Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-War M.B.E., Great War ‘Zillebeke 1914’ D.C.M. group of seven awarded to Regimental Sergeant-Major Cecil Harradine, 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, who was afterwards London Garrison Sergeant-Major 1927-35, an appointment widely recognised as the expert on the drill of all Arms at ceremonies including Trooping the Colour, Beating Retreat, and the State Opening of Parliament

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, the reverse hallmarked London 1919; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (2535 Sjt: C. Harradine. 1/I.G.); 1914 Star, with clasp (2535 Sjt: C. Harradine. Ir: Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (2535 W.O. Cl. 1. C. Harradine. Ir. Gds.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (2714063 W.O. Cl. 1. C. Harradine. (D.C.M.) Ir. Gds.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.VI.R., 3rd issue (2714063 W.O. Cl. 1 C. Harradine. M.B.E. D.C.M. I. Gds.) naming largely officially re-impressed, light contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (7) £2,000-£2,600

D.C.M. London Gazette 1 January 1915; citation London Gazette 16 January 1915:

‘For conspicuous courage on 1st November at Zillebeke, in voluntarily undertaking a dangerous journey without any apparent prospect of getting safely through. He was successful, notwithstanding very heavy rifle, shrapnel and machine gun fire.’

M.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1924.

Cecil Harradine served in France with the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, from 13 August 1914. The Irish Guards in the Great War, by Rudyard Kipling, describes events at Zillebeke in 1 November 1914:

‘Bombardment was renewed on the 1st November. The front trenches were drenched by field-guns, at close range, with spurts of heavy stuff at intervals; the rear by heavy artillery, while machine-gun fire filled the intervals. One of the trenches of a platoon in No. 3 Company, under Lieutenant Maitland, was completely blown in, and only a few men escaped. The Lieutenant remained with the survivors while Sergeant C. Harradine, under heavy fire, took the news to the C.O. It was hopeless to send reinforcements; the machine-gun fire would have wiped them out moving and our artillery was not strong enough to silence any one sector of the enemy’s fire.
In the afternoon the enemy attacked—with rifle-fire and a close-range small piece that broke up our two machine-guns—across some dead ground and occupied the wrecked trench, driving back the few remains of No. 3 Company. The companies on the right and left, Nos. 4 and 1, after heavy fighting, fell back on No. 2 Company, which was occupying roughly prepared trenches in the rear. One platoon, however, of No. 1 Company, under Lieutenant N. Woodroffe (he had only left Eton a year), did not get the order to retire, and so held on in its trench till dark and “was certainly instrumental in checking the advance of the enemy.” The line was near breaking-point by then, but company after company delivered what blow it could, and fell back, shelled and machine-gunned at every step, to the fringe of Zillebeke Wood. Here the officers, every cook, orderly, and man who could stand, took rifle and fought; for they were all that stood there between the enemy and the Channel Ports. (Years later, a man remembering that fight said: “’Twas like a football scrum. Every one was somebody, ye’ll understand. If he dropped there was no one to take his place. Great days! An’ we not so frightened as when it came to the fightin’ by machinery on the Somme afterwards.”). The C.O. sent the Adjutant to Brigade Headquarters to ask for help, but the whole Staff had gone over to the 2nd Brigade Headquarters, whose Brigadier had taken over command of the 4th Brigade as its own Brigadier had been wounded. About this time, too, the C.O. of the Battalion (Lord Ardee) was wounded. Eventually the 2nd Battalion Grenadiers was sent up with some cavalry of the much-enduring 7th Brigade, and the line of support-trenches was held. The Battalion had had nothing to eat for thirty-six hours, so the cavalry kept the line for a little till our men got food.’

Harradine was Regimental Sergeant-Major from April 1922 until July 1927, when he was appointed London Garrison Sergeant-Major, probably the most fearsome Warrant Officer in the Brigade of Guards, responsible for the drill of all Arms at all important ceremonial occasions such as Trooping the Colour, Beating Retreat, and the State Opening of Parliament.