A fine Great War M.M. and Bar group of four awarded to Sapper A. W. Gush, Royal Engineers, who was decorated for gallant deeds in 23rd Signalling Company at Le Sars in October 1916 and at the crossing of the River Monticano in Italy in October 1918 - a little over two weeks later he succumbed to influenza

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (66338 Sapr. A. W. Gush, 23/Sig. Coy. R.E.); 1914-15 Star (66338 Spr. A. W. Gush, R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (66338 2 Cpl. A. W. Gush, R.E.), the first with edge bruising and polished, thus good fine, the remainder nearly extremely fine (4) £1000-1200

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

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M.M. London Gazette 6 January 1917. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous gallantry in laying and maintaining telephone lines at and near Martinpuich from 1-8 October 1918 and especially on the 7th and 8th after the capture of Le Sars, when Sapper Gush worked for long hours during the night under heavy shell fire, and by his efforts enabled communication to be kept with the Brigade at the north of Martinpuich.’

Bar to M.M. London Gazette 29 March 1919. The original recommendation states:

‘For gallantry and great initiative during the crossing of the River Monticano on 29 October 1918. He encouraged his men and held them together when the cable detachment came under very heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. He went forward under the intense fire and reconnoitred on the far bank of the river a place where the cable wagon and horses could be got under cover. On his return, 2nd Corporal Gush rallied his men and the detachment crossed the bullet-swept bridge at the gallop. Owing to this N.C.O’s daring communication was established and the wagon safely parked behind a house within 200 yards of the enemy.’

The following entry appears in The Roll of Honour:

‘Gush, Archibald Walter, M.M. and Bar, Corporal (No. 66338), Royal Engineers, youngest son of Walter James Wills Gush, of Marine Cottage, Beer, by his wife, Elizabeth, 2nd daughter of Thomas Cleaver; and brother of Private C. C. Gush (q.v.); born Beer, Devon, 8 September 1893; educated Church of England Schools there; was an S.C. and Telegraphist at the Post Office, Ilfracombe; enlisted in the Royal Engineers on 1 February 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 24 August following, being employed in the Signal Section; subsequently proceeded to Italy in November 1917, and died at No. 39 Casualty Clearing Station on 17 November 1918, of pneumonia, contracted while on active service. Buried at Secile, Italy. His Commanding Officer wrote: “He was one of the finest soldiers and bravest men in the company, and the country can ill afford to lose him ... one of my earliest recollections of this company some two years ago is your son’s complete indifference to shell fire, and his constant cherriness in the face of all difficulties and danger, and I marked him down from that day as the sort of man I wanted.” He was awarded the Military Medal (London Gazette 6 January 1917) and Bar (London Gazette 30 March 1919), for gallantry and devotion to duty in laying and maintaining telephone lines under heavy shell fire, after the capture of Le Sars, 7-8 October 1917 (sic), and subsequently in Italy, during the crossing of the River Monticano on 29 October 1918; unmarried.’

Sold with an old typed citation for the recipient’s second M.M., signed by Major H. Cowen of 23rd Division, together with a file of research, including biographical article published in the O.M.R.S. Journal (Summer, 1979), in which quotes appear from his letters home, and modern day photographs of his grave in the Tezze British Cemetery, Italy, and the River Monticano, near Vazzola, where he won his second M.M.