Auction Catalogue

19 & 20 March 2008

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 901

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20 March 2008

Hammer Price:
£620

A Great War M.C. pair awarded to Captain E. A. Rudd, King’s Royal Rifle Corps

Military Cross, G.V.R., rev, inscribed, ‘Capt. E. A. Rudd, Ypres 1916’; British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt.) nearly extremely fine (2) £400-500

M.C. London Gazette 23 August 1916. For conspicuous gallantry during a raid. He led his party through heavy shell, machine gun and rifle fire both advancing and returning and carried out his attack in a most successful manner’.

Ernest Albert Rudd was born on 29 August 1880. A Farmer, living at Makemi, Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia, he attested for service in September 1915 with the Rhodesian Platoon of the 6th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Granted a commission in December 1915, he served in France/Flanders with the 11th Battalion K.R.R.C. and was awarded the M.C. for his services on the Ypres Salient during 1916. Details from 11th Battalion records, read

‘On the 13th June 1916, after a discharge of gas, a raid was carried out under Lieut. H. A. Denison and 2nd Lieut. E. A. Rudd on the “Mound”, a strong fortified hostile sap running out from their trenches just South of the Potijze Road. ..... On the 10th July the battalion again took an offensive ops. Gas was discharged directly after dark along practically the whole of the Divisional front. Four raiding parties, of two officers and 35 other ranks each, were to have gone over, as soon as the gas ceased, to clean up what was left over the way. However, the battalion on our right unfortunately started a few minutes too early with their gas, and the enemy opposite us were fully prepared when our gas started and manned their parapet with rifles and machine guns throughout. The orders were not to go over unless the gas was effective, which obviously was not. 2nd Lieut. E. A. Rudd and Gilpin, however, got over the “Mound” with their party doing very well. They bombed the enemy back to their front line and returned with several things found there. ...’

In 1917 Lieuteant Rudd was permitted to return to Rhodesia to attend to his farm and family and resigned his commission in 1918. He died on 25 April 1941. Sold with a quantity of service papers.