Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Sir Alfred Butt’s Invitation to V.Cs Badge, obv. Victoria Cross set upon a lyre, with theatrical masks of ‘comedy’ and ‘tragedy’ below, and the inscription, ‘Sir Alfred Butt’s Invitation to V.C’s.’; rev. inscription (name, rank and number engraved), ‘This Badge is issued for the Personal Use of 510051 Sgt. C. W. Train, V.C. 2 London Scottish Reg. subject to the conditions signed by him’, 34 x 31mm., silver-gilt, hallmarks for Birmingham 1918, good very fine £600-800

The following extract is taken from The V.C. 1856-1920, by  Creagh and Humphris:

‘Train, Charles William, Corporal, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Train, of 58, Chatterton Road, Finsbury Park, N., and has lived in Islington all his life. He was educated at the Gillespie Road London County Council Schools, attended St. Thomas's Church Sunday School, and joined the church football team there. He was employed as a Solicitor's Clerk at Messrs. Walker, Martineau and Co., of Gray's Inn. He comes of a fighting stock, for his father, a native of Midlothian, who came to London 30 years ago, was for many years a member of the old Volunteers and considered a crack shot. Corporal Train has a brother, Private G. F. Train, of the Royal Field Artillery, who has been twice at the French front and also in Salonika, and was wounded.

He joined the London Scottish about 10 years before he won his Victoria Cross. He served in the European War in France, and is entitled to the Mons Star. He received his first stripe; was twice invalided home, and after the second time was sent to Salonika, where he was later promoted Corporal. For his subsequent services in Palestine he was awarded the Victoria Cross [London Gazette, 27 February 1918]:

“C. W. Train, No. 510051, Corporal, 2/14th Battalion, London Regiment: For most conspicuous bravery, dash and initiative displayed under heavy fire when his company was unexpectedly engaged at close range by a party of the enemy with two machine-guns and brought to a standstill. Corporal Train, on his own initiative, rushed forward and engaged the enemy with rifle grenades, and succeeded in putting some of the team out of action with a direct hit. He then shot at and wounded an officer in command, and with bomb and rifle killed and wounded the remainder of the team. After this he went to the assistance of a comrade who was bombing the enemy from their front, and shot at and killed one of the enemy who was carrying the second gun out of action. His courage and devotion to duty undoubtedly saved his battalion heavy casualties and enabled them to advance to their objective at a time when the situation seemed critical.”

The following extract, taken from a comrade’s letter, gives a vivid description of the incident in which Corporal Train took such a leading part:

“We just lay there and pelted each other for about three quarters of an hour, when a chap in our platoon named Train made a dart forward of about twenty yards, and gradually crept up to their barricade, let off one or two rifle grenades on the way, and dodged their bullets. He worked right up to the end of their barricade and enfiladed it with his own rifle fire. A German officer in charge of the barricade let fire at Train with his revolver. Train flopped, and shot him, wounding him severely. That finished it! They all scooted out of the other end of the barricade, and as they came out so we brought them down. One of them cleared out of the back way, and tried to get his machine-gun away, and had got it on his shoulders and gone about fifty yards, but Train got him trapped and brought down with a beauty between the shoulders, so, as you will see, it was his day out, as at the finish he had practically drove the Turks out of the trench on his own, and captured two machine-guns, which would undoubtedly have caused many casualties in our ranks later in the day. The sight at the barricade I shall never forget. The Turks were lying all over the shop, not one escaped, and they were nearly all dead. The German officer was dancing about holding his trousers and offering an orange for a field dressing. That was the finish of the spasm, and ' 'ot' is not the word.”

A newspaper says: “Major-General Sir Newton Moore attended a meeting of the Islington Borough Council yesterday evening, at which an Islington V.C., Sergeant Train, was presented with an illuminated address and a parcel of War Bonds and Treasury Notes of the value of £216, as a tribute to his heroism, and the General added his warm congratulations to those of the Council.” Sergeant C. W. Train was also presented with a gold-knobbed walking-stick by Mr. E. Smallwood, M.P., on behalf of the Highbury Patriotic Meeting. Sergeant Train was twice offered a commission, which he refused preferring to stay in the ranks.’

Sir Alfred Butt was Director of Rationing in the Ministry of Food, 1917-18 and was M.P. for Balham and Tooting, 1922-36. He was also Chairman of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and other theatrical companies. It was doubtless in this latter capacity that Sir Alfred had these badges produced and distributed to V.C. recipients. An article on the badge, by J. M. A. Tamplin, is featured in the Summer 1988 edition of the Journal of the O.M.R.S., p.117; it was likely for use as a watch fob.