Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. and Second Award Bar group of four awarded to Sergeant C. E. Ranner, “F” Special (Cylinder) Company, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers, who was involved in the first British gas attack at the battle of Loos

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (113424 Sjt: C. E. Ranner. ‘F’ Spec: Coy. R.E.); 1914-15 Star (113424 Cpl. C. E. Ranner, R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (113424 Sjt. C. E. Ranner. R.E.) mounted for display, extremely fine (4) £800-£1,000

M.M. London Gazette 21 August 1917.

M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 23 February 1918.

Charles E. Ranner originally served as Private No. 18260, Liverpool Regiment before transferring to one of the new specialist gas companies of the Royal Engineers. After training in England, he served in France from 14 September 1915, taking part shortly afterwards in the first British gas attack at the battle of Loos, when much of the gas was blown back into the faces of the British troops. Ranner is mentioned in a short description of the action by gas corporal Ronald Purves:

‘The bombardment was pretty hellish, absolutely indescribable. At 5:40 a.m. Sergt. Reilly came along and gave the order to let off the gas at 5:50 a.m., and we did. Leaks of Chlorine gas came out at the joints, but after some struggling got things going. Mac turned on the first one as I threw out the pipe, & then did nothing. So went at it as best I could, choking, coughing, half-blinded, and feeling as if the last moments had come. It’s impossible to put any of the sensations on paper; but I shall not forget it after I get home. At my 6th or 7th cylinder, Rayner [sic] came along and told me to shut off because our own men were being gassed. My own bit was thick with gas, and I couldn’t see except in a blink or two. A hail of shells, both British and German, were landing all around, and a rattle of machine guns was everywhere.’

“F” Special (Cylinder) Company was one of the special units of the Royal Engineers established to use chemical weapons after Chlorine Gas was first used on the Western Front by the Germans against French units in the Ypres Salient in 1915. Volunteers with a knowledge of chemistry were sought among universities and colleges at home, as well as from the ranks of the BEF, with immediate promotion to corporal – chemist corporal. A suitable base was found at Helfaut, a village four or five miles due south of St Omer (where GHQ was located at the time), where it remained as the depot for the rest of the war. At first two Special Companies were formed but they had been increased to four by the time the Loos offensive opened on 25 September 1915. In 1916 the four companies were expanded into the ‘Special Brigade’ consisting of 16 ‘Cylinder’ companies, one ‘Projector’ company (flame thrower) and four ‘Mortar’ companies, some 6,000 officers and men. This organisation remained unchanged to the end of the war.