Orders, Decorations and Medals

An exceptional Tirah Expediton D.C.M. group of three awarded to Private J. Spick, Derbyshire Regiment, who was originally recommended for the V.C. for his gallantry at Dargai Heights in October 1897, on which occasion he was severely wounded - he was the first to follow his officer ‘across a heap of dead and wounded men into a perfect hail of bullets’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (Pte. J. Spick, Derbys. R.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (3392 Pte., 2d Bn. Derby. Regt.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (3392 Pte., Notts. & Derby. Regt.), mounted as worn, this last with slack suspension claw, contact marks and edge bruising, thus good fine or better (3) £4000-5000

D.C.M. submitted to the Queen 9 July 1898 (Army Order 135/98).

John Spick arrived in India with the 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment in January 1894, in which unit he joined the Tirah Expeditionary Force in early October 1897. Of events on the Dargai Heights on the 20th, the story is best retold via assorted eye-witness accounts, the whole submitted alongside the recommendations for the award of the V.C. to Spick and Lieutenant H. S. Pennell.

First, however, the official submission made by Brigadier-General Hart, V.C., R.E., to the Assistant Adjutant-General, 1st Division, Tirah Expeditionary Force, on 7 December 1897:

‘Sir,

I have the honour to request you will forward, for the favourable consideration of the General Officer Commanding Tirah Expeditionary Force, the attached documents which I have collected regarding the gallant conduct of the following soldiers at the storming of Dargai on 20 October 1897:

Captain W. E. G. Smith , 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (killed)
Lieutenant H. S. Pennell, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment

No. 579 Colour-Sergeant J. Keeling, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (severely wounded)
No. 4755 Private George John Dunn, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (killed)
No. 2732 Private Richard Ponberth, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (mortally wounded)
No. 1701 Private J. Anthony, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (severly wounded)
No. 3392 Private J. Spick, 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment (severely wounded)

On the 20 October 1897, Captain W. E. G. Smith’s company of the 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment, was ordered to attack the heights at Dargai. The 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles and 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment had already been unsuccessful in their attack, and were under cover blocking the way to the hundred yards of open space that had to be crossed.

Captain Smith ordered his company to charge, and started forward before his men could get through the companies in front of them. Lieutenant Pennell, Colour-Sergeant Keeling, Privates Spick, Dunn and Ponberth, forced their way through the men in front, and followed the gallant leading of their Captain who fell dead after he had gone about sixty yards. Immediately afterwards, Private Dunn was killed, Private Ponberth mortally wounded, Colour-Sergeant Keeling and Private Spick severely wounded, and Private Anthony was lying close by severely wounded.

There were officers, not engaged, who witnessed what happened, and describe the enemy’s fire as extremely heavy, but Lieutenant Pennell ran to the assistance of Captain Smith, and made two distinct attempts to carry and drag him back to cover, and only left his comrade when he found that he was apparently dead. Lieutenant Pennell then ran back to his company which was under cover. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I consider it my duty to bring forward the conspicuous gallantry of Lieutenant H. S. Pennell, and of Private J. Spick, both of the 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment, as deserving of being recommended for the Victoria Cross; and, had he lived, Captain Smith’s gallant leading should not have passed unrewarded. It is also apparent that Colour-Sergeant J. Keeling, Privates Dunn, Ponberth and Anthony, are the names of very brave men deserving of the most honourable mention. I would therefore recommend the two survivors, Colour-Sergeant J. Keeling and Private J. Anthony, for the Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field, in recognition of the gallant support thay gave their officers in following them out of cover and across a heap of dead and wounded men into a perfect hail of bullets.

It may be that Privates Booth, Hunt and Wilson of the 2nd Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment are deserving of special mention, but I am unable to obtain sufficient evidence to justify me in recommending them for the Medal for Distinguished Condduct in the Field.

I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant.’

And from the ‘attached documents’ to which Generasl Hart refers (i.e. eye-witness statements), a broader picture emerges of Spick’s deeds. Thus Private Anthony recalled Spick having shouted over to Lieutenant Pennell to take cover, ‘as the fire was too hot and the bullets were dropping very thick all around him’, while the Lieutenant himself wrote:

‘Private Spick is the only man surviving of those who followed Captain Smith and myself in the attempt to charge the enemy’s position at Dargai on 20 October 1897. He was close up and going straight for the position when he was shot down and in sending in the names of the men reported on favourably for their behaviour on that occasion, I have mentioned this man specifically.’

Thus Spick appears to have been the man furthest forward on his officer’s heels, Private Hunt also confirming that his comrade ‘followed the Captain first and was just behind him’. And it was presumably this distinction that led to Spick’s V.C. recommendation, for in an interim report, dated 4 December, General Hart was minded to observe that he was worried a D.C.M. would be insufficient recognition - ‘It may be that his gallantry is being under-stated for want of information’ - and clearly a second submission made by Lieutenant Pennell on the 5th convinced him that a V.C. was more appropriate award. Pennell stated:

‘Private Spick and Sergeant Keeling went on until they were hit, but Sergeant Keeling was hit almost immediately he left cover and therefore did not gain the same chance of proving his willingness to advance as Private Spick, who had covered, I should think, about 60 yards straight towards the position before he was hit.’

Accordingly, on 19 January 1898, in a document submitted at Jamrud, Spick’s V.C. recommendation was advanced one stage further, a statement of services and medical report also being included among the relevant documentation - evidently a bullet passed clean through one of his shoulder-blades (WO 32/7423 refers). Yet, as history relates, it was only Pennell who eventually received the ultimate accolade (London Gazette 20 May 1898 refers).