Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.M. and Bar group of four awarded to Bombardier P. Vine, Royal Garrison Artillery, who was killed by enemy artillery fire in October 1916

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (24502 Gnr. P. Vine, Y.1/T.M. By. R.G.A.); 1914-15 Star (24502 Gnr. P. Vine, R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals (24502 Bmbr. P. Vine, R.A.), together with the recipient’s Memorial Plaque 1914-18 (Percival Vine), good very fine or better (5) £800-1000

M.M. London Gazette 14 September 1916.

Bar to M.M. London Gazette 9 December 1916.

Percival Vine arrived in France on 10 March 1915, as a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery. His subsequent awards of the M.M. were most likely won in respect of the Somme offensive, by which time he was serving in ‘Y’ 1st Trench Mortar Battery, R.G.A.

His career is described in Dorchester Remembers, by Brian Bates:

‘No. 16 Salisbury Street, sitting next to what was the Baptist Church Hall, has, like many houses, a name plaque but this one is a little different, suggesting that there is more to the name than just the owner's wish to personalise their property. 'The Old House At Home' relates to the fact that the building had a long history as a hostelry, reputedly going back to the 18th century. Thomas Vine, who managed to combine the jobs of carpenter and publican, and his wife Annie were running the pub in 1891 and it remained with the same family until the 1930s. Thomas and Annie had three soldier sons, Horace, Edgar and Percy, the former two serving in the Army Ordnance Corps and the R.A.M.C., whilst Percy, the eldest, went into the R.G.A.

As a lad Percy Vine was employed at the Post Office as a telegraph messenger and then became a clerk at Mr. C. H. Smith's County Stores, opposite the Corn Exchange in High East Street. The Chronicle described Percy as 'A young fellow of splendid physique, he was a born footballer, and in his position at back he was a veritable tower of strength to any team, as may be gathered from the feat that he had been known to kick the ball from one goal to the other.’

At the age of 18 Percy joined the R.G.A. and served with the 63rd Company in Malta, before going to France in March 1915, where he was assigned to a T.M.B. Although Percy was one of Dorchester's most decorated servicemen he was not killed in battle but in the comparative safety of his billet. One of his officers wrote in a letter to his parents: 'I most deeply regret to inform you that your son was killed during a bombardment on the place in which we were billeted on the afternoon of 31 October. His death was absolutely instantaneous, and his loss is a very great blow to the battery. He was one of the bravest and coolest men I have ever met. He was buried in a small military cemetery here and a cross has been erected over his grave, which is always well looked after.’

In this case the officer's comments were fully justified and not just aimed at giving Thomas and Annie some comfort. Six months after their son's death they received, from the War Office, the M.M. with the addition of a Bar for two acts of gallantry carried out by their son. He was awarded the medal initially, in September 1916, 'for harassing the enemy with trench mortars for 12 days in a certain sector, whereby the enemy was forced to evacuate most of his positions’. The second award occurred after his death. Percy's body lies in the Albert Communal Cemetery, Somme.’

Sold with a copy of Dorchester Remembers and a file of research.