A Great War ‘Grimsby Chums’ M.M. group of three awarded to Company Sergeant Major C. F. Brewster, 10th (Service) Battalion, late 6th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, who died of wounds on the Western Front on 21 October 1917

Military Medal G.V.R. (7772 Sjt: C. F. Brewster. 10/ Linc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (7772 A.W.O. Cl. 2. C. F. Brewster. Linc. R.) good very fine (3) £240-£280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Great War Military Medals to the Lincolnshire Regiment.

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M.M. London Gazette 2 November 1917

Charles Frederick Brewster was born in the hill station cantonment of Landour, India in 1887, the son of Colour Sergeant C. F. Brewster of the Norfolk Regiment. He served in the Great War with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment before transferring to the 10th (Service) Battalion (Grimsby Chums) with which he was serving when he was awarded the Military Medal. The edition of the London Gazette which carried his M.M. announcement contains awards mostly for acts of gallantry between 8 and 26 August 1917; Brewster’s M.M. is, therefore, likely to be in connection with the Grimsby Chums attack on Ruby Farm near Hargicourt on 26 August 1917. The Chums lost 53 killed, 158 wounded and 13 missing in this action, the outcome of which, the 101st Brigade Commander was nevertheless delighted with as shown in the opening sentence of this letter to his troops:
‘I congratulate the Commanding Officers, Officers and men of all units of the Brigade, of whom a large majority consists of men with only a few months’ service, on the military qualities of the highest order displayed by them in the attack on the 26th and the subsequent days, which led to such a decided success.’

Brewster died of wounds on 21 October 1917 in France; his battalion had been serving near Poelcapelle in the Ypres Salient in the days leading up to his death. He is buried in Solferino Farm Cemetery, Belgium.