Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Great War campaign group of three awarded to Private S. W. N. Gwynne, 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, who enlisted using an alias first name: he was killed in action at Krithia, Gallipoli on 8 May 1915

1914-15 Star (106 Pte. D. Gwynne, 7/Bn. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (106 Pte. D. Gwynne, 7-Bn. A.I.F.), together with the recipient’s Memorial Plaque 1914-18 (Sackville Wyndham Napier Gwynne), good very fine or better (4)
£400-500

Sackville Wyndham Napier Gwynne was born on 25 July 1896, the son of Colonel Patrick Riners Mantell, D.S.O., Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

On his Australian Imperial Force attestation papers, completed at Melbourne in August 1914, he used an alias first name - Dennis - and stated that he was 21 years of age; he was in fact 18. Having then correctly described his mother as being Mrs. S. I. Gywnne of ‘The Ferns’, Hythe, Kent, he appears to have listed an uncle - Mr. J. D. Gwynne of Co. Down - as his father. His real father had died in a riding accident in March 1910. For his trade and calling he described himself as an aviator, having qualified at Eastbourne Aerodrome, in addition to stating that he had three years military training in the O.T.C.

Allocated to ‘B’ Company, 7th Battalion, A.I.F., Gwynne was embarked for Gallipoli, where he emerged unscathed from the heavily contested landings at ‘Fisherman’s Hut’ on 25 April. Just two weeks later, on 8 May, he was killed in action at Krithia, a famous and costly action in respect of the 7th Battalion, who advanced into murderous fire with cry “Come on Australians!”. Gwynne, who appears to have been advanced to Lance-Corporal, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles memorial; sold with copied research, including his service record, the latter confirming that his true identity was ascertained at a later date.

Also see Lot 0000 for his father’s awards.