Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Captain R. Clibborn, Army Service Corps and Northumberland Fusiliers, later South African Forces, who was taken Prisoner of War at the Battle of the Somme whilst attached to the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry on 24 September 1916

1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. R. Clibborn. A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. Clibborn.); War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, these both officially impressed ‘123482 R. Clibborn.’, mounted court-style; together with an unofficial ‘Combatants of the Somme 1914-1918-1940’ Commemorative Medal, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘R. Clibborn.’, nearly very fine and better (6) £140-£180

Reginald Clibborn, a native of Moate, co. Westmeath, Ireland, was born on 23 July 1888, and prior to the Great War was employed as an Assistant Engineer on surveys in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 9 November 1914, and served during the Great War with the 3rd Cavalry Division on the Western Front from 29 December 1914. Promoted Lieutenant on 23 March 1915, and Captain on 1 December of that year, he was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers on 20 September 1916, for service at the Battle of the Somme.

Within a few days of his posting to the Northumberland Fusiliers, Clibborn was attached to the 10th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. The Battalion went into the front line near Guedecourt on 22 September, and the following day it was reported that the enemy trenches opposite were only lightly held, and the Clibborn was ordered out that evening with a strong patrol in order to occupy them.

The patrol reached the enemy trenches at 21:00 hours and seeing that the Germans were in possession he ordered the bombers up to the front. The patrol advanced to within 20 yards of the trenches when a machine gun opened fire. Clibborn gave the order for his men to charge but within a few seconds found he was advancing alone except for one man who had stayed with him. Under fire from the machine gun he and the soldier withdrew; stumbling into a shell hole they remained there until about midnight when the machine guns and flares quietened down. The pair then left their shelter intending to return to their own trenches but because his compass was faulty and his knowledge of the ground scanty the two men soon became disoriented. Lost in No-Man’s Land, Clibborn decided that it would be better to lie up during the day to get his bearings and then make an attempt to get back to the K.O.Y.L.I. trenches in the evening. However, at dawn on 24 September a thick fog came down and a German patrol fell upon the two men and took them prisoner. (The recipient’s report to the War Office refers).

Clibborn was held for the remainder of the War at Gutersloh Prisoner of War Camp. He was repatriated on 19 December 1918, and was eventually demobilised on 12 July 1919. In 1921 he applied for Colonial employment with the Crown Agents, and eventually settled in South Africa.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War Clibborn was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the South African Forces, and was posted to the 1st Transvaal Reserve Brigade. He served in various capacities in the Transvaal and in Natal, and was advanced acting Captain on 1 July 1945. He was relinquished his commission on 3 August 1946.

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