Auction Catalogue

4 & 5 December 2008

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 348

.

5 December 2008

Hammer Price:
£120

Victory Medal 1914-19 (2) (Capt. O. H. Mather; Q.M. & Lieut. F. W. Snell) second with official correction to rank, good very fine £80-100

Oswald Harvey Mather joined the 1st Tyneside Scottish on its formation in Newcastle and was appointed a Temporary Captain on the 15 December 1914. After an initial period in Newcastle, the Battalion moved to Alnwick on 29 January 1915 and remained there training for war until January 1916 when the Battalion, including Captain Mather, left Southampton and sailed to Le Havre.

From January to June 1916 as part of 102 Brigade 34th Division the Battalion took its share of trench fighting around Bois Grenier and then on the 1 July together with 3rd Tyneside Scottish they moved up Mash Valley to attack La Boiselle. At 0728hrs two large mines were detonated under the German positions one to the North of the village and one to the South then, at 0730 hrs the whistles sounded and with bagpipes playing the Battalion charged forward with the bayonet. They had 500 yards of open ground to cover before reaching the German lines but immediately ran into intense German machine gun fire. Some men reached the rear of the village but were then forced to withdraw. By the end of the day the Tyneside Scottish Brigade has suffered the worst casualties of any of the Brigades that took part in the attack of the 1 July. All four Commanding Officers were killed and in the 1st Tyneside Scottish every officer and sergeant became a casualty. The final casualty list in the Battalion was 16 officers killed and 10 wounded, and 337 other ranks killed and 268 wounded. Among the officers wounded was Captain Mather who had led the 4th wave of his Battalion into the attack.

On the 4 May 1917 Captain Mather left the 1st Tyneside Scottish and sailed to India where, on the 8 May 1918 he was attached to the Supply and Transport Corps. In 1919 he was part of the 8th Divisional Supply Company and qualified for the India General Service Medal 1908 with the two clasps Waziristan and Mahsud. The recipient’s B.W.M. and I.G.S. were sold in Spink 19 July 2007. Sold with copied research.

Frederick Walter Snell was a regular soldier who joined the 2nd Tyneside Irish Battalion on its formation by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle in November 1914. He was a W.O 2 and was appointed to be the second in seniority of the N.C.O’s. as the Battalion R.Q.M.S. It was his responsibility to clothe and equip the battalion ready for the time when they sailed from Southampton to Le Havre on the 10 January 1916. After a period of acclimatisation and trench warfare as part of the 103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade 34 Division, the Battalion formed up for the Somme Battle on the 1 July 1916. At 0730 hours the Battalion “Went over the Top” with two companies in front each company in columns of platoon. “It was a family affair of brothers, cousins, fathers, sons and workmates” The Brigade advanced, four-battalion abreast with the 2nd Tyneside Irish on the Northern side of the Albert - Bapaume Road and tasked to capture La Boiselle. The Irish thrust forward with the bayonet anxious at last to get face to face with the enemy. But the German machine gunners were waiting and the fierce fight that resulted was later described as “Unsurpassed by this or any campaign”. By the end of the day however only scattered soldiers were left standing. Four officers had been killed and fourteen wounded with 140 soldiers killed and 351 wounded.

Following the battle RQMS Snell returned to England was commissioned and then rejoined the 2nd Tyneside Irish in France as the Quarter Master. Lieutenant Frederick Snell continued to serve with the 2nd Tyneside Irish through the Battle of Arras, where L/Cpl Thomas Bryan earned the first Victoria Cross to the Northumberland Fusiliers since the Indian Mutiny. Again the Battalion suffered severe casualties losing all its company commanders and 220 casualties. Throughout 1917 the Battalion continued in action particularly around Poelcapell again suffering severe casualties. Of the 1266 traced members of the Battalion 73.06% eventually became casualties. On the 31 January 1918, 103rd Brigade was disbanded and the remaining cadre of the 2nd Tyneside Irish was transferred to the 102nd Brigade. Lieutenant Frederick Snell was posted home and became the Adjutant and Quarter Master of the Devonshire Regimental Depot at Exeter. Sold with copied research.