Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘France’ M.S.M. to Sapper H. Rowlands, Royal Engineers

Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (444277 Sapr., 42/E. Lan. D.S. Coy. R.E.) very fine £80-100

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Meritorious Service Medals.

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M.S.M. London Gazette 17 June 1918. ‘444277 Spr. H. Rowlands, R.E. (Whitehaven)’. ‘... in recognition of valuable services rendered with the Forces in France during the present war’.

The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division Signal Company R.E. was mobilized at Seymour Grove, Old Trafford, Manchester on 5 August 1914. On 10 September the Company sailed from Southampton to Alexandria and in May 1915 sailed to Gallipoli where they took part in the operations at Krithia, Sari Bair, the landing at Sulva and Scimitar Hill. Evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916, they returned to Egypt, serving there for most of 1917 before proceeding to the Western Front. Here the Company participated in the actions at Bapaume, 24-25 March 1918; Arras, 28 March; Ancre, 5 April; Albert, 21-23 August; Bapaume, 31 August-3 September; Canal du Nord, 27 September - 1 October; Cambrai, 8-9 October and Selle, 17-25 October 1918.