Auction Catalogue

17 & 18 May 2016

Starting at 11:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 130

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17 May 2016

Hammer Price:
£2,400

A Great War Vimy Ridge operations M.M. group of three awarded to Private D. McDonald, 38th (Ottawa) Battalion Canadian Infantry, who received an immediate award for his gallantry in bringing in wounded on the ridge in April 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (410381 Pte. D. McDonald, 38/Can. Inf.); British War and Victory Medals (410381 Pte. D. McDonald, 38-Can. Inf.), generally very fine (3) £800-1000

M.M. London Gazette 9 July 1917. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry during the operations on Vimy Ridge from 9 to 12 April 1917. This man, after his company’s objective had been gained, volunteered to go through a heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun barrage to secure a stretcher in order to take in some severely wounded men. This he did and by his coolness and courage, succeeded in getting nine of his wounded comrades to safety. Later, this man returned through a heavy fire on several occasions for ammunition and water. On previous occasions this man has shown great coolness and courage and is a fine example to his comrades. It is considered that he is fully deserving of an immediate award.’

Donald McDonald was born at Riverside, Nova Scotia in June 1883 and enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in June 1915. Embarked for England a little under a year later, he joined the 38th Battalion Canadian Infantry in France in August 1916 and remained likewise employed until transferring to the 4th Canadian Machine Gun Corps in May 1918. A little over a fortnight after his C.O. penned the recommendation for his immediate ‘Vimy M.M.’, McDonald was sentenced to 14 days Field Punishment No. 1 for being absent from parade on 13 May 1917. He was discharged in June 1919, when it was noted that he was suffering from deafness and neurasthenia; sold with copied service record and war diary extracts.