Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M. group of five awarded to Company Sergeant-Major Alexander Ross, Essex Regiment, who was wounded at Gallipoli in May 1915 and again wounded in France in the act of winning his D.C.M. at Masnieres in November 1917; he was afterwards a Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Ulster Special Constabulary when he was accidentally shot by a sentry at Ballymena in August 1922

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6444 C.S. Mjr: A. Ross. 1/Essex R.); 1914-15 Star (6444 Sjt. A. Ross. Essex R.); British War and Victory Medals (6444 W.O. Cl. 2. A. Ross. Essex R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (6444 Q.M. Sjt: A. Ross. D.C.M. Essex R.) mounted as worn, toned, nearly extremely fine (5) £2,000-£2,400

D.C.M. London Gazette 28 March 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of his company, which was forming the vanguard, when all the officers had been killed or wounded. Although himself wounded, he continued in command, and held a post, from which he gave good covering fire to the assaulting troops.’
Annotated Gazette states: ‘Masnieres, 20 November 1917.’

L.S. & G.C. Army Order 41 of 1 July 1919.

Alexander Ross was a native of Ipswich, Suffolk, and served with the 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment, at Gallipoli from 25 April 1915. Wounded in early May 1915, he wrote to his sister from a convalescent home in Egypt on 26 May:
‘Many thanks for your welcome letter received while I was in Gallipoli. I suppose Annie has told you that I have been wounded. I stopped one through my right arm & right side. It went into my body just below the armpit & was cut out of the centre of my back. It is healed up now & with the exception of a bit of pain in my right arm & right side I am pretty well all right. After we left England we had a night at Alexandria & then a fortnight at the Isle of Mudros. Then came that fateful Sunday April 26th when we forced a landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula. We left the big ship about 2 miles from land & went on a minesweeper to within about a mile from shore. We then took to small rowing boats & made a dash for it. We had a fearful time of it, came under fire about half a mile from shore & had any number of men hit in the boats. When we did reach the shore it was covered with barbed wire entanglements & we came under the dickens of a crossfire from some maxim guns & pompoms which they had concealed there. The place was also covered with trenches & snipers & they were picking us off anyhow. We managed to rush the machine guns & then we went for the cliffs & got a footing. Our casualties were heavy but we managed to push in for a mile before nightfall. When it was dark the firing slackened & we started entrenching. We never had our trenches half a day before they were on us like a ton of bricks & we were at it all night & we have been at it ever since. I was in the firing line for 13 days before I was hit & during that time I think I had one wash. I can tell you we have had a pretty stiff time. Still I don’t think things will be so bad now as we have a nice firm foothold & are gaining ground every day. I expect to rejoin the regiment very shortly so send letters to the old address viz 1st Essex Regt 88th Brigade, 29 Division, Mediterranean Exped Force. This is a nice place where I am now. It is a hotel & overlooks the Nile & commands a good view of the Pyramids.’

The regiment moved to the Western Front in 1916 where, on 20 November 1917, he took part in the operations near Cambrai where Ross won his D.C.M. The Battalion War Diary states: ‘The task assigned to the 29th Division was to push through the St Quentin Canal, seize the crossings at Marcoing and Masnieres and thus allow the cavalry to go through to Cambrai.’ The War Diary gives a detailed account of the action on the 20th/21st in which the casualties of the battalion amounted to - Killed, 3 officers, 21 men; Wounded, 2 officers, 107 men; Missing, 1 officer, 31 men.

Returning home to Ipswich after the war, Company Sergeant-Major Ross was granted the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Ipswich in a ceremony held on 21 April 1920. Ross was afterwards a Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Ulster Special Constabulary and was accidentally killed in Ireland on 13 August 1922, as reported in a contemporary news cutting:

‘Ipswich Officer Killed in Ireland - Shot in error by a sentry.
Lieutenant and Quartermaster Alexander Ross, of the Ulster Special Constabulary, and formerly of the 1st Essex Regiment, who met with a tragic death in the early hours of Sunday morning at Ballymena, co. Antrim, was the son of Mrs Ross and the late Mr John Ross, of 64, Brookshall Road, Ipswich.
It appears that an alarm having been given, the guard was turned out, and Lieut. Ross also went out. It is thought that owing to the darkness, and the fact that the deceased officer was wearing a raincoat, he was mistaken for an intruder. Several shots were fired, one proving fatal.
Mr Ross had recently completed 21 years service in the Essex Regiment, and had a fine war record. He was in the great first landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula with the famous 29th Division, and afterwards in France, where he won the D.C.M. for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of his company. He was several times wounded, and was a recipient of the freedom of the borough of Ipswich.
He leaves a widow and child. The funeral takes place at Ballymena on Wednesday.’

Sold with two postcard photographs, illuminated scroll on vellum granting freedom of Ipswich with associated invitation and transmission letter, original news cutting reporting both his death, together with copied research including a copy of his letter home from Egypt.