Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare 1914 ‘engraved type’ D.C.M awarded in the field to Private E. Darlow, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who helped to rescue Lieutenant (later Field Marshal) B. L. Montgomery, when he was wounded in a bayonet charge at Meteren
Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (No. 2195 Pte. E. Darlow, 1st Royal Warwickshire. Rgt.) engraved capitals, two edge bruises, otherwise very fine and very rare

D.C.M London Gazette 17 December 1914. ‘For great gallantry on 13th October in volunteering to go forward to a place where extreme danger was to be expected and helping to bring in Major Christie who was dangerously wounded.’

All D.C.M.’s Gazetted on this date were presented ‘in the field’ by King George V in a hurriedly organised morale boosting exercise. As a result, the medals were presented unnamed and subsequently forwarded for engraving. This is confirmed by the following footnote to the London Gazette of 17 December 1914, in which Darlow’s award was announced; ‘Any recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, whose name appears in the foregoing list, should forward the decoration by registered post to the Deputy Director of Ordnance Stores, Woolwich Dockyard, for the engraving to be made thereon - if the Number, Rank, Name and Corps have not been already inscribed.’

The lot includes a newspaper cutting, circa 1945, headed ‘The Private who helped to save Monty’. The following is an extract from that article:

‘On October 13 1914 my battalion made a daylight bayonet charge at Meteren. We had gone about 20 yards when we were enfiladed by machine gun and rifle fire. I was ordered back to inform the succeeding wave. When I returned I found our commanding officer, Major Christie badly wounded. When dusk fell Private James and I placed Major Christie on a waterproof sheet and drew him to a point where he could receive first aid. We were under fire all the time. We went back to rescue others. Most of the officers and men were badly wounded and unconscious. Lieutenant Montgomery was one of them and I recall placing him near the stretcher on which lay my dying commanding officer. I have not seen Private James since Meteren. We were decorated and afterwards went into action again. I believe he was wounded at Ypres and lost an arm.’