Auction Catalogue

1 & 2 March 2017

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

Download Images

Lot

№ 115

.

1 March 2017

Hammer Price:
£1,800

A Great War ‘Somme’ 1918 M.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant E. E. Swallow, 46th Australian Infantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, late 3rd Field Company Australian Engineers, who was twice wounded during the course of the conflict

Military Medal, G.V.R. (1880 Sjt. E. E. Swallow. 46/Aust: Inf:); 1914-15 Star (155 Spr. E. E. Swallow 3/F. C. Eng. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (155 Sjt. E. E. Swallow 3/F.C. Eng. A.I.F.); War Medal 1939-45; Australian Service Medal 1939-45, last two officially impressed ‘V10961 E. E. Swallow’, with official corrections to the BWM, generally good very fine (6) £700-900

M.M. London Gazette 17 June 1919. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during the operations west of Bellenglise on 18th-19th September 1918. He led a bombing party against the enemy on right flank who had temporarily turned a communication trench into a front line. After a stiff bomb fight he cleared the situation forcing the enemy back and establishing a block. He then noticed the centre of the Company being held up by machine gun fire. He picked up a German machine gun and bringing flanking fire to bear enabled the advance to continue to final objective. His coolness and courage set a most inspiring example to all his men.’

E. E. Swallow was born in Ftizroy, Victoria, in 1894. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Melbourne, Victoria, 14 September 1914, and was posted to the 3rd Field Company Australian Engineers. He served in Gallipoli prior to his return to Australia in April 1916. He transferred to the 46th Australian Infantry Battalion and served with them as part of the 12th Australian Brigade, 4th Australian Division in the French theatre of war from June 1916.

Swallow was twice wounded in action, 1 September 1916 and 18 August 1917. He served with the 46th Battalion on the Somme, and was awarded his M.M. for gallantry in operations near Bellenglise, 18-19 September 1918. The battalion’s War Diary gives full details of the action on the latter date, during which it captured a number of guns, 14 machine guns, and took 14 officers and 411 other ranks prisoner, suffering one officer and 5 other ranks killed, and 5 officers and 80 other ranks wounded in the process.

On 2 October 1918 Swallow was subject to a Court Martial, and charged with ‘without reasonable excuse allowing to escape a person committed to his charge.’ He forfeited three days pay as a consequence, and returned to Australia in H.T. Devanhu.