Orders, Decorations and Medals

A good Great War ‘Somme’ D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant Colonel W. McC. Crosbie, Royal Munster Fusiliers, for gallantry at Guillemont in which action he was wounded

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (2/Lieut., R. Muns. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.) last three mounted on contemporary wearing bar, the D.S.O. riband with cotton loops to attach D.S.O. when required, good very fine and better (4) £1200-1500

D.S.O. London Gazette 14 November 1916, Major, Royal Munster Fusiliers ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led two companies with the greatest courage and initiative. Later he organized the position with great skill, displaying great coolness throughout. He was wounded.’

Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 4 January 1917.

Lieutenant Colonel Walter McClelland Crosbie, D.S.O., born in 1878 entered the Royal Munster Fusiliers from the Militia as 2nd Lieutenant in September 1900 and served with them in South Africa. Appointed Adjutant of the Special Reserve, April 1912 to February 1916. He accompanied the 8th Battalion of his regiment to the Somme in August 1916 in preparation for the assault on Guillemont on 3 September. Forming part of the attack on the second objective at 12:50pm, the battalion met with considerable artillery and machine gun fire, also taking a number of casualties as a result of the British barrage falling short. By 2:35pm the enemy had been cleared from Guillemont and Battalion Head Quarters was established in the village. The Official History of the War states ‘In the 47th Brigade, the Royal Irish, which had taken up the attack to the strains of the Battalion Pipers, was followed by some of the Munsters whose ardour would not be restrained.’ Sold with a photocopy of a group photo taken from the regimental history, which includes Crosbie.