The Fine Collection of Medals to 'Old Contemptibles' formed by Major Bob Keay

A Great War 1914 ‘Battle of The Aisne’ D.C.M. group of five awarded to Company Sergeant Major Martin Swanick, 1st Battalion, Liverpool Regiment

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6915 C. S. Mjr., 1/L’pool. Regt.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (6915 Pte., L’pool. Regt.); 1914 Star, with clasp (6915 C. S. Mjr., 1/L’pool. R.); British War Medal 1914-20 6915 W.O.Cl.2., L’pool. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., type 1 (6915 C. S. Mjr., D.C.M., L’pool. R.); together with an erased Victory Medal, with M.I.D. oak leaf, the Q.S.A. with some minor edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine (6) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Fine Collection of Medals to 'Old Contemptibles' formed by Major Bob Keay.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 17 December 1914 ‘For conspicuous gallantry in conveying messages to his Commanding Officer under heavy fire, although at the time badly wounded.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 October 1914.

The following amusing anecdote in relation to C.S.M. Swanick’s ‘strict disciplinarian’ style is extracted from The History of The King’s Liverpool Regiment 1914-1919, by Everard Wyrall:

‘Colonel T. W. S. Graham says “Possibly one amusing incident during the action at Villers Cotterets on 1 September 1914 may be worth referring to as illustrating a point of view.” - My Company ‘D’ was in the wood just behind the guns when the latter were brought out under very severe shell fire by the gallantry of one of the teams. The South Staffords, who were, many of them, lying in ditches on each side of the road down which the guns galloped, set up a rather shrill hysterical cheer. Never, I should say, was a cheer better deserved, but my Colour Sergeant - Swanick, a strict disciplinarian, made a trumpet of his hands and roared indignantly into my ear through the roar of the shelling, “Ark at them loafers on the road!”