Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Capture of St Pierre Divion’ November 1916 D.C.M. group of three awarded to Sergeant E. Freeman, 16th (Service) Battalion Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (Chatsworth Rifles)

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (26771 Sjt: E. Freeman, 16/N. & D.R.); British War and Victory Medals (26771 Sjt. E. Freeman. Notts. & Derby. R.) light contact marks, otherwise very fine (3) £1,000-£1,400

D.C.M. London Gazette 26 January 1917:
‘He pushed on rapidly, secured the entrances to the further dugouts, thereby preventing the escape of the garrison, and was instrumental in the capture of a large number of prisoners.’
Annotated Gazette states: ‘St Pierre Divion, 13 November 1916’.

Ernest Freeman enlisted into the 12th Battalion, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment in 1915 and served in France with the 16th Battalion from March 1916. He was twice wounded, on 10th April and on 11th December, 1916, when he was shot through the left arm and repatriated to hospital in Scotland.

The following extracts are taken from the Battalion War Diary for 13 November 1916:

‘On November 13th the Battalion was ordered to make a subsidiary attack from the South up the River Ancre in conjunction with a main attack by the 118th Infantry Brigade. The objective of the Battalion was a line running East from the Summer House and short of St Pierre Divion...
A tank was to co-operate on our right.
The Battalion successfully entered the German First Line trench, but here met with a certain amount of opposition and the right was held up.
At 6.30 a.m. the reserve Company was sent up to reinforce the right. Their arrival helped to clear the situation and the Battalion advanced bombing & driving the enemy before them into their dugouts.
The objective allotted to the Battalion was secured but nothing could stop our men, who advanced with the greatest dash and finally secured the whole of St Pierre Divion including the German Battalion Headquarters and the famous tunnel dugouts...
13 officers including the Battalion Commander and 720 Other Ranks were taken prisoners...
White Star bombs (poison gas) were used for the first time and were found most effective in dealing with dugouts from which the enemy had been sniping or bombing...
A large amount of booty fell into our hands but it was not possible to enumerate it.’

Sold with copied research including Gazette entries, War Diary extracts and Medal Index Card.