Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of seven awarded to Company Quartermaster Sergeant F. Markwick, Royal Sussex Regiment and Machine Gun Corps, later Royal Fusiliers, for his gallantry during an attack at Wulverghem on 6 September 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (94235 Sjt: F. Markwick. 221 Coy. M.G.C.); 1914-15 Star (8836 Cpl. F. Markwick. R. Suss. R.); British War and Victory Medals (8836. Sjt. F. Markwick . R. Suss. R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (94235 Sjt. F. Markwick. M.G.C.); Defence Medal; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (7810160 Sjt. F. Markwick . M.M. R. Fus.) small dig to obverse field of BWM, light pitting from Star, generally very fine or better (7) £500-£700

M.M. London Gazette 11 February 1919.

Fred Markwick attested for the Royal Sussex Regiment at Brighton on 7 October 1907, and proceed with the Regiment to India in November 1909. He served with the Royal Sussex Regiment during the Great War in the Hedjaz theatre of War from 17 August 1915, before subsequently transferring to 221 Company, Machine Gun Corps, formed in India during the latter half of 1917, and proceeded with them for service with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in March 1918. He moved with them to the Western Front in May 1918, and for his gallantry and services rendered at Wulverghem on 6 September 1918 he was awarded the Military Medal:
‘On the morning of 3rd September he Company moved off as a mobile column and formed its Headquarters at Beaver Hall Camp, communications being established with the 21st Brigade. The same day orders were received from Battalion Headquarters to relieve “A” Company who were holding the main line of resistance running due south of Beaver Hall Camp. “A” Company then took “C” Company’s place in the forward area and supporting the 21st Brigade advanced to beyond Daylight Corner. Lieutenant March sited his Battery of 8 guns along a line south of Frenchman’s Farm and in doing so he came in for a good deal of sniping from very close range. Fortunately he was not hit. The other Battery under Lieutenant Elford was sited about 700 yards north east of Wulverghem. These Batteries remained in position during the next six days and assisted the Infantry by carrying out harassing fire on enemy roads, tracks, and machine gun locations. A barrage was fired on the night of the 6th September, which helped the Infantry to close a gap in the line north east of Wulverghem. During this action Sergeant Markwick and Private Asling distinguished themselves by showing great coolness and contempt for their own personal safety under very heavy shell fire. They have since both been awarded the Military Medal.’ (article entitled A Short History of the part played by the 30th Battalion Machine Gun Corps in the capture of the Dranoutre Ridge and the advance of August-September 1918 refers).

Markwick remained with the Machine Gun Corps, and served with them in Basrah from September 1920 to March 1921, before transferring to the Royal Fusiliers for serving in India, where he remained until December 1928. He was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal per Army Order 136 of 1926, and, having been advanced Company Quartermaster Sergeant, returned home on 15 December 1928- save for eight months following the end of the Great War he had been serving overseas for the last 19 years. He was discharged on 31 December 1928, after 21 years and 86 days’ service, and subsequently was employed as a Postman in Haywards Heath, Sussex.

Sold with the recipient’s Regular Army Certificate of Service Red Book; 30th Division Gallantry Card, informing him of the award of the Military Medal, named to ‘No. 94325 Sgt. F. Markwick, Machine Gun Corps’, and signed ‘W. J. Williams, Major-General Commanding 30th British Division’; Third and Second Class Certificates of Education; various newspaper cuttings; three letters of reference upon the recipient leaving the Army; Certificate of discharge; notification letter appointing the recipient a Postman in Haywards Heath, dated 9 June 1933; copied Medal Index Card; medal roll extracts; and other research.