GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY 1 SOLD BY ORDER OF THE FAMILY
The outstanding Great War 1917 V.C. group of six awarded to Corporal S. J. Day, 11th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (Cambridgeshire), whose heroics performed during the capture of the labyrinthine trench system at Hargicourt, 26 August 1917, mirrored the calibre of his earlier war service - which had been desperately unlucky not have been rewarded with at least one other gallantry decoration.
Day spearheaded the Battalion’s attack at Hargicourt, leading his bombing section he came to the fore when the whole attack faltered under the deadly fire of a well placed machine-gun crew. Killing two of the gunners and taking the remainder of the crew prisoner, Day pressed on into the trench system protected by a German strong point called Malakhoff Farm. The British attack became fragmented and in danger of grinding to halt, and it was Day who went on alone to ‘bomb his way out’. Having successfully re-established a link with the other parties of the attack, Day returned to where he had left his section. Upon arrival he discovered two officers (one badly wounded) and three other ranks in his newly captured part of the trench. Almost immediately, in this ‘tit-for-tat’ struggle, Day was faced with a German stick grenade landing at his feet. Fortunately for all concerned survival instinct kicked in, and Day seized the grenade before hurling it over the side of the trench. It exploded almost as soon as it left his hands. His actions saved the lives of those in the trench, as well as his own. Despite this near death experience, Day pressed on once again and cleared the remainder of the trench. He consolidated his position, heavily entrenched himself, and remained at his post under intense shelling until his relief 66 hours later.
Remarkably, despite constantly putting himself in harm’s way, Day had not been wounded during the attack at Hargicourt. This is made all the more remarkable considering that during the rest of his war service he received 5 bullet wounds, was forced to crawl back to British lines on two separate occasions, and was ultimately taken prisoner of war.
Day initially served with the 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, and received the first of his wounds whilst serving with them during the opening phases of the battle of Loos, 25/26 September 1915. This was Day and the Battalion’s first action of the Great War - and he had gallantly tried to rescue his wounded commanding officer from No-Man’s Land. As Day was in the process of lifting Lieutenant T. T. Stevens onto his shoulder, a sniper’s bullet found the officer - he died in Day’s arms. Wounded himself, Day took three days to return to his Battalion, by which time he had been given up for dead. Another man of the 9th Battalion was to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry near Loos on the 26th September - Sergeant Arthur Saunders. The latter was awarded the Regiment’s first Victoria Cross. Lieutenant Stevens’ family later presented Day with an inscribed cigarette case for his efforts in trying to save their son’s life.
Having recuperated from his wound, Day was back in action on the Somme in 1916. He suffered 4 bullet wounds during the attack on the Quadrilateral, 13 September 1916. One bullet pierced his breast pocket just above his heart, only to be deflected into his side by a packet of postcards held in his pocket. Exhausted and incapacitated by his wounds, Day lay in a shell-hole from 7 a.m. until darkness fell. He then crawled back to British lines.
Day had transferred to the 11th Battalion by the time of his Victoria Cross winning exploits. It was serving with them during the German Spring Offensive that he was wounded for a final time, and was taken prisoner of war at the battle of Lys, 10 April 1918.
VICTORIACROSS, reverse of the suspension bar inscribed ‘No.15092 Cpl. S. J. Day. 11th Bn. Suff Regt’, reverse centre of the cross dated ‘26. Aug. 1917.’; 1914-15 STAR (15092 L. Cpl. S. J. Day. Suff: R.); BRITISHWAR AND VICTORYMEDALS (15092 Cpl. S. J. Day. Suff. R.); CORONATION 1937; CORONATION 1953, last two in card boxes of issue, remainder mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (6)
£120000-140000
www.dnw.co.uk
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