A Great War M.C. group of five awarded to Captain J. Kendall, Lincolnshire Regiment, attached 3rd Battalion, Nigeria Regiment and Machine Gun Corps, late West Riding Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914 Star, with copy clasp (6876 L-Sjt. J. Kendall. W. Rid. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. J. Kendall.); Delhi Durbar 1911, unnamed as issued, good very fine (5) £1,000-£1,400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Gallantry Awards to the Lincolnshire Regiment.

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M.C. London Gazette 15 February 1917:
‘For Distinguished Service in the Field.’

Joseph Kendall was born in Dublin in 1883 and attested for the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment on 2 December 1901 aged 18 years. At the outbreak of the Great War he was stationed in Lahore, India with the 1st Battalion, West Riding Regiment and although his battalion remained in India for the duration of the war, Kendall, holding the rank of Lance Sergeant, embarked for duty in France with No. 8 British Field Ambulance, Indian Expeditionary Force, on 29 August 1914. He transferred to the 2nd Battalion, West Riding Regiment, in France on 10 July 1915. After spending 14 Years and 7 days in the ranks he was commissioned Second Lieutenant, presumably in the field, on 9 December 1915 and posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, seeing further advancement to Temporary Lieutenant on 12 February 1916 and Temporary Captain on 15 July 1916.

Kendall was wounded on 3 July 1916 at Fricourt when serving with the 7th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment and, was commanding C Company of the 7th Battalion when it suffered severe casualties at Longueval on 3 August 1916:
‘At 4.30 a.m. on the 3rd, C Company, under Lieutenant Kendall, went to Longueval on digging fatigue. This was the beginning of several days of a perfectly horrible existence. The Lincolnshire were subjected all the while to heavy shell-fire, machine-gun and rifle fire and suffered heavy casualties. The bombardment was so heavy that an enemy attack was expected.’ (The History of the Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-1918 by Major-General C. R. Simpson, C.B. refers.)

Kendall was attached to the Machine Gun Corps on 31 March 1917 with which he stayed until 29 August 1917. He was then attached to the 3rd Battalion, Nigeria Regiment, West African Frontier Force, holding the rank of Lieutenant. Kendall’s medal index card mentions correspondence in 1922 regarding a clasp for the Africa General Service Medal although no entitlement has been found on the roll.

Sold with copied research and roll extracts showing entitlement to Delhi Durbar 1911 medal.