A rare and early Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. and ‘First Day of the Somme’ Second Award Bar group of five awarded to Acting Sergeant W. K. Palmer, 15th Field Company, Royal Engineers

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (17739 Cpl. W. K. Palmer. 15/Fd: Co: R.E.); 1914 Star, with clasp (17739 2. Cpl. W. K. Palmer. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals, with modern M.I.D. oak leaves (17739 A. Sjt. W. K. Palmer. R.E.) ; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (17739 W.O. Cl. II. W. K. Palmer. M.M. R.E.) mounted on card for display, light contact marks, otherwise very fine and better (5) £1,400-£1,800

M.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916: the first list of awards of the newly instituted Military Medal .

M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 1 September 1916: just two such awards listed including Palmer. Prior to this gazette, 10 Bars to the M.M. had been awarded, in the gazettes of 10 August 1916 (2 awards) and 23 August 1916 (7 awards), thus making Palmer’s award one of the first 12 Bars awarded.

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916.

The 15th Field Company War Diary records the presentation of the M.M. to Palmer by the G.O.C. at Henencourt on 27 June 1916, and later the award of his second M.M. [Bar] ‘for conspicuous gallantry on the nights of 1st July and 17th’. The 15th Field Company was at Ovillers Post, near La Boiselle, on 1 July and in action there and on the night of 17-18 were involved in a night operation to consolidate a mine crater under heavy fire near the front line at Beuvry, but were shelled out.

Sold with copied research including War Diary extracts.