The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals (Part 2)

Three: 1914-15 Star Trio (Deal 1156-S Spr. C. T. Smith, R.M.) nearly extremely fine (3)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Douglas-Morris Collection of Naval Medals.

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Sapper Charles Thomas Smith, Divisional Engineers, R.N.D., died of wounds on 22 August 1915, and is buried in Malta Naval Cemetery.

The Divisional Engineers was the first small Royal Marine unit formed for service with the Royal Naval Division. The unit was clothed as Royal Marines and wore the badge of the Globe and Laurel. The first part of the Divisional Engineers to proceed on active service was the 3rd Brigade Signal Section which accompanied the Royal Marine Brigade to the Dardanelles in February 1915; the remainder of the unit accompanied the Division to Gallipoli on 1 March. Meanwhile the Army having added a 3rd Field company to the Divisional organisation, No. 3 Company accompanied the Benbow, Hawke and Collingwood Battalions to Gallipoli at the end of May 1915. No 1 Field Company and the 3rd Brigade Signal Section landed with the Chatham and Portsmouth Battalions at Anzac on 28 April 1915, and No 2 Field Company and the Signal Sections landed at Cape Helles with the remainder of the Division. It is impossible to separate the work of the Engineer Unit from that of the Division, but they took their full share of all the operations and in addition did most valuable work in the construction and maintenance of the piers on the Peninsula, where their special knowledge was particularly useful, and in all the preparations for the evacuation they had a very large share. Their casualties were heavy and a considerable number of officers and men earned recognition for their gallantry.