Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

A fine Great War ‘Western Front’ M.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant T. Dickinson, Lancashire Fusiliers, late Manchester Regiment, who was killed in action on 31 July 1917, during the 2nd/5th Battalion’s action on the opening day of the Battle of Passchendaele - of the 19 Officers that went into action that day, 18 became casualties, including the Battalion’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Best-Dunkley, who was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross
Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved ‘2/5th Sec-Lieut. T. Dickinson. Lan. Fus.’; 1914-15 Star (3033 Pt.e T. Dickinson. Manch. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. T. Dickinson.) the VM unofficially renamed, very fine

Pair: Sergeant R. W. Dickinson, Manchester Regiment
British War and Victory Medals (250405 Sjt. R. H. Dickinson. Manch. R.) good very fine (6) £1,000-£1,400

M.C. London Gazette 26 July 1917:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a raiding party. He led his men with great gallantry, and carried out his task with conspicuous success. He has on many previous occasions done fine work.’

Talbot Dickinson was born on 29 December 1887 and attested for the Manchester Regiment on 1 October 1914, serving with the 6th Battalion during the Great War in Gallipoli from 17 August 1915. Contracting dysentery shortly afterwards, he was evacuated home on 3 September 1915, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on 1 January 1916.

Posted to the 2nd/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, in August 1916, Dickinson served with them on the Somme and at Ypres, and was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry in leading a raiding party on 12 May 1917. The Regimental History gives further details:
‘The 2nd/5th Battalion carried out a useful raid at Ypres on the night of 11-12 May [1917]. Second-Lieutenant T. Dickinson, of the 2nd/5th Battalion, was given only a few hours' notice of the raid, but made all the arrangements with the artillery and trench mortars himself and then took out a party of twelve men under cover of a creeping barrage. This had, however, not completely destroyed the German wire and the party had some difficulty in getting through. While efforts were being made to cut the wire, they were quite heavily bombed from their right. After some little delay, they succeeded in entering the enemy trench. The party then divided: one squad went to the left for twenty-five yards, but met nobody except one German who hurriedly retreated; the other advanced to the right through three bays from which the garrison had withdrawn and bayoneted one of a party of Germans found in the next section. The party then withdrew with the loss of one man killed and one man wounded.
Dickinson had done much good work previously. The day before this raid he had collided with a German bombing party while out on patrol and had driven it off with rifle and Lewis-gun fire. He then followed it up to look for wounded and stayed out for two hours. The night after his raid, he went out quite alone into No Man's Land during a hostile raid on the battalion on the right and brought in a wounded officer and man, going back later and bringing in two British dead. In two days he received five congratulatory messages from the Brigade and Divisional Commanders and from the Commanding Officer. He also received the Military Cross.’

Dickinson was killed in action during the Battalion’s violent raid on 31 July 1917, on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. Of the 19 Officers who went into action that day, only one escaped unscathed. 3 were killed outright, 2 were mortally wounded, 11 were wounded and 2 were missing. Of the 593 other ranks went into action that day, 473 of them became casualties, a casualty rate of over 80%. Dickinson was amongst them, as recorded in the Regimental history:
‘Dickinson, who had frequently (as has been related) distinguished himself in patrol work in the earlier part of the year, was wounded in the arm, but carried on till he reached the objective when he was shot through the head.’

Also amongst the casualties was the Battalion’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Bertram Best-Dunkley, who, for his gallantry during the action, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross, one of fourteen awards of the V.C. (13 Crosses and 1 Second Award Bar) awarded that day:
‘For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty when in Command of his Battalion, the leading waves of which, during an attack, became disorganised by reason of rifle and machine gun fire at close range from positions which were believed to be in our hands. Lieutenant-Colonel Best-Dunkley dashed forward, rallied his leading waves, and personally led them to the assault of these positions, which, despite heavy losses, were carried. He continued to lead his Battalion until all their objectives had been gained. Had it not been for this Officer's gallant and determined action it is doubtful if the left of the brigade would have reached its objectives. Later in the day, when our position was threatened, he collected his Battalion Headquarters, led them to the attack, and beat off the advancing enemy. This gallant Officer has since died of wounds.’ (London Gazette 6 September 1917).

Dickinson has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Sold with copied attestation and service papers; and copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient.

Robert W. Dickinson was the brother of the above.

Note: A single Military Cross, the reverse privately engraved ‘Lieut. Talbot Dickinson, Lancashire Fusiliers, won May 1917, killed in action July 31st 1917, Flanders’, but without any officially named medals or documents, was sold in these rooms in September 2002.