Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Serjeant W. H. Barrett, 2nd Battalion London Regiment - later severely wounded in action

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (2290 Sjt., 2/Lond. R.-T.F.); 1914-15 Star (2290 L. Cpl., 2’ Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2292 Sjt., 2-Lond. R.) note different service numbers, mounted for wear, contact marks, nearly very fine (4) £1000-1200

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916; citation 21 June 1916 ‘For consistent gallantry and good work as Company Grenade N.C.O. He is a fine instructor and leader.’

A letter written by the recipient’s son, Mr George W. Barrett in 2004 provides some details of his father’s military service.

‘.... he told me that he had been in France for almost two years, mostly in the trenches. Apparently he had done well as a soldier and had also been very lucky not to have been injured or killed ... He had been promoted to the position of Brigade Bombing Sergeant from his battalion in the Royal Fusiliers (Second City of London Regiment).

It happened in the early part of the summer of 1916. ... he was moving from one position to another in the course of his duties, but found it difficult to proceed along the front line trenches as quickly as he would have wished. Rather foolishly, he got out of a trench and made much better progress walking along the top in no-man’s land. It being quite dark at the time he thought he would be relatively safe. In fact he was.

In the quiet of the night he heard a strange noise coming from the German lines. He said it sounded like a small train puffing away. He crept forward to where he could vaguely see what was happening and discovered that the Germans had indeed built a simple railway track and a small train was being used to bring up ammunition and supplies right up to a part of their forward position.

... he went straight to his Brigade H.Q. to report what he had seen. ... At first light Dad was asked to try and find the exact position - which he did - and trailed behind him a field telephone line. On this, he was able to act as the spotter for a Royal Artillery Battery, which promptly disposed of the line and the train as well.

It was not until August 1918 that he was finally wounded and spent a night in a shell hole with a large piece of shrapnel where the calf of his left leg should have been. The leg was amputated below the knee in a field service dressing station. However, gangrene had set in and it was amputated above the knee in a base hospital. On his return to England a third amputation was carried out at Roehampton Hospital where he was lie for three months before anyone was allowed to see him, and even then he was still very, very ill...’

With an original letter to his mother from his Staff Captain, dated 18 September 1918:

‘I am writing to tell you that your son Sgt. Wilson Barrett was wounded yesterday but not badly. A shell exploded and a piece hit him in the leg below the knee. Fortunately a medical aid post was quite near and a doctor attended to him and he was sent off to hospital straight away where I hope he will make a very speedy recovery. .... We are all very sorry to lose him. To me as Staff Captain he was invaluable. ....’

In addition to the above letters, the medals are sold with several other original papers, together with copied gazette extract, m.i.c. and copied photographs of the recipient. With C.D. bearing additional images.