Auction Catalogue

5 April 2006

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

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Lot

№ 1185

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5 April 2006

Hammer Price:
£2,300

A Great War M.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant R. Rees, Seaforth Highlanders, late Hertfordshire Yeomanry, who was killed in action at Bapaume in the German “Spring Offensive” of March 1918

Military Cross
, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (1709 Pte., Herts Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.), good very fine (4) £1200-1500

M.C. London Gazette 26 July 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He was sent out on a reconnaissance under heavy fire. Finding the attacking troops without an officer he took command and directed their fire with good effect. Later, he returned with an accurate report of the situation.’

Rowland Rees, the son of the Rev. Alan and Eleanor Rees of Streatham, London, first entered the Egypt theatre of war as a Private in the 1/1 Hertfordshire Yeomanry in November 1914, and was probably still with his unit when it landed at Suvla Bay in August 1915. In the same month it was engaged against Turkish positions at “Scimitar Hill” and “Chocolate Hill”, prior to being evacuated to Mudros in October of the same year.

Commissioned into the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, Seaforths as a 2nd Lieutenant in February 1916, he was advanced to Lieutenant a month after his M.C. was gazetted, very probably for gallant work in the Arras offensive of Spring 1917. Sadly, however, as related above, he was killed in action at Bapaume on 25 March 1918 during the German “Spring Offensive” - the Battalion’s war diary for this date states:

‘ ... The enemy brought up two field guns to within 500 yards and the fighting developed into hand-to-hand [in Loupart Wood]. Captains Lyle, Fraser and Stewart fought against overwhelming odds but continued to hold on. On two occasions the enemy was driven back by us suffering heavy casualties. At 2.15 p.m. we were compelled to withdraw and suffered many casualties through very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Captains Stewart, Lyle and Fraser, and the Adjutant Lieutenant Rees, fought bitterly to the last and they are all missing ... ’

Aged 35 years at the time of his death, Rees has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial; sold with a signed portrait photograph, dated 21 December 1914.