Three: Company Sergeant Major W. J. Holwill, Devonshire Regiment, awarded the M.C. and mortally wounded on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme

India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (3266 Lce. Sergt., 1st Bn. Devon Regt.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Elandslaagte (3266 Sgt., Devon Regt.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (3266 Sjt., Devon Regt.), mounted as worn, contact marks, nearly very fine (3) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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M.C. London Gazette 27 July 1916. ‘No. 10281 C.S.M. Walter J. Howill, 8th Bn., Devon R.’ ‘For conspicuous gallantry during an attack. When all the officers of his company had become casualties, he took command and ably led the company under heavy fire’.

Walter J. Holwill was born in Penzance, Cornwall and enlisted at Exeter, Devon. Serving in the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, he saw his first active service on the N.W. Frontier, 1897-98. Soon after the battalion was sent to South Africa where they were engaged at the battle of Elandslaagte, 21 October 1899. The bulk of the regiment then went on to take part in the defence of Ladysmith; Sergeant Holwill did not, and was one of only 10 recipients of the single clasp ‘Elandslaagte’ on the Devonshire Regiment Q.S.A. roll. With the onset of war Holwill served as a Company Sergeant Major in the 8th Battalion Devonshire Regiment. The battalion entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 25 July 1915. The first major action the battalion was involved in was the opening day of the battle of the Somme. The Battalion was in the 20th Brigade of the 7th Division and were in support of the 9th Devons and 2nd Gordon Highlanders in the assault on Mametz.

The leading two battalions went ‘Over the Top’ at 0730hrs on a beautiful summers day but immediately ran into heavy machine gun fire. C.S.M. Holwill was the C.S.M. of B Company, and as the leading troops advanced, moved B Company gradually forward into the Reserve Trench from which the attack had been started. At about 1030hrs orders came to advance and B Company went forward to fill a gap that had occurred between the 9th Devons and the Gordons. Moving past Mansel Copse B Company was caught by machine gun fire from an enemy position known as the Shrine, the Company Commander, Captain Mahaffy, was badly wounded and before long every officer in the company had been killed or wounded. As the men paused C.S.M. Holwill took charge, rallied his men and resumed the advance.

Shortly after midday it was clear that A and B Companies were both held up so Colonel James sent C Company forward to contact them and endeavour to renew the advance. The survivors of B Company were mostly in Mametz Trench and again organised by C.S.M. Holwill they reformed and began to advance once more. All the time under a devastating rain of machine gun fire. They reached the central area of the Brigade’s objective, clearing the dugouts in the high banks along the infamous Danzig Trench and Plum Lane, which connected with the Gordons. It was an important achievement and yielded many prisoners including several officers. The fighting continued for the rest of the day and by 1800hrs the whole of the Division's objective had been secured and was being consolidated. The 8th and 9th Devons all being mixed up just to the West of Mametz. The cost however had been enormous. The 8th Battalion had lost 3 officers and 447 men killed and 7 officers and 151 men wounded. Amongst the wounded was C.S.M. Holwill who had received a mortal injury.

Four days later while Holwill was being evacuated to England, 159 men of the 8th and 9th Devons were buried in a trench near Mametz. When the grave had been filled in a large wooden cross was put up which read - ‘THE DEVONSHIRES HELD THIS TRENCH: THE DEVONSHIRES HOLD IT STILL’. This trench grave later became a Commonwealth War Cemetery and was called Devonshire Cemetery.

Evacuated to England, Holwill died of his wounds on 22nd July 1916, aged 43 years. He was buried in his home village, at Christ Church Parish Church, in Brentor near Tavistock. He was the husband of Elizabeth Francis Holwill of Moor View, Brentor. Sold with copied research including photocopied photographs of his grave and surroundings. Walter Holwill was the only C.S.M. in the Devonshire Regiment to be awarded the Military Cross in the the Great War.