Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War 1917 ‘Advance on Lens’ D.C.M., 1915 ‘Attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt’ M.M. pair awarded to Company Sergeant Major W. E. Hamp, 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (T.F.), who was killed in action on the Western Front, 26 June 1917, when a mine blew-up as part of a booby-trap in his newly occupied dug-out

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (240440 C.S. Mjr: W. E. Hamp. 1/5 Linc: R. - T.F.) minor official correction to ‘F’; Military Medal, G.V.R. (2339 Sjt. W. E. Hampe. [sic] 1/5 Linc: R. - T.F.) last number and rank partially officially corrected, good very fine (2) £800-£1,200

D.C.M. London Gazette 25 August 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in taking command of his company when his officers had been wounded. He showed the greatest initiative and energy in leading them to the objective and superintending the withdrawal, afterwards assisting his wounded officer and a badly wounded N.C.O. back to our trenches. His conduct was admirable, and set a splendid example to the men.’

M.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916.

Wilfred Ernest Hamp was born in Dublin, and was the son of of William Hamp of 22 Statham Street, Derby. He served during the Great War with the 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (T.F.) on the Western Front, and was awarded the M.M. for his gallantry during the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt, 13 October 1915. During the latter action the Battalion suffered casualties of 11 officers killed and 11 wounded, 285 other ranks reported killed or missing, and 175 wounded.

Hamp distinguished himself once again, when the 1/5th Battalion were in the trenches at Lievin (Cité de Riaumont) near Lens in June 1917. He was part of the attack which occurred:

‘At 5am on June 12th, C Company from the support line took over trenches from D Company who at 7am carried out a daylight raid, the raiding party consisting of two officers, Captain Collins and Lieut. Brown, and 86 other ranks. Punctually at the zero hour the artillery barrage opened and the raiding party left the assembly trenches, the men moving forward to the bottom of the slag-heap; no wire was encountered and the enemy were evidently taken by surprise, and did not put down a barrage until the party were well over the open ground, and at the foot of the slag-heap the platoon sergeants were able to move along the line to see their men were in the correct positions. Unfortunately at this point both the officers and several men were wounded by our artillery, which was short; Captain Collins however remained out until the Company withdrew, and was the last man to re-enter our own lines. When the Company advanced up the slag-heap C.S.M. W. E. Hamp took over command, and showed great gallantry and ability in handling the company, seeing the objective gained, and superintending the withdrawal. The company moved in two waves of platoons; on the left the leading platoon, No. 14, entered the enemy trench, established a bombing post, opened fire on some of the enemy, who were retiring, and held on till the withdrawal was ordered at 25 minutes after zero hour; No. 16 platoon, which followed up No. 14, could not reach the house which was their objective, as they were held up by our own barrage falling on it; No. 13, the leading platoon on the right, entered the enemy trench, established a bombing post, bombed a dug-out, and withdrew with the remainder of the company as arranged; No. 15 platoon, which followed No. 13, like No. 16, was prevented from reaching their objective by our own barrage. A special bombing party, consisting of specially selected N.C.O.’s and men from other companies, endeavoured to bomb down Brick trench and join hands with the Canadians on our right. A German dug-out was bombed, the sentry being killed, but several of the enemy came out into the trench through another entrance, ran round a traverse, and then fled across the open, being dealt with by Lewis gun and rifle fire, and casualties inflicted. Another party of the enemy came forward from Boot trench, but were dealt with in the same way. Our party advanced along the trench for a considerable way but could not join the Canadians before the time fixed for withdrawal.

The N.C.O.’s in command did excellent work, especially Sergeant F. Darley on the left and Sergeant A. Coppin on the right, after the officers became casualties. On the withdrawal C.S.M. Hamp assisted Captain Collins, who was wounded and had remained at the foot of the slag heap, back to our own trenches, but on the way back came across a badly wounded N.C.O. and remained with him in No Man’s Land, while Sergeant Coppin obtained a stretcher, and not until all the wounded had been got in did Captain Collins and C.S.M. Hamp return to our trenches. Captain Collins was awarded the M.C., and C.S.M. Hamp the D.C.M. after this operation and Sergeant Darley the Military Medal, while Sergeant Coppin won a bar to his Military Medal, previously awarded.’ (The History of the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment by T.E. Sandall refers.)

Having advanced to Company Sergeant Major, Hamp was killed in action in the same sector, 26 June 1917:

‘On June 25th, the Battalion rested during the day, and at night took over from the 1/6th North Staffordshire Regiment the newly captured enemy trenches Ahead and Admiral, with a support line on the west of Hill 65, the Battalion being distributed with C Company in the outpost line in Admiral trench, and D Company in Ahead trench, with A Company in support, and B Company with Battalion Headquarters in Cité des Garennes. On the 26th the Canadians on our right attacked and captured some trenches, but our sector was not affected except by the activity of the enemy artillery, and Lieut. Squire was slightly wounded. An explosion in a dug-out in Ahead trench caused many casualties killing C.S.M. Hamp, D.C.M., M.M., and dangerously wounding C.S.M. H. Pickard, D.C.M., who subsequently died of wounds, and the loss of these two very gallant Warrant Officers caused great sorrow in the Battalion. Lance-Sergt. O. Gouldthorpe showed great courage in going down the shaft after the explosion on three separate occasions, each time bringing out a man, until he was eventually overcome by fumes; he undoubtedly saved the lives of these men at the risk of his own and was awarded the Military Medal... As there was very little shelling at the time, a boob-trap was suspected, and the matter investigated by the Australian tunnelling company, and it was established that the dug-outs had been mined by the Germans before retiring, the mines being placed in the dug-out roofs, the system of firing being means of a wire passing through an acid bath.’ (Ibid)

Company Sergeant Major Hamp is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.