Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War ‘Egypt’ M.C. group of six awarded to Captain H. Hargreaves, Baluchistan Light Infantry

Military Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Captn.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Mahsud 1919-20, Waziristan 1919-21 (Capt., 2-127 Baluchis); Defence and War Medals, with companion miniatures of the first four, both sets mounted as worn, together with his ‘Officer’s Record of Services (Army Book 439)’, and three hand written Letter Books containing a record of his letters home from September 1915 to January 1923, covering his war service in France, Egypt, Palestine and India, the content generally good, good very fine (10) £600-800

M.C. London Gazette 3 June 1919. The following recommendation is taken from the accompanying Letter Book which also gives full details of the Secret Orders for the Raid and extract from the War Diary for the same occasion:

‘On the night of 12/13th August 1918, he commanded the Raid made on Kherbert Amurieh. He led his men up the steep slopes of the hill in the face of machine gun fire and bombs thrown from the top. His party captured two machine guns and some rifles and inflicted considerable loss on the enemy. The success of the raid was in a large measure due to Lieut. H. Hargreaves’ gallantry and skilful leading. He was wounded. The strength of the raiding party was 2 B.O’s, 2 I.O’s and 96 I.O. Ranks.’

In a letter home to his parents after the raid, Hargreaves gives further details: ‘It was a real inferno all round. Thick smoke hung all over the place, shells burst ahead right and left, M.G. bullets were pattering along the top of the hill. We were only a thin line stretching about 50 yds with no supports. We got to the top, bayonetted about four Turks and captured two machine guns. We rallied there and then pushed on. We got a good many on the further side with bombs, rifles and most with bayonet. We charged them three times. We got a good many prisoners but they started to run so we bayonetted the lot including a Turkish officer. After checking them and absolutely demoralising them we came back, brought in our wounded and dead, with 2 M.G’s and many rifles. I formed a rear guard of 10 men while the other 40 carried in about ten dead and wounded. We broke most of the Turkish rifles and threw them away so as to bring in our own wounded. We brought one prisoner part of the way, then the men got fed up with him as he was wounded (half a bayonet sticking in him) so they finished him off... While on top we got bombed by the Turk from the back and one blew me clear of the parapet for about six yds. I thought I was shot to pieces but after a few minutes I woke up and felt alright. I was hit in five places but not one more than broke the skin, so I walked back as cheery as anything... The Colonel is going to put in my name for some reward, but I don’t think I shall get anything as ours was a small affair.’