Bowley] showed great resource and presence of mind. Forward of the objective he saw one of our teams knocked out by point blank shell fire. Without hesitation he ran forward into no-man’s land, brought the gun back to his team and put it into action. He then went forward again, bandaged the wounded and carried them back under heavy fire. Though deafened and stunned, Pte. Bowley carried on for hours assisting the wounded from no-man’s land back to safety. His courage and devotion to duty were most conspicuous.’
A. N. Bowley was born in Creswick, Victoria, Australia, in 1895. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at the town of his birth on 12 April 1915, and was posted to the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion. He served with the battalion in Gallipoli, before embarking for Egypt in January 1916. Bowley served in the French theatre of war from March 1916, and was twice wounded in action, 30 June 1916 and 5 August 1916 respectively.
Bowley was sent to the UK to recuperate after his last wound, returning to France in May 1917. He served with the 2nd Battalion Australian Machine Gun Corps, as part of the 2nd Australian Division on the Somme, and was awarded his M.M. for gallantry in the attack at Franerville near Amiens, 9 August 1918. He returned to Australia in H.M.A.T. Tras-Os-Montes, and was discharged 22 July 1919. Bowley died on 25 August 1921.
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