Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

A scarce Great War ‘Palestine operation’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant P. S. J. Randall, 1st, late 3rd County of London Yeomanry
Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (260204 Sjt: P. S. J. Randall. 1/1 Co: of Lond: Yeo:); 1914-15 Star (3271 Pte. P. S. J. Randall. C. of Lond. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (3271 Sjt. P. S. J. Randall. 1-Co. of Lond. Y.) , good very fine

Volunteer Force Long Service Medal, E.VII.R. (2351 Clr. Sjt. A. C. Randall. 1/Wilts: V.R.C.) impressed naming, good very fine (5) £1,000-£1,400

Only 6 D.C.M.s were awarded to the 1st County of London Yeomanry for the Great War (2 for Gallipoli, 4 for Palestine).

D.C.M. London Gazette 4 March 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He carried a most important despatch under very heavy fire, showing the greatest contempt of danger.’

Percival Sydney James Randall was born in 1890 at Tisbury, Wiltshire and was educated at Salisbury Cathedral Choristers School. He initially served with the 1/3rd County of London Yeomanry (The Sharpshooters) during the Great War in the Egyptian Theatre from 26 April 1915. The Sharpshooters departed Egypt in August 1915, bound for Gallipoli where they were dismounted for service and, having landed at Suvla Bay on 18 August, suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Scimitar Hill.

Promoted Sergeant, Randall was subsequently transferred to the 1/1st County of London Yeomanry (Middlesex, Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars) with which regiment he was serving at the time the award of his D.C.M. The 1/1st County of London Yeomanry served with the 8th Mounted Brigade in Salonika from November 1916 but were withdrawn in June 1917 and returned to Egypt from where they moved up to the Palestine Front to join the Yeomanry Mounted Division in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. In October 1917, at the end of the stalemate in Southern Palestine, the regiment fought at the Battle of Buqqar Ridge where Major A. M. Lafone - in command of two isolated troops at Point 720 - won a posthumous V.C. in a heroic last stand. They also fought the following month at the Capture of the Sheria Position followed by the pursuit towards Jerusalem and the Battles of Muggar Ridge and Nebi Samwil outside Jeruslaem. The holy city surrendered on 9 December.
Randall was discharged Class Z on 4 May 1919 and died at Tisbury, Wiltshire in 1950.

Andrew Charles Randall, father of the above, was born in 1857 at Fugglestone, Wiltshire.