Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1917 ‘Western Front’ M.M. and Second Award Bar group of four awarded to Private MacSwain, 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), Canadian Infantry and No. 2 Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers, who also received a gun shot wound to the face in August 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (4188383 Pte A. Macswain. 42/Can: Inf:); 1914-15 Star (418383 Pte A Macswain. 42/Can: Inf:); British War and Victory Medals (418383 Pte. A. Macswain. 42-Can. Inf.) very fine (4) £800-£1,000

M.M. London Gazette 16 August 1917.

M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 17 September 1917.

Angus MacSwain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 1885. He served with the Royal Army Medical Corps prior to volunteering for service, 10 March 1915. MacSwain initially served during the Great War with the 42nd Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), Canadian Infantry in the French theatre of war from October 1915. He was attached for service with No. 2 Tunnelling Company, Canadian Engineers from 7 July 1916, and distinguished himself during operations at Tor Top, 21 June 1917. On the latter date the unit’s War Diary gives:

‘Several Infantry Officers and men were gassed by a shell in dug outs off G Subway; they were brought out by some of our sappers and revived by Proto Novita Revivers.’

The diary gives him as being one of the above sappers, and being awarded the M.M. as a consequence.

MacSwain returned to his parent unit, and was serving with the 42nd Battalion when he received a gun shot wound to the face in August 1917. He suffered partial loss of sight, and hearing on one side. MacSwain returned to Canada in December 1917, and died in July 1964.

Sold with copied research, and a photographic image of recipient in uniform taken from the Toronto Evening Telegram, 14 September 1917.