Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

A Great War D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private C. Clayton, Rifle Brigade, late King’s Royal Rifle Corps

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (B-203535 Pte. C. Clayton, 1/Rif. Bde.); 1914-15 Star (A. 124 Pte., K.R. Rif. C.); British War and Victory Medals (A-124 Pte., K.R. Rif. C.), the last officially re-impressed, extremely fine (4) £350-400

D.C.M. London Gazette 11 December 1916: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. On two separate occasions he went forward to reconnoitre. On one occasion he killed two of the enemy and destroyed a machine-gun. Later he killed four of the enemy and used a hostile machine-gun with good effect.’

Charles Clayton died of wounds on 17 February 1917, while serving with ‘I’ Company, 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, which unit had been engaged in an attack on Bouchavesnes. His earlier D.C.M.-winning exploits at Les Boeufs on the night of 17-18 October 1916 are referred to in The Rifle Brigade Chronicle:

‘It was a terrible night of pouring rain and pitch darkness and the relief took a long time. One Company of the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry was attached to the Battalion in support, and a tank was put at our disposal. The attack started at 3.40 a.m. and we advanced under a creeping barrage ... In the meantime, ‘I’ Company [including Clayton] in the centre had had a most adventurous time of it. Their objective was the farthest one of all and in the darkness, direction was lost by the majority of the Company. After going for some considerable distance and meeting with no opposition, it was realized that they had gone too far and must have passed in between the isolated trenches they were going for, and were therefore behind the German line. After reorganizing, the Company proceeded back where they heard most of the fighting going on. They had some stiff fighting on the way back and accounted for three machine-guns and at least 50 Germans. Acting Corporal Jackson and Rifleman Clayton particularly distinguished themselves in these two encounters, and on two occasions went forward and dealt with isolated parties of the enemy that were holding up the Company with machine-gun fire from shell-holes. For their dash and initiative both these men were awarded the D.C.M. ‘I’ Company eventually came up to the gun-pits from the enemy’s rear and as they approached, a German Officer came out towards them evidently thinking that they were reinforcements coming up. He was at once shot, and the survivors of ‘I’ Company, under 50 strong, eventually regained our front line at different places.’