A fine Great War M.C. group of five awarded to Captain F. H. G. (afterwards Sir Francis) Layland-Barrett, Grenadier Guards, who was decorated for the 2nd Battalion’s attack on Les Boeufs in September 1916, when enemy shells fell at a rate of one per second - he was subsequently wounded at Gouzeaucourt Wood in December 1917

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘F. H. G. Layland-Barratt, 2nd Batt. Grenadier Guards, Les Boeufs, Sept. 25 1916’; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. F. H. G. Layland-Barratt); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted court-style as worn, generally good very fine (5) £1200-1400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman.

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M.C. London Gazette 14 November 1916:

‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. When all the officers of his company had become casualties, he led on with great dash through a village, and established himself on one side of it. He had only joined the Battalion a few days and had never been under fire before. He set a fine example.’

Francis Henry Godolphin Layland-Barratt was born in December 1896, son of the 1st Baronet, a politician and Lord of the Manor of Lemall, Torquay. Educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he served as A.D.C. to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1914-15, prior to joining the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards out in France in the following year.

The action fought by the Battalion at Les Boeufs on 25 September 1916 resulted in heavy casualties, namely four officers and 67 other ranks killed, five officers and 175 other ranks wounded, in addition to 11 died of wounds and 77 missing. The following account of the action appears in the unit’s war diary:

‘The morning of 25 September was a very bad one for us as the trenches were very narrow and the men shoulder to shoulder almost unable even to sit down. It was quite impossible to lie down.

At 12.35 p.m., our barrage opened and we advanced in two waves of two companies each. The Germans evidently knew that an attack was imminent as within one minute they began putting down heavy shell into the waves and at the same time a terrific barrage was opened on our front line.

Half a minute later our leading companies caught up with our barrage and lay down. About 12.39 or 12.40 p.m., the first objective was gained with a certain amount of difficulty as our artillery had entirely failed to cut a single strand of the wire: while the companies were cutting it and making their way through the Germans picked off almost all our officers with the rifle and caused us some casualties by throwing bombs. Many Germans were killed in this line and a nice bag of prisoners made, also a machine-gun was captured. Some Germans who were lying in shell holes in No Man’s Land were also killed.

At 1.35 p.m., we moved forward to the edge of the village of Les Boeufs, killing more Germans who emerged from dugouts in the sunken roads and taking some prisoners. All dugouts were bombed and no doubt many Germans were killed that way, as one or two more were seen to be full of dead.

Two companies pushed rather too far into Les Boeufs and were forced back by our own artillery fire. At 2.35 p.m. we advanced through the village meeting with little opposition and taking a few more prisoners. We gained the eastern edge of the village and consolidated. The Germans were seen retiring over the next hill in small parties and ones and twos; some loss was inflicted on them.

While we were consolidating we were sniped at heavily by a few Germans in a trench in the hollow to our immediate front, causing us some casualties.

During the evening the village was severely shelled by heavy guns but except for a few stray shells, the front line was left alone. Sniping and shelling continued all night and the next morning ... The dash and gallantry of the infantry was magnificent in spite of large numbers of recent drafts and totally untrained men being in the ranks, but the co-operation of the artillery was remarkable for its absence and a great deal of ammunition was uselessly expended on ground where no Germans were, and places where Germans could be seen were left untouched.’

And of the action in which Layland-Barratt was wounded at Gouzeaucourt Wood in December 1917, the same source states:

‘From the start the Battalion came under a very heavy machine-gun fire, and the casualties, particularly in officers, became severe. The cavalry, who should have attacked simultaneously on the right, were an hour late in coming up, and although they lent the most valuable assistance, when they did arrive - particularly the 18th Lancers and 7th Dragoon Guards - their absence during the early stages of the attack left our right flank (the south side of Gauche Wood) dangerously in the air. Several tanks had, however, followed the Battalion and all of them were either knocked out or ditched, but by taking their Lewis guns from them and moving these to the exposed flank, the position was considerably strengthened.

The Battalion advanced at a great pace and reached the Wood by about 7.00 a.m. The fringe was very thickly manned by machine-guns, and whilst rushing one of these 2nd Lieutenant P. A. A. Harbord, M.C., received wounds from which he died later in the day.

On reaching the Wood, Lieutenant G. R. Westmacott swung part of his company round to face the right flank and was able to repel two counter-attacks almost at once, accounting for about 70 of the enemy.

The sniping in the Wood from the outskirts of Villers-Guislain about 500 yards away, was very heavy, and 2nd Lieutenant S. H. Pearson was shot through the head leading his platoon. By the time the objective was reached, Lieutenants Cornforth, M.C., and Acland, M.C. (commanding Nos 1 and 3 Companies respectively), Magnay, Kendall, Layland-Barratt, M.C., and Drummond, M.C., were all wounded. This left only Lieutenants Westmacott, Browning and Loftus available, and to the two former is largely due the complete success of the Battalion’s attack.’

Layland- Barratt, afterwards a Captain on the Reserve of Officers, succeeded to the baronetcy in 1933; sold with a file of research.