Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Boy Scout Association Gallantry Cross pair awarded to Private O. J. Williams, Welsh Regiment

Victory Medal 1914-19 (65273 Pte. O. T. Williams, Welsh R.); Boy Scout Association Gallantry Cross, 2nd Class (Silver Cross), 2nd issue, by Collins, London, silver, reverse inscribed, ‘Instructor O. J. Williams, 2/12/24’ (sic), note different initials, frayed ribbon, with brooch bar, very fine (2) £750-850

The disaster which saw the village of Dalgarrog in North Wales, swamped with water, killing 16 people, on the night of 2 November 1925 was caused by the failure of two dams. The Eigiau Dam, a gravity dam, firstly failed, releasing a flood of water from a reservoir; the released water then overwhelmed the Coedty Dam, an embankment dam, downstream, which in turn permitted a torrent of water to flood into Dalgarrog. The disaster led Parliament to pass the Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act of 1930.

Sold with a colourful award document for the Silver Cross, awarded to “instructor O. J. Williams, 1st Llansrst Troop’, ‘For his gallant conduct on the occasion of the bursting of a dam at Dalgarrog on the night of 2/12/25’, ‘dated March 19th 1926’. Document mounted in a glazed wooden frame, 56 x 45.5cm. Note different years dates on cross and certificate.