British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Driver F. V. Curtis, 7th and 26th Companies, Australian Army Service Corps, a Gallipoli veteran who was decorated for his gallant deeds on the Somme in August 1916

Military Medal, G.V.R. (1189 Dvr. F. V. Curtis, 26/Coy. Aust. A.S.C.); 1914-15 Star (1189 Dvr. F. V. Curtis, 7 A.S.C. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (1189 Dvr. F. V. Curtis, 7/A.S.C. A.I.F.), together with Tribute Medal, gold, obverse Coat of Arms and ‘Advance Australia’, reverse inscribed, ‘Martinsville Welcome Home Committee, 17.10.19, F. V. Curtis, M.M., 7th A.S.C. A.I.F.’, the recipient’s silver identity disc, inscribed, ‘1189 Dr. F. Curtis, 26th A.A.S.C., 4th Div. A.I.F.’, and a small locket, gold-plated, containing a portrait photograph, ‘A.I.F.’ officially corrected on the Victory Medal, generally very fine (7) £1800-2200

M.M. London Gazette 16 November 1916. The original joint recommendation for eight N.C.Os and men states:

‘On the night of 10-11 August 1916, during heavy barrage fire of the enemy’s artillery, a request was sent for 30 trench mortar bombs to be delivered to “Chalk Pit” that night. Each of these bombs contained 250lbs of H.E. and required at least two men to handle each one. Seven trucks left at 8.30 p.m. from Bray Road dump. All traffic was stopped by Police at Bercourt, but the party pushed on and were held up several times owing to breaks in the line caused by shell fire, eventually arriving at “Chalk Pit” at about 5 a.m. where the loads were delivered.’

Added to which an original commendation from Major-General Sir H. V. Cox, commanding the 4th Australian Division, and dated 21 August 1916, states:

‘Driver F. V. Curtis, 4th Australian Divisional Train, showed gallantry and devotion to duty on the night of 10-11 August 1916 near Chalk Pit, in assisting to bring up and deliver Heavy Trench Mortar shells by tramway, the line being continually cut by shellfire.’

Frederick Vaughan Curtis was born in Hertfordshire in April 1897, his parents moving to Cheefoo, China in the following year, where his father, Frederick John Curtis, established himself as a local agent for Lloyds and the China Mutual Insurance Company, among other such companies, work that led to him being awarded the 5th Grade of the Imperial Order of the Double Dragon. Young Frederick and his mother appear to have moved to Australia on the death of his father around the outbreak of the Great War.

Enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in New South Wales, in September 1914, young Frederick was embarked with the 7th Company, Australian Army Service Corps (A.A.S.C.) aboard H.M.A.T. Port Macquarie in December 1914, his unit forming part of the 4th Divisional Train, 1st A.N.Z.A.C., with whom he served in Gallipoli, one of his letters home in mid-August offering a glimpse into this chapter of his wartime career:

‘The Turks left a lot of snipers behind them when they retreated the other night and they give us a lot of trouble. There is one fellow who has got a machine-gun and he was sniping our wounded as they went out in the boats to the Hospital Ships, and now they have to be carried a mile and a half, or two miles, to a place where they can be shipped away without being sniped at. Mr. Coates was wounded on the night of the advance - he got a bullet through the elbow. I was talking to him about an hour before they moved off and he gave me his wife’s address so that if anything happened and I did not see him again I could find out from Mrs. Coates what became of him - of course that is providing that I had the luck to pull through. Anyhow, he is put out of action for a week or two now ... ’

Following the evacuation of the Peninsula, Curtis transferred to the 26th Company, A.A.S.C. in Egypt, and was embarked for France in June 1916, where, a few weeks later, he won his M.M.

On returning to Australia, Curtis worked for the Atlantic Union as a pump fitter and in time became a successful sales representative in the Northern Tablelands. He was also appointed a Lieutenant in the Active Citizen Military Forces in October 1939, but died suddenly in January 1941.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s commendation card from Major-General Sir H.V. Cox (as cited above); his A.I.F. Pay Book; numerous letters from the recipient to his mother, mainly covering the period 1913-14, but also including five letters home from Gallipoli, dated in August and September 1915 (see example extract quoted above); warrant for the rank of Lieutenant in Active Citizen Military Forces, dated 16 April 1941; and half a dozen Great War period or later photographs.