Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Second Lieutenant G. T. H. Morse, 4th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment), who was killed in action near La Bassée on 13 October 1914

1914 Star, with clasp (2. Lieut: G. T. H. Morse. Midd’x R.); British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut. G. T. H. Morse.) good very fine (3) £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals.

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Gordon Thomas Harcourt Morse was born in 1893 at Mian Meer, Punjab, India, the second son of Lieutenant-Colonel R. E. Ricketts Morse and Kathleen Morse (later of Chargrove House, Cheltenham) and was educated at Cheltenham College - where he rose to be a prefect - and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst where he was an Honorary King’s Cadet.

Gazetted Second Lieutenant into the 4th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment on 8 August 1914, he served with them in France during the Great War from 12 September 1914 and was killed in action in his battalion’s attack on Croix Barbée near La Bassée on 13 August 1914. The war diary records that on this date the enemy were pushed through Croix Barbée and the Battalion entrenched for the night in the rear of the village. His Colonel wrote that he was killed instantaneously being shot while leading his platoon in an attack, and that ‘during the short time he was with the regiment he had become popular with both officers and men.’

Morse was 1 of 4 officers to be killed or mortally wounded in the attack. 2 officers were wounded and 45 other ranks were either killed or wounded. After his death his former college housemaster said of him: ‘He was industrious at work, fearless at games, loyal to his friends, and esteemed by all.’

Initially buried at Rouge Croix, he now lies in Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture, France.