A Great War 1916 ‘Mouquet Farm - Somme’ M.M. awarded to Private A. S. Patterson, 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, for gallantry as a Company Runner, 6 - 11 August 1916. He was killed in action, 27 August 1916, on the Somme

Military Medal, G.V.R. (2222 Pte. A. S. Patterson. 15/Aust: Inf: Bn:) nearly extremely fine £700-900

M.M. London Gazette 16 November 1916. The original recommendation states:

‘This soldier is recommended for meritorious conduct during operations south of Mouquet Farm from August 6th /11th.

He acted as Company Runner and ran messages day and night to Battalion Headquarters and to platoon commanders. He delivered every message quickly, and his Company Commander had the utmost confidence that a message would reach its destination when entrusted to him.

He was particularly reliable under the heaviest fire and stood out conspicuously among the runners, especially during the advance on 8th /9th August.’

Alexander Smith Patterson was born in Toowong, Queensland, Australia, in 1897. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, at Brisbane, Queensland, 10 May 1915, and was posted to join the 6th Australian Infantry Battalion Reinforcements at Gallipoli in August 1915. Later that month he contracted gastro-enteritis, and was evacuated to Alexandria, Egypt, in December 1915.

Patterson served with ‘B’ Company, 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, as part of the 4th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Division in the French theatre of war from 8 June 1916. He was awarded his M.M. for gallantry in operations south of Mouquet Farm, Somme, 6-11 August 1916.

Mouquet Farm itself was a heavily defended German position halfway between Pozieres and the German strongholds around Thiepval village. The British had thought that the positions around Thiepval would fall on the first day of the Somme offensive, but they had not. The objective of that unsuccessful first day attack had been Bapaume. By mid-August the British still believed it was necessary to neutralise the German positions around Thiepval so that they could make eastward progress towards Bapaume. But in order to attack Thiepval, it was thought that Mouquet Farm would first have to be taken.

On the night of 6/7 August 1916 the 4th Division took up positions on the Pozieres Heights. At dusk on 8 August, behind a creeping barrage, the Australians attacked northwards towards Thiepval. But they made little progress. On the next night they seized their first objective and on 11 August two strong German counterattacks were repelled.

During these attacks German artillery bombardments were intense. Moreover, as the Australians were advancing into an ever-narrowing bulge or 'salient' into the enemy line the Germans were able to shell them from three directions. All movement towards the front was observed by the enemy and the whole area was a sea of shell craters which turned into a bog when rain fell. The shelling made it difficult to recognise landmarks.

Patterson was killed in action whilst still serving with the Battalion on the Somme, 27 August 1916. Private Patterson is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Somme, France.