Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

A fine Old Contemptibles M.M. group of ten awarded to Captain William Nobbs, R.A.S.C., late Royal Indian Army Service Corps

Military Medal, G.V.R. (M-27507 Sjt., 1/Div. T. A.S.C.); 1914 Star, with clasp (M-27507 Sjt., A.S.C.) this sometime gilded; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (M-27507 S.Sjt., A.S.C.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (1/C. S.S.M., M.M., R.I.A.S.C.) this largely officially re-impressed; Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (M-27507 W.O. Cl. II, M.M. R.A.S.C.) mounted as worn, nearly very fine or better (10) £400-500

M.M. London Gazette 14 September 1916. This award would appear to stem from an incident that occurred in France in September 1914, as described in a contemporary news cutting with the group which states:

‘Honour for Old Heath soldier. StaffSergeant William Nobbs, of the Mechanical Transport, A.S.C., whose parents reside at 2, Rowhedge Road, Old Heath, Colchester, has been awarded the Military Medal. Sergt. Nobbs, who has been in France since the beginning of the war, was the means, with some others, of capturing 15 Germans and a large quantity of ammunition, and also putting up two miles of barbed wire entanglements, being under heavy shell fire all the time. He was formerly employed at Messrs. Gray’s Engineering Works at the Hythe.’

An accompanying letter written by Nobbs to his wife from France, dated 29 September 1914, further describes the incident: ‘I will now give you an account of how the MTs captured 15 Germans near St Simeon. I was in charge of the First Aid of our Lorry Column when just near (or rather 10 miles north east of it) a Dennis lorry broak down with Magneto & water trouble of course we had to stop & put it right by this time the column had gone on, well as we were in the middle of the job a French Civvy came running up to me and said that there we[re] Alemonds up in the village and with his fingers made out 20, so I fell my 14 men in and marched them up.

When about 400 yds out of the village I saw a Hatstack with the Germans hiding as soon as the[y] saw us they put up their hands and came out there were 15. When I stripped them I found about 1000 rounds of ammunition 15 rifles and bayonets 3 revolvers etc. As i was marching them back an Officer of the A.V.C. came up and said he would take them from me as he had caught 4 in the morning and he told me to collect all the arms etc., and bring them back, well after that he would not let me have the prisoners but handed them over to an officer of a column going back to rail head as his prisoners telling me to smash all the rifles etc. That was the last I saw of my 15 Germans, but as they never showed fight, but wanted to shake my hand there was no honour. They were nearly starved all they had in there haversacks was a few apples but the next time I catch some I’ll see no officer takes them from me... P.S. You can send this to the Daily Mail if you like but mind you get it back. 27507 Sergt. W. F. Nobbs, 59 M.T. Coy. A.S.C., 1st Div. Sup. Col.’

William Nobbs was born in 1888, and enlisted for the Army Service Corps on 16 April 1909 at which time he was a motor mechanic. He served with the Expeditionary Force in 1914, appears to have left France in November 1917 and spent the next two months in Italy. Between the wars he served with the Indian Army Service Corps on the North West Frontier of India as 1st Class Staff Sergeant-Major. He was commissioned Lieutenant (Mechanist Officer) on 14 October 1933. In May 1940, his offer of re-employment was accepted and he served throughout the Second World War with the rank of Captain (Mechanist Officer) in the Royal Army Service Corps.

In addition to the letter and news cutting mentioned above, the lot is sold with a good quantity of official paperwork, four photographs, several driving licenses, certificate from Viceregal Lodge, Simla, for his 1937 Coronation medal, and a printed Farewell Address from the officers and other ranks of No. 5 M.T. Coy. I.A.S.C. at Dera Ismail Khan in January 1934.