Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Company Sergeant W. Smith, Machine Gun Corps, late York & Lancaster Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (18933 Sjt. W. Smith, 16/Co. M.G.C.); 1914 Star (8129 Pte. W. Smith, 2/York & Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals (8129 C. Sjt. W. Smith, Y. & L.R.), mounted as worn, the third with bent suspension bar, contact marks overall, nearly very fine or better (4) £320-360

M.M. London Gazette 27 October 1916.

W. Smith first went to France as a member of the 2nd Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment in 1914, the unit taking its first casualties at Courcelles in late September. It subsequently played an important part in the fighting around the chateau at Radinghem in mid-October, one enemy attack being repelled by bayonet charges.

Having then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, Smith won his M.M. with the 16th Company on the Somme in 1916, when his unit was engaged in actions around Flers-Courcelette, Morval and Le Transloy.