Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A well-documented Great War ‘Battle of Cambrai’ M.M. group of three awarded to Sapper G. Stewart, Royal Engineers, for his gallantry in repairing cables during the Battle of the Hindenberg Line, Cambrai, on 20 November 1917; twice wounded in action, he had previously been recommended for the Military Medal for his gallantry on the Messines Ridge, 17 June 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (165864 Pr. G. Stewart. 16/D.S. Coy. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (165864 Spr. G. Stewart. R.E.) lacquered, good very fine (3) £600-£800

M.M. London Gazette 13 March 1918.

The original recommendation states: ‘For devotion to duty on 20 November 1917 in holding lines of communication under shellfire in the battle of the Hindenburg Tunnel.’

George Stewart was born in Preston, Lancashire, in 1898 and attested for the Royal Engineers at Manchester on 10 December 1915, whilst still under-age. Mobilised on 27 April 1916, he served with the 16th Divisional Signal Company during the Great War on the Western Front from December 1916, and was unsuccessfully recommended for the Military Medal for his gallantry at Messines Ridge on 17 June 1917- the War Diary states:
‘Attack launched at 6:20 a.m. by all three Brigades on Tunnel Trench and Trench Support. Attack completely successful, and counter attacks driven off. Positions consolidated. Power Buzzer and Amplifier and Visual Systems worked satisfactorily. Buried cable was cut close behind front line on day previous to attack, but was regained in times.’

Stewart was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry at Cambrai on 20 November 1917, and also received a 16th Irish Brigade Divisional Commendation for his gallantry that day. His own account of the action states:
‘On the morning of 20 November the attack on the German positions commenced, the object being to capture the powerfully fortified trench system known as the “Hindenberg Line”. This attack was launched on a twelve mile front, and was notable for the large number of tanks which were used to break through at the strongest points. The 16th Division has as their own objective the capture of the village of Fontaine-Les-Croisselles and at 6:20 a.m. our infantry swept forward and after heavy fighting succeeded in capturing the village, and immediately took steps to consolidate the positions won. Strangely enough, we linesmen had not fared badly so far, as owing to the surprise nature of the attack the German Artillery had not had much chance to assist and in consequence our telephone lines had not given us much trouble. This luck was evidently too good to last, as shortly afterwards the enemy launched a counter attack covered by terrific artillery bombardment on our trenches, and soon our lines were blown to bits with a result that at a critical phase of the battle there was no means of communication between Headquarters and our Battalions.

Dunn and I were ordered to go out and repair the lines at all costs, and to prepare us for what was bound to be an ordeal, we were given a stiff tot of rum by the Signal Officer. On reaching our communication trench we discovered it to be blown in many places, which added greatly to our difficulties as often the cables would be buried and this meant digging and scraping the earth away with our hands, in a desperate effort to locate the broken cables and make repairs. Eventually we succeeded in restoring communication, although we realised that the lines could not remain intact for long under this terrible shelling. At times, in order to reach another trench quickly, we would mount the parapet and double across the open, running the gauntlet of the terrible machine-gun fire as we floundered through shell holes filled with stagnant water, the bullets whistled past us, but today we bore charmed lives and our luck was in. The rain has now been falling very heavily for some time, turning the soft ground into a swamp. After several hours of this mud-larking we became plastered from head to foot and it must have been very difficult for anyone to distinguish which side we were fighting for, but fortunately Dunn had a noted vocabulary of obscene words which he used on such occasions as these, and anyone hearing him give vent to his feelings would have no doubt as to his nationality.

At last the battle which had raged fiercely all afternoon broke down at dusk, the Germans had been repulsed, and as I glanced around at the dead bodies lying everywhere I shuddered to think that perhaps a few inches either way as these bullets whizzed past and I might also have been lying there. The shelling has also not abated and no sooner had we finally got all our lines in working order when we received a message to return to Brigade Headquarters. On arrival at the signal office Lieutenant Freeman congratulated us on our successful efforts, and also conveyed a message to us from the Brigadier General, from which we could gather that he intended to recommend us for some Decoration.’ (Memories of the Great War 1914-1918 by the recipient refers).

Subsequently gassed and wounded by shrapnel, Stewart was demobilised in 1919. In 1975 he was a contributor to Martin Middlebrook’s book about the 1918 Spring Offensive, The Kaiser’s Battle, 21 March 1918, in which he is mentioned, his account appearing on page 300, and he died in 1991, aged 93.

Sold with the recipient’s original Irish Brigade Certificate of Recommendation, dated 20 November 1917; a typed transcript of the recipient’s diary, ‘Memories of the Great War 1914-1918’ (the original 250pp diary is held by the Imperial War Museum); and a large quantity of photographic images.