The Collection of Medals Formed by Bill and Angela Strong

Items relating to Sergeant William McNally, V.C., M.M., The Yorkshire Regiment

A mounted set of four miniature dress medals attributed to Sergeant W. McNally, V.C. - Victoria Cross; Military Medal, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals, mounted for wear; a Great War ‘War Wounded’ lapel badge, pin-backed; British Legion, stick-pin; together with a quantity of papers relating to ‘McNally V.C.’, very fine (lot) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Sergeant William McNally (1894-1976), 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, was awarded the VC. (London Gazette 14 December 1918) for gallantry in action at Piave, Italy, on 27 October 1918 and again at Vazzola, 29 October 1918.

‘When his company was most seriously hindered by machine-gun fire, Sergeant McNally, regardless of personal safety, rushed the machine-gun post single-handed, killing the team and capturing the gun. Later, at Vazzola on 29 October, the Sergeant crept up to the rear of an enemy post, put the garrison to flight and captured the machine-gun. On the same day, when holding a newly captured ditch, he was strongly counter-attacked from both flanks, but coolly controlling the fire of his party, he frustrated that attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. (Ref: The Register of the Victoria Cross).

Sold with a quantity of original papers relating to McNally, including: original Army Telegraph, ‘The G.O.C. congratulates you on your being awarded the Military Medal by the Corps Commander.’; citation for his M.M. (repaired), signed by Lieutenant-Colonel, A.A. & Q.M.G., 23rd Division: ‘When his Officer was wounded during the assault of Contalmaison on 10th July, 1916, he remained with him and tied him up under fire and subsequently reached the firing line by himself’; a slip re McNally at the Combined Corps Gas Wing, Central School, dated 1 May 1918; a slip re. McNally at the Army Wing, Central School, dated 30 May 1918; citation for his Victoria Cross (repaired) signed by Major Gray Simpson, A. & Q. Branch of Staff, 23rd Division; Free Railway Travel Pass issued to McNally, 9-12 November 1929; V.C. Reunion programmes (3); named Coronation 1937 award certificate; slips (2) relating to McNally’s application to re-enlist in August 1940; named slip re the award of the Defence Medal, dated 20 May 1946; a note of thanks from Winston Churchill, 1956; a letter from the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Durham paying tribute to McNally as a recipient of the V.C., dated 20 June 1956; letter to McNally from the V.C. & G.C. Association, dated 13 October 1975; V.C. & G.C. Association Christmas cards (2); Green Howards Christmas card; Invitation cards to McNally (5); papers ref the funeral of William McNally; a printed ‘Souvenir in Commemoration of the V.C.s, invitation to dinner by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Saturday 9th November 1929’; portrait photograph. Also with a quantity of copied research.