Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War D.C.M. group of three awarded to Battery Sergeant-Major A. J. Mulcahy, 2nd Canadian Motor Machine-Gun Brigade, an original member of the 50-strong Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (107449 B.S. Mjr. A. J. Mulcahy. 2/Can: M.M.G. Bde.); British War and Victory Medals (107449 W.O. Cl. 2 A. J. Mulcahy, C.M.G. Bde) nearly extremely fine (3) £2,000-£2,600

D.C.M. London Gazette 11 March 1920:

‘B.S.M. A. J. Mulcahy, 2nd Bn. M.M.G. Bde.
For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty at Naves, 10th October, 1918. While holding the bridgehead over the Erclin River he was in charge of four guns, and pushed forward to protect the bridging party. The position was heavily shelled with gas shells, and one shell landed near one of his guns. Though slightly wounded he dragged the gunners out of the cloud, administered first aid, and directed new men to man the guns.’

Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery
At the beginning of the First World War, the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence, Colonel Sam Hughes accepted offers of financial assistance from several prominent citizens to raise four machine gun units. One of them was the Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery.
It was organised privately by Joseph Whiteside Boyle; better known as ‘Klondike Joe’ Boyle. Originally, it was to be a small force of 50 men with horses and rapid firing guns. Recruiting began in Dawson City where they were known as the "Yukon Boys". They were outfitted in khaki trousers and woollen shirts to match, yellow mackinaws, and stiff brimmed sombreros. Their cap badge consisted of crossed machine guns with a miner's pan on top on which were superimposed the initials "YT" (Yukon Territory). Legend has it that at least the first fifty men to enlist had an actual gold nugget in the ‘pan’.

While still in Dawson City, they were given some basic military training and drilled by two R.C.M.P. officers. Boyle finally had them taken to Victoria B.C. where he continued to pay for their upkeep until the Canadian government took over the unit and moved them to Vancouver. By that time, they were listed as a machine gun section to the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. They went overseas to the U.K. with that regiment in May 1915.

When in the U.K., the Yukon Battery was amalgamated for a short time with one of the other four units, the Borden Battery. By June 1916, the Yukon's total strength had dwindled to 34 men. It was then sent to the Canadian Machine School as a prelude to being attached to 4th Canadian Infantry Division. In August 1916, having received its complement of Armoured Autocars and other equipment, it was sent to France to join the 4th Division. It fought with 4th Division until 3 December 1916, when it finally joined the other motor machine gun batteries in what was known as 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade (1st C.M.M.G.B.). The Brigade fought as machine gunners in all of the major battles that Canadians participated in such as Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele among others. They also supported many different British formations.

On 8 June 1918, the Brigade was reorganised with the addition of new units and was split into two brigades, the 1st and 2nd C.M.M.G.B. The Yukon Machine Gun Battery was moved to 2nd C.M.M.G.B. and fought with that unit to the end of the war. Both brigades came into their own during the desperate German offensive of 1918 where they moved throughout the battlefield in their armoured Autocars providing machine gun support wherever required.

Sold with copied portrait photograph of Mulcahy wearing medal ribbons and the rare Yukon M.M.G. Battery cap badge.

Although Mulchary was likely a member of the Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery upon the battery receiving that designation, he was not one of the 50-strong Boyle Yukon Machine Gun Detachment whose original surviving members formed the nucleus of the Yukon Motor Machine Gun Battery.