A good Great War D.C.M. group of four awarded to Regimental Sergeant-Major H. Reynolds, Machine Gun Corps, late Somerset Light Infantry, who was twice wounded

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (7411 C.S. Mjr. H. Reynolds, 91/Coy. M.G.C.); 1914 Star, with clasp (8386 Sjt. H. Reynolds, 1/Som. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (8386 W. O. Cl. 1 H. Reynolds, Som. L.I. ), contact marks, generally very fine (4) £1000-1200

D.C.M. London Gazette 26 November 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during four days operations. He kept communication throughout with the forward guns and Company H.Q. under the greatest difficulties and constant shelling. He repeatedly rallied men and sent them forward again.’

Henry Reynolds arrived in France on 21 August 1914, as a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, and was wounded at Beauvois on the 26th - the unit’s war diary states that its casualties were evacuated to the local church.

Having then rejoined his battalion on 7 October, he was again wounded, possibly in the action at the “Birdcage” feature, Ploegsteert Wood, on 19 December, when ‘sheets of flames leapt up from the German trenches and bullets from machine-guns and rifles met the advance ... very few managed to reach the German lines.’ Reynolds’s name appears in a list of casualties published in The Times on 22 February 1915.

Transferring to the Machine Gun Corps in January 1916, he was advanced to Company Sergeant-Major in the 91st Company, M.G.C., in which capacity he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917), and awarded the D.C.M.

Reynolds, who was advanced to Regimental Sergeant-Major in April 1918, appears to have served in the Bermuda Volunteer Rifles during the 1920s. Owing, however, to an earlier offence that nearly resulted in the forfeiture of his medals (his MIC refers), he was not awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal; sold with copied research, including extracts from the Somersets’ regimental journal and group photographs.