Auction Catalogue

27 & 28 September 2017

Starting at 11:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 57

.

27 September 2017

Hammer Price:
£900

A Great War ‘Givenchy 1915’ D.C.M. awarded to Company Sergeant-Major Thomas Whitehouse, 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who was also awarded the Russian 2nd Class Medal of St George in gold

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6834 Sjt: T. Whitehouse. 1/S.W. Bord:) light edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine £600-800

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 June 1915:

‘For gallantry at Givenchy on the night of 26th-27th February 1915, in voluntarily joining a party which went forward and destroyed a saphead.’

Medal of St George, 2nd Class (Gold)
London Gazette 25 August 1915.

The raid at Givenchy is described in more detail in the regimental history:

‘The raid was carried out on January 27th, Company Sergeant Major Whitehouse , Corporal Francis and two men acting as escort to Lieutenant Wingate, R.E., and two sappers who were to blow up a half-ruined building midway between the lines and connected with the German line by a short trench. It was a great resort of snipers and mining was also believed to be in progress there. At Major Reddie’s proposal the Brigadier agreed to the raid being entrusted to a small party only, as this would lend itself better to surprise than would the employment, as originally suggested, of two companies and several batteries. The scheme worked very well. The party crawled out at dusk, occupied the house, fixed up the explosives and withdrew. The explosion was a complete success, the building was demolished and Company Sergeant Major Whitehouse, going out next morning to investigate, found the trench leading back to the enemy’s lines full of German dead.’