A superb Great War M.C. and Bar for the captures of Jerusalem and Nazareth awarded to Major H. G. Kendrick, Worcestershire Yeomanry and 19th Machine Gun Squadron, later 16th Lancers

Military Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar; British War and Victory Medals (Major H. F. Kendrick); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan (Capt. H. F. Kendrick, M.C. Worc. Yeo.); War Medal 1939-45 (8009 H. F. Kendrick); Africa Service Medal (8009 H. F. Kendrick) these last two officially impressed South African issues, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (6) £3000-3500

M.C. London Gazette 11 April 1918: ‘For Distinguished services in the Field in connection with Military Operations, culminating in the capture of Jerusalem.’

Bar to M.C. London Gazette 8 March 1918; details London Gazette 4 October 1918: Lieutenant (Acting Major) Herbert Frank Kendrick, M.C., Worcestershire Yeomanry and 19th Machine Gun Squadron, Machine Gun Corps.

‘At Nazareth, soon after entering the town on 20th September, 1918, the Brigade came under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Major Kendrick took command of four machine-guns and by his initiative and resource relieved the situation, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. One of his guns alone accounting for forty-four enemy dead.’

The lot is accompanied by a fine studio portrait, a letter of recommendation from the C.O. 16th Lancers with whom Kendrick served 1921-22, before emigrating to South Africa, and several wartime news cuttings following the exploits of the Worcester Yeomanry during the war, including two lengthy reports from Kendrick himself. The one that follows describes the remarkable capture of the German Headquarters at Nazareth for which he won the Bar to his Military Cross:

‘worcester yeomanry’s fight - Officer’s Vivid Narrative - Capt. H. F. Kendrick, of the Worcestershire Yeomanry, gives in a letter a vivid account of an engagement in which they took part. Capt. Kendrick, who has been awarded the M.C. and bar, is a son of Mr. G. E. B. Kendrick, of King’s Lynn, and before the War was engaged with Messrs. J. F. Willis Ltd. He writes under date Sept. 26, 1918:-

For some time past we have been secretly preparing for a push which would, if it were successful, completely rout the whole Turkish Army. All our mounted troops have been holding a line in the Jordan Valley the whole of the summer. Towards the end of August they were gradually withdrawn under cover of darkness, and their place was taken by battalions of Jews and British West Indians, who were issued with wooden horses from Ordnance which they zealously turned out to groom directly enemy aircraft appeared. A few weeks’ preparation and all was ready for the great push. On the night of Sept. 17 we marched out at dusk and trekked to Jaffa, where we spent the rest of the night camouflaging ourselves in orange groves, the strictest orders being issued against movement of any kind. On the following day, which was quiet and uneventful, the enemy evidently suspecting nothing... A terrific bombardment all along the line preceded the dawn, and our patrols at once moved off. Just after daybreak we moved off towards the battle which was everywhere raging fiercely. The pace soon quickened up, and we fairly “ripped along.” Soon we came upon bunches of prisoners being escorted back wounded, on their way to dressing stations.

Everywhere the enemy were retiring in disorder, and soon we came upon them. On we went, stopping for nothing, without a halt for twenty miles, when we entered an important ordnance dump and workshop centre without a shot being fired. The greatest confusion prevailed upon our entry. We quickly collected about 300 prisoners, routing out two or three brace of Boches from a reed-bed at the point of the lance. After a cordon of cavalry had been established all round the town, the brigade halted and rested until dusk. There we were in position right behind the Turkish Army, with the desperate battle raging all along the line. At nightfall we rode out of the town in a north-easterly direction, our destination being known only to a few. An hour before dawn found us crossing the main Haifa-Nablus, now Damascus, Railway, which was one of our principal objectives. Without checking our pace we rode on and up the narrow path, quickly overpowering a sleeping enemy machine gun post without a shot being fired, and at 4.30 a.m. clattered down the streets of Nazareth, the Turkish General Headquarters, having done a night ride of 60 miles. The few sentries were speedily disarmed, the barracks were entered, and a whole battalion were taken prisoners as they were in bed.

The telegraph office was quickly wrecked, and all communications were cut. We galloped on through the streets, and came to a large square in which were the various supply dumps. About a dozen large motor lorries were quickly filling with fleeing Germans; others were running hither and thither, not knowing what to do. The town was now thoroughly aroused, and the fun began. I galloped with a Gloucester officer into a yard full of Germans with rifles, who were trying to take cover in some gardens. We shot at them with our revolvers, but they showed fight and we found ourselves in a very nasty corner. A troop of Gloucesters came up and soon cleared the place at the point of the bayonet, another troop capturing the lorries which were just making off. By now the enemy who held the heights east and north-east of the town began to show fight, a heavy fire coming from machine-guns mounted on hospital roofs and windows and from concealed snipers. This sort of thing went on all morning, the enemy getting more and more disheartened. Eventually, the situation cleared, and we had time to camp the spoil - 2,000 prisoners, quantities of machine-guns, all G.H.Q. secret documents and papers, staff motor-cars, gold and notes in boxes, and stores of every description.

Leaving a force to guard the town, we made off back to the railway junction on the Plain, ready to prevent the escape of the Turkish Main Army which, absolutely broken, was making in our direction. Suddenly a terrific din sounded from the outpost line, and bullets began to hit the house we were in. We rushed out, to find the slopes of a hill swarming with Turks. Afterwards we found that they consisted of three battalions from Haifa, some 20 miles away - a town which was not then in Britiosh hands. We took up a stand along the low stone wall, and hurried up the three machine guns in reserve. This stopped the Turkish rush, and all night long we fought. Just before dawn we decided to go over the top with the bayonet. This we did, uttering fearful yells with one accord. The enemy was completely demoralised and put up a very poor show; they got very badly cut up before we could stop our mob of very exasperated Yeomen and Indians from seeing any more red. The whole outfit surrendered: 43 dead were counted, and about 500 prisoners and three machine guns were taken. Hourly news came in from the theatre of infantry operations, stronghold after stronghold falling into our hands, with Army Corps Commanders, whole battalions of Austrians with colonels complete - in fact, the better part of the Turkish Army intact as issued from Ordnance.’