A Great War 1916 ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Sergeant W. Gill, 178th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, late East Lancashire Regiment, who was wounded by shrapnel in March 1916

Military Medal, G.V.R. (147518 Sjt: W. Gill. 178/T´lg: Coy R.E.) edge bruising, very fine £300-£400

M.M. London Gazette 14 December 1916.

William Gill, a native of Burnley, Lancashire, attested originally for the East Lancashire Regiment and served with the Mounted Infantry Company in South Africa during the Boer War (entitled to the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Johannesburg, and Driefonten; and the King’s South Africa Medals with the usual two date clasps). Re-enlisting in the East Lancashire Regiment on 9 September 1914, he served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 2 May 1915, and was wounded by shrapnel to the right arm in March 1916. Recovering, he was posted to the newly formed 178th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, the Company being in action in the Fricourt sector on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916:
‘At 6.25am the intensive bombardment of the enemy’s front system was begun, and between 7.15 and 7.25am in order to mislead the enemy, what remained of the gas was released from the centre of the corps front from which no assault was at first to be delivered. At 7.22am a hurricane bombardment by Stokes mortars on the whole front of attack took place. At 7.26am smoke discharges were launched by the 4th Mortar Company of No 5 Battalion, Special Brigade R.E., in order to create barrages to screen the inner flanks of the attacking wings of the 7th and 21st Divisions, also to form a cloud on the German support line opposite the 7th Division, to mask the direct assault. At 7.28am three mines of 25,000lbs., 15,000lbs. and 9,000lbs., placed by the 178th Tunnelling Company R.E., were fired under the German line opposite the salient known as “The Tambour”, facing Fricourt, against which no assault was to be made. The purpose of the mines was to distract the enemy’s attention and form craters which block enfilade fire against the 21st Division from the northern face of “The German Tambour” (just south of Tambour). Bulgar Point, a heavily wired strongpoint jutting out into No Man’s Land (south of the south-east corner of Mametz) was completely destroyed by a 2,000lbs. mine, and a sap west of it by one of 200lbs. Four small mines of 500lbs. each were also exploded under the German line south of Hidden Wood, where much mining had already taken place.’ (Official History of the War, Military Operations, France and Belgium, refers).

As the advance progressed in July 1916, the 178th Tunnelling Company moved up to try to mine enemy positions in the High Wood area, in particular on 3 September:
‘The 1/Black Watch attacking the German Front line in High Wood, had the help of blazing oil drums, “pipe-pushers”, and flame throwers, the objective being too close for artillery bombardment; in addition, a mine was exploded (The 178th Tunnelling Company R.E. used a charge of 3,000lbs. of ammonal) under the German strongpoint at the eastern corner of High Wood 30 seconds before zero hour. The mine crater was seized by the right company of the Black Watch, consolidation began with the assistance of a section of the 23rd Field Company R.E., and bombers worked some distance westward along the German front trench. Unfortunately the “pipe-pushers” in the wood had blown back, and a Stokes mortar, firing short, had ignited the oil drums prematurely, so that considerable confusion prevailed when the other companies of the Black Watch began to advance.’ (ibid).

Awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry on the Somme, Gill was discharged due to sickness on 25 August 1917, and was awarded a Silver War Badge, No. 242332.