Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War M.M. and 2 Bars awarded to Corporal E. Hayes, Yorkshire Light Infantry, all three accolades being amassed in the period October-November 1918, when he was severely wounded

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second and Third Award Bars (203928 Pte. E. Hayes, 2/4 York. L.I. - T.F.), edge nicks, otherwise very fine
£1200-1500

M.M. London Gazette 13 March 1918.

Bar to M.M. London Gazette 23 July 1919.

Second Bar to M.M. London Gazette 6 December 1920.

Ernest Hayes, who was born at Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, in April 1898, enlisted in the Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1916 and subsequently went out to France with the 2/4th Battalion, Yorkshire Light Infantry, in which capacity he won no less than three M.Ms. in less than a year the first of them being gazetted in March 1918.

His second M.M. appears to have been awarded in respect of an attack launched at Sequehart on 3 October 1918, when:

‘There was a very good barrage and objectives were reached with a certain amount of opposition from field guns and machine-guns. A large number of the enemy were lying dead in the vicinity of Sequehart, and he had been doing his best to hold the village and the Fonsome Line. This instead of a line of trenches proved to be only dummy trenches, so consequently on the eastern side of the hill our positions were very open and a good many casualties were suffered during the day from sniping, chiefly by field guns. It was not possible either to move about between the front line positions which rather hindered communication and reports.’

Hayes was decorated for a third time for his gallantry at the Sambre Canal on 4 November 1918:

‘For gallantry and devotion to duty during the successful attack at Sambre Canal, south-west of Landrecies on 4 November 1918. In the face of an intense enemy artillery and machine-gun barrage, he led his Lewis gun section forward through very close country, with great skill, on to his objective. On arrival there he consolidated his post and for some hours kept his gun team in action under heavy enemy fire. He was utterly regardless of personal danger and his calm method of picking up target after target had a most inspiring effect on the men in his post and other posts in the vicinity.’

Hayes received serious wounds to his left knee and hand on this date, and was evacuated to 2/3 East Lancashire Field Ambulance, and thence, in January 1919, to England. He died in February 1938 and is buried in Beeston Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.