Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War Vimy Ridge M.M. group of three awarded to Warrant Officer Class 1 S. Quinn, Canadian Army Medical Corps, who worked ceaselessly under fire for 48 hours clearing wounded, and was himself twice ‘bowled over by the enemy’s shells’

Military Medal, G.V.R. (529640 Sjt. S. Quinn, 10/F.A. Can. A.M.C.); British War and Victory Medals (529640 W.O. Cl. 1 S. Quinn, C.A.M.C.), very fine and better (3) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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M.M. London Gazette 9 July 1917. The original recommendation states:

‘This N.C.O. displayed great courage on the morning of 9 April 1917 while in charge of several bearer squads, in clearing wounded from the area of the old German front line to Vimy Ridge. He and his men were caught in the German barrage and it was due in great part to his pluck and determination that his bearers got through with their wounded. He was on duty in the area immediately west of Vimy Ridge for 48 hours, and during this whole period was under the enemy’s shellfire, but never wavered in his duty, until all wounded were cleared. He personally dressed great numbers of wounded and on two occasions was bowled over by the enemy’s shells. At one time he was so dazed that he was quite incapable of carrying on for a period of half an hour; but in spite of this, upon recovery he continued with his duties until the left brigade was cleared of all wounded.’

Samuel Quinn was born in Co. Antrim, Ireland, on 2 July 1889. A Police Detective by profession, he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force at Saskatoon in August 1915 and was allocated to the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Embarked for France in April 1916, where he joined 10th Field Ambulance, he was awarded the M.M. for the above cited deeds at Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917. Discharged in March 1919, he died in Vancouver in July 1967; sold with copied service papers and citation.