Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Superb Great War Palestine operations M.M. pair awarded to Squadron Sergeant Major S. Vialls, 4th Australian Light Horse, late 3rd Dragoon Guards who was recommended for an M.I.D. for his gallantry at the capture of Beersheba, 31 October 1917 and decorated for leading a bold and mortiferous charge with drawn swords at Kaukab, September 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (2222 S.S.Mjr. S. Vialls. 4/ Aust: L.H.R.; Victory Medal 1914-19 (2222 WO-2. S. Vialls 4 L.H.R. A.I.F.) light contact marks to M.M., therefore nearly very fine (2) £1,400-£1,800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Warwick Cary.

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M.M. London Gazette 3 July 1919.
The original recommendation states: ‘During the advance on Kaukab on 30 September 1918 this W.O. came upon a party of 20 Germans who had taken up a position near the roadside and were inflicting casualties on our rearguard. With just boldness and dash he charged with a small party with drawn swords at the enemy, killing several and capturing the remainder.’

Sydney Vialls was born in 1880 at Curragh Camp, Kildare, Ireland, the son of Otho Vialls and his wife Helen Maria Jewell. Completing his education at the Royal Military Asylum, Chelsea, the now orphaned Vialls attested for the 3rd Dragoon Guards, the family regiment, as a 15 year old boy at Canterbury on 9 February 1895, stating his calling as ‘musician’ and was duly appointed Bandsman on 1 February 1896. Private Vialls served in South Africa during the Boer War from 21 January 1901 until 22 September 1902 (Queen’s medal and 3 clasps) at which time he was discharged at his own request on payment of £18, having completed 7 years and 226 days service with the colours. Remaining in South Africa, according to his later attestation papers, he served for a further 4 years with the South African Police, reaching the rank of Sergeant, before making his way to Victoria, Australia where he became a farmer and a member of the Orchestra in Melbourne’s Capitol Theatre.

Following the outbreak of the Great War he re-offered his services, attesting for the Australian Imperial Forces on 1 September 1915. Appointed Temporary Sergeant on 21 September he embarked for Egypt from Melbourne on 9 March 1916 in the Katuna with the 15th Reinforcement Group for the 4th Light Horse Regiment. Initially taken on the strength of the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment at Tel-El-Kebir on 16 April, he transferred to the 4th Light Horse Regiment at Abou Hamed on 6 August 1916. With his regiment then assigned to the 4th Light Horse Brigade and employed in the advance into Palestine in 1917, he took part in the last of the great cavalry charges.

The Charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at Beersheba
On 31 October 1917, assembling behind rising ground 4 miles south-east of Beersheba with the 4th Light Horse Regiment on the right, the 12th Light Horse Regiment on the left and the 11th Light Horse Regiment in reserve, the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade carried out a cavalry charge on the town of Beersheba. Moving off at the trot on a squadron frontage in three lines 400 yards apart, the 4th Light Horse then quickened to a gallop and, cresting the top of the ridge, looked down the long open slope to Beersheba. The Turkish gunners saw them easily enough but, despite opening fire with shrapnel, they could not adjust to the pace of the charge. After a couple of miles, Turkish flanking machine-gun fire opened up, but once the range was found they were silenced by British artillery. As the Light Horse approached, the rifle fire from the Turkish trenches was undisciplined and high and jumping the the front and main trenches some cavalrymen dismounted and then set about attacking the Turks from the rear the with rifle and bayonet. Others galloped further ahead taking the rear trenches, while other squadrons galloped straight into Beersheba itself where they succeeded in capturing nearly all the wells intact. Although Light Horse casualties were thirty-one killed and thirty-six wounded they succeeded in capturing over 700 Turks. The success at Beersheba caused a significant reduction in Ottoman resistance and Gaza fell a week later. On 9 December 1917, the British troops entered Jerusalem.

Sergeant Vialls’ personal diary contains the following entry regarding Beersheba (copy extract with lot):
‘The charge started at 5 in the evening. I was in the second line about 50 yards behind the front line, the Turks opened up on us with heavy rifle and artillery fire, it was hell itself gone mad. A few of our men and horses were falling but lucky for us the Turks were firing high, we took the Turkish trenches in our stride...we won the position by a big bluff. Beersheba was ours...we got on average about a prisoner each.’

On 16 January 1918, Vialls was recommended for a mention in despatches, partly on account of his gallantry at Beersheba, the original recommendation stating:
‘This N.C.O. has been responsible for excellent work throughout the whole of the operations where his knowledge of Arabic has been invaluable. Whilst in charge of a patrol at Beersheba on 31 October he set a great example to all ranks, of dash and daring and personally led a detached party against enemy works. Both at Wadi Imleh on 6 November and Isjier on 10 November he pushed well ahead with patrols and obtained most valuable information.’

Promoted to Squadron Sergeant-Major on 25 March 1918, Vialls was wounded (gun-shot wound to the left-shoulder and chest) in Palestine on 4 May 1918 and evacuated via the 66th Casualty Clearing Station to the Australian General Hospital on 10 May 1918. Returning to his Regiment on 10 July 1918, his gallantry at Kaukab on 30 September 1918 in leading a small party in charging and killing or capturing a party of 20 Germans, was recognised with the award of the M.M. on 15 October 1918.
Following the armistice, Vialls was attached to ‘Olden’s Force’ from 23 March 1919. On this date Lieutenant-Colonel Olden’s column of 400 moved up the Nile to engage a large rebel concentration of Egyptian nationalist rebels at Bedrasheen and in his words, ‘jolly soon had them cold’.

Embarking for Australia on H.T. Delta on 2 August 1919, Vialls arrived Melbourne on 3 September and was discharged on 26 October 1919. He died in 1946.

Sold with three copied contemporary photos of the recipient; a copied extract of the recipient’s diary on the day of the charge at Beersheba, 31 October 1917; and copied research including service papers.

Note: This lot is available for viewing in Swanbourne, Western Australia, by appointment with our Australasian representative, John Burridge.