A Great War M.M. awarded to Serjeant C. Monks, 16th Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment (Chatsworth Rifles) - awarded to the battalion’s Cook, who, aged 56 years, joined an attack and captured six German prisoners

Military Medal, G.V.R. (7659 Sjt., 16/N. & D.R.) some edge bruising , contact marks and scratches to obverse, about very fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A fine Collection of Medals to the Sherwood Foresters.

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M.M. London Gazette 16 February 1917.

An extract from the battalion’s regimental history reads:

‘Sergeant Monks, the Sergeant Cook, had been with us since we were first recruited, and though an excellent cook he had always found that the culinary art gave an inadequate outlet to his Hibernian spirits. He had so far managed to relieve his feelings by advancing to the front, and discharging “five rounds rapid” at the German trenches whenever he had come up to the line with hot food for us in occupation. On this occasion this outlet was denied him for obvious reasons, and his feelings in consequence were in spate. So, having given us our tea in the Causeway, he deserted his dixies and his cookers, and left his assistants to take them back to Paisley Dump. In the darkness he slipped unnoticed in among the members of the leading Company, and at dawn, was aided in his sinister purpose by the mist. He was not, in fact, recognised by “authority” until soon after the first “wave” had reached the German Line, when he was observed with rifle and bayonet emerging from a German dug-out prodding six prisoners and loudly and vehemently refuting some imaginary controversialist on the question as to whether he was “any ____ good at fifty-six.” It transpired that Sergeant Monks had entered this dug-out and found its occupants in anything but the “Camarade” mood, but that in spite of his two score and sixteen years and his snowy lock, his flowery vernacular and ferocious demeanour had made them decide conciliation rather than combat. With these six unhappy men he was like a collie with a flock of sheep - he would not trust them to anybody and refused to be parted from them. He took them himself to the Corps Cage, and having seen them safely penned returned to his own department in good time to serve us up some tea (!)’

With copied research.