Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Beaumont Hamel’ M.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant J. R. Leslie, 6th Battalion Royal Highlanders

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Lieut.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed, mounted as worn; together with a mounted set of five miniature dress medals (as above plus the Coronation 1953) good very fine and better (9) £800-1000

M.C. London Gazette 10 January 1917. ‘2nd Lt., R. Highrs.’ ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. He showed great courage and initiative in rallying men of various companies who were held up in front of the enemy trench, led his men over and successfully captured the position.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 10 January 1917.

Lance-Corporal James Reid Leslie was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion Royal Highlanders on 12 December 1915. He entered the France/Flanders theatre of war in March 1916. He won his M.C. for gallantry in action in the attack on Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916. The regimental history records:

‘At this time the mist was still so thick that nothing could be seen at more than a few yards distance. Two machine guns from the salient and one in rar of the ravine, continuously swept No Man’s Land, making progress across it extremely difficult, and the situation on this part of the line remained critical till about noon. Before one o’clock, however, Second Lieutenant Leslie with 25 men, gained an entry at the north end of the salient, and by a brilliant and determined piece of work, captured 103 prisoners and liberated a number of men of the Battalion who had been taken prisoner earlier in the day. This daring venture practically completed the capture of the ravine and made further progress possible.’

With some copied research.