A Great War ‘Battle of Passchendaele’ D.C.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant F. H. Diplock, 18th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, later Lieutenant, Royal Sussex Regiment and Senior Master, Royal Navy, who died in service on 9 June 1940

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (C-6926 Sjt: F. H. Diplock. 8 [sic]/K.R.R.C.); British War and Victory Medals (C/6926 Sjt. F. H. Diplock. K.R.R.C.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, minor abrasion to obverse field of BWM, otherwise good very fine and better (6) £700-£900

D.C.M. London Gazette 22 October 1917; citation published 26 January 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When all his officers had become casualties and the company was disorganised he collected a small party of men and attached himself to an officer of another unit, who was then leading his company to the attack. Although he knew that his battalion had been relieved, he remained twenty-four hours with this officer, greatly helping him in the consolidation, and returning only when directly ordered to do so.’

Frederick Diplock was born in 1891 in Hove, Sussex and attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He served with the 18th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front, and it is likely that he landed with the Battalion at Le Havre on 3 May 1916, which would be consistent with the lack of a 1914-15 Star. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions with the 18th Battalion at Forret Farm, Hollebeke, during the Battle of Pilkem Ridge (one of the phases of the Battle of Passchendaele) on 31 July to 1 August 1917.

On 31 July, 122nd Brigade of 41st Division attacked with 18th Battalion K.R.R.C. on the right and the 11th Battalion Royal West Kents on the left towards Hollebeke. The infantry advanced at 3:50 a.m. and succeeded in taking the enemy’s front line trenches without difficulty. The second object consisted of the village of Hollebeke for the 11/R.W.K. and Forret Farm (south-west of Hollebeke) for 18/K.R.R.C. and this proved to be a much tougher proposition, both objectives being heavily fortified.
By 11:30 a.m. Hollebeke had been captured but the second wave of 18/K.R.R.C., which passed through the first wave, lost direction and failed to carry the attack on Forret Farm.
Sergeant Diplock and a party of 8 men did penetrate to the second line objective, between the farm and the village and stuck it out there for 24 hours, taking part in a renewed attack by a company of the 12th East Surreys on the evening of 1 August.
The battalion was withdrawn on the night of 31 July - 1 August having suffered some 153 casualties.

Diplock was commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment on 17 March 1919 and at some point transferred to the Royal Navy as a School Master, being promoted Senior Master on 1st September 1939. He died on 9 June 1940 from illness at the Stonehouse Naval Hospital, Plymouth while serving with the Royal Navy as a Senior Master, and is buried in Plymouth (Weston Mill) Cemetery.

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