A Great War February to March 1916 ‘Action of the Bluff’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private F. G. H. Milburn, Lincolnshire Regiment

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (7-12297 Pte. F. Milburn. 7/Linc: R.); 1914-15 Star (12297 Pte. F. Milburn. Linc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (12297 Pte. F. Milburn. Linc. R.) BWM partially officially corrected, polished and worn, therefore nearly very fine (4) £600-800

D.C.M. London Gazette 30 March 1916:
‘For conspicuous gallantry. During a bombing attack, though severely wounded in the neck, he forced his way with an officer up a communication trench. When ordered to turn back by the officer he picked up a wounded man and carried him a quarter of a mile to the dressing station under heavy shell fire.’

Frederick George Howe Milburn served with the 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment during the Great War on the Western Front from 14 July 1915, and was awarded his D.C.M. for gallantry during the action of the Bluff, just north of the Ypre-Comines canal near St. Eloi. ‘The Bluff was of very great importance for observation, but was not easy to hold, for the enemy had not been cleared from the crest and still held the eastern margin, with their support on the reverse slope. On 14 February 1916, after some hours of intensive gun and mortar-fire, the enemy attacked. The 7th Lincolns were responsible for the defence of the bank, and although the front-line trenches, known as the Ravine, were captured by the enemy, the support line remained in our hands. The following morning, 15 February, a counter-attack was ordered, with strong bombing parties ordered to start down the various enemy-held trenches. The strength of the bombing parties was to be eight, each party having a carrying party of 30, all of whom were to be trained bombers, and six bayonet men were to accompany each bombing squad. Forward dumps, in charge of officers, were formed, from which supplies of bombs were to be replenished. The attack started up to time, but the enemy’s shell-fire was heavy and many casualties were sustained among the bombing and carrying parties. Moreover, the supplies of bombs was continually running short, with one officer reporting that he had reached the enemy’s front line, but owing to the carriers having lost touch for a while his supply of bombs ran out and he was forced to return. All night long the attack continued, but no progress was made, and when dawn broke on 16 February the enemy still held all his gains of two days’ previous. The 7th Lincolns held their position throughout the day, and shortly after midnight on 17 February the Battalion was relieved. Casualties for the Battalion over the past three days were one officer and 25 other ranks killed, and seven officers and 71 other ranks wounded.
It was decided that another attempt to recapture the Bluff should be made, and the 7th Lincolns entered the trenches facing the German lines on the evening of 1 March 1916. At 4:00 a.m. the following morning parties of our men crawled quietly forward and gathered in groups, lying down near the German wire, which was found to be in bad condition. At 4:30 a.m. our artillery opened a sudden burst of heavy fire, and then our men went over the top and into the German trenches, taking the Germans completely by surprise. Our guns then re-opened with raised sights, heavily barraging the enemy’s communications. The rapid capture of the front line was followed by steady progress into the support trenches, and our men rushed up to their machine-guns and took a heavy toll of a mass of retiring enemies. The German guns shelled the position which they had lost throughout the rest of the day- in the words of Brigadier-General Metcalfe, then a captain with the 7th Lincolns, “the concentrated gun fire put down on us by the Germans during and after our recapture of the Bluff I have always regarded as the heaviest bombardment that I ever experienced.” The casualties of the Battalion were very heavy, with one officer and 33 other ranks killed, and five officers and 178 other ranks wounded.’ (History of the Lincolnshire Regiment refers).

For their gallantry at the Bluff, the Battalion received one D.S.O., four M.C.s, and 8 D.C.M.s, including the award to Milburn. The 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment subsequently served on the Somme, at Arras, and at Ypres. Private Milburn survived unscathed, but died at home on 21 May 1921, and is buried in Sedgefield New Cemetery, Co. Durham.