Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Beaumont Hamel, January 1917’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Corporal Frank Cox, 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment, late Bedfordshire Regiment, for gallantry during the attack on ‘Leave Avenue’ and ‘Muck Trench’ when he fought his machine-gun for five hours under very heavy fire despite having been wounded

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (21055 L. Cpl. F. Cox. 2/Bord: R.); 1914-15 Star (13185 Pte. F. Cox. Bedf. R.); British War and Victory Medals (13185 Cpl. F. Cox. Bedf. R.) medals unmounted, some light verdigris, otherwise good very fine (4) £1,000-£1,400

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 March 1917:
‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. Although wounded he constructed an emplacement in the captured enemy line, and remained in action with his machine-gun for five hours under very heavy fire.’
Annotated gazette states: ‘Leave Avenue, 10 January 1917’.

In early January 1917, the 2nd Border Regiment were in billets at Mailly-Mallet, near Beaumont Hamel, practising attack patrols and night patrols to reconnoitre the ground prior to a night attack on Leave Avenue and Muck Trench set for the early morning of 10 January. The Battalion War Diary takes up the story:

‘Zero Hour was 2 am.
At Zero Hour, on 10th January 1917 our field guns placed a barrage on No Mans Land. The attacking troops had by this time formed up and commenced to move. At 2-30 am the attacking troops occupied enemy positions, capturing 2 Machine Guns, 1 Automatic Rifle, and 3 Officers and 142 Other Ranks prisoner. The captured positions were consolidated immediately.
The going in No Mans Land was very bad and numbers of men were stuck in the mud and had to be dug out.
Telephone lines were run out to the Strong Points immediately objectives were taken. Our Casualties were slight, and occurred chiefly owing to the fact that our troops followed up the barrage so closely, suffering casualties from our own guns, but preventing the enemy getting out of his dug-outs in time with his machine guns.
At 6 am a few of the enemy attempted to approach Point 63 but were driven back by our bombers...
The Battalion remained in the captured positions which were heavily shelled by the enemy throughout the day. The Battalion was relieved by 1st Battn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers at night and proceeded to billets at Mailly-Maillet.’

Three Officers and one N.C.O. were awarded the Military Cross for this action, the D.C.M. went to Lance-Corporal Cox, and four men won the M.M.

Frank Cox was born at Watford, Hertfordshire, and attested there for the Bedfordshire Regiment, on 31 August 1914. He proceeded to France with the 1st Bedfords on 25 March 1915, and transferred to the Border Regiment on 9 November 1915. He was appointed unpaid Lance-Corporal in July 1916 and promoted to Corporal in October 1916. In June 1918 he transferred to the Royal Defence Corps and was demobilised on 19 June 1919.

Sold with copied research including service papers, gazette notices, War Diary extracts and Medal Index Card.