A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant T. R. Maitland, 102nd (North British Columbians) Battalion, Canadian Infantry, late Canadian Mounted Rifles

Military Medal, G.V.R. (703041 Sjt. T. R. Maitland, 102/Can. Inf.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (401 Pte. T. R. Maitland, Canadian M.R.); British War and Victory Medals (703041 Sjt. T. R. Maitland, 102-Can. Inf.), the first with re-pinned suspension, otherwise very fine and better (4) £700-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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M.M. London Gazette 28 January 1918. The original recommendation states:

‘For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty while delivering rations and supplies to the front line during recent operations west of Lens. He did night after night bring his men and teams to the area forward of Battalion H.Q., subjected to heavy artillery and incessant gas shelling which lasted for hours in each case. A very serious situation was averted west of Lens on 12 August 1917, during a severe shelling by the enemy with high explosive and gas shells. He personally prevented a stampede by taking charge of all wagons in the congested area, restoring order out of chaos and inspiring his men with confidence by his example and cool bearing. He succeeded in getting not only his own transports to their destinations but those of other battalions which he found congested in the roadway.’

Thomas Robert Maitland was born in Worcester, England in 1870 and moved to Canada to work as a Miner in northern British Columbia, but with the outbreak of the Boer War, he enlisted into the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles in December 1901. Returning to Canada in 1903 he enlisted into the 68th ‘Earl Grey’s Own Rifles’ Canadian Militia based at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and thence in the 102nd (North British Columbians) Battalion in 1915 despite being 45 years of age. Assigned as Regimental Transport N.C.O., he was awarded the M.M. for the above cited deeds at Lens in August 1917, and was discharged at Vancouver in February 1919; sold with copied service papers.