Auction Catalogue

4 & 5 December 2008

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 1287

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5 December 2008

Hammer Price:
£260

Family group:

A Great War M.M. pair awarded to Acting Serjeant W. Siddall, Royal Engineers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (438444 Cpl., 430/F. Coy. R.E.); British War Medal 1914-20 (438444 A. Sjt., R.E.)

1914-15 Star (12352 Pte. H. Marriner, Durh. L.I.); Victory 1914-19 (84137 Gnr. F. W. Marriner, R.A.) good very fine (4) £200-250

Sold with a copied newspaper cutting reporting on the ‘Presentation of Military Medal and Illuminated Address to Corporal Wm. Siddall, R.E.’

‘At the Council meeting on Tuesday, August 13th, 1918, the Military Medal and an illuminated address was handed to Corporal William Siddall, of the Royal Engineers, 26 years of age, .... He joined the East Lancashire Royal Engineers on the 14th January 1915, and after being trained was sent to Frace in February, 1917. The following are the brief particulars of his gallantry and devotion to duty which resulted in the award of the Military Medal -

At 3 o’clock on the morning of the 13th June, 1917, the Corporal (who was then acting as Sergeant) took a conspicuous part in a raid on the German lines near Bethune, for the purpose of diverting the enemy’s attention from more serious operations elsewhere. Gun positions and trench mortar emplacements were destroyed by the Engineers. The operations were successfully carried out and the Company returned to their own lines. The Corporal was wounded in the great German offensive on the 25th March last, receiving gunshot wounds in the arms, and at present is under treatment at the Victoria Auxiliary Red Cross Hospital, Stretford, ....’

Henry Edward Marriner was born and lived on Boston Spa, Yorkshire and enlisted in Durham, serving initially with the Durham Light Infantry. Serving later with the 43rd Comapny Machine Gun Corps, he was killed in action on 16 September 1916, aged 22 years. He was buried in the A.I.F. Burial Ground, Flers. He was the son of Mrs and Mrs Frederic Marriner of 5 Unicorn Place, Trafalgar Street West, Scarborough. Sold with some copied research and three riband bars.