Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.M. awarded to Serjeant W. Gardner, 8th Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment, who died of wounds serving with the 6th Battalion in the ‘V.C.’ action at the Dialah River, Mesopotamia, 8 March 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (15241 Sjt., 8/R. Lanc. R.) edge bruising, nearly very fine £280-320

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Lancaster Regiment.

View
Collection

M.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916.

William Gardner was born in Lancaster; educated at St. Mary’s School on the Quay and worked at Lune Mills. He served in the Boer War with the 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment and earned the Queen’s medal with five clasps; later he was awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. In October 1914, Gardner was amongst those who enlisted at Lancaster for the 8th (Service) Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment. The unit sailed for Boulogne on 27/28 September 1915 and had its baptism of fire at Ploegstreet. The battalion then moved to St. Eloi and earned its first battle honour at The Bluff on 2-4 March 1916. In this action Serjeant Gardner was wounded in the right shoulder, after which he was invalided to the 3rd Battalion at Plymouth. For his bravery in action, he was awarded the Military Medal.

On his recovery, Gardner volunteered for service with the 6th Battalion in Mesopotamia. It was there on 8 March 1917 that he died of wounds following the ill-fated attempt to cross the Dialah River on the night of 7/8 March - One officer and 14 other ranks were killed and one officer and 24 other ranks were wounded in the action. Private Jack White, 6th Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action. Gardner’s name was commemorated on the Basra War Memorial and on the Lancaster City War Memorial.

With a quantity of copied research.