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*The Extremely Rare Great War Royal Naval Division D.C.M. M.M. and Bar Group of 7 awarded to Chief
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Description
*The Extremely Rare Great War Royal Naval Division D.C.M. M.M. and Bar Group of 7 awarded to Chief Petty Officer James T. Marchant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Serving in the Hood & Nelson Battalions of the Royal Naval Division, he was recognised for his gallantry on three occasions during his service on the Western Front, being recommended for the D.C.M. on 21 August 1918 at Achiet-Le-Petit for storming and capturing a machine gun nest, and attempting to capture another during which he was severely wounded. He later served with the Australian Navy in WW2. An extremely rare combination of gallantry medals for a Royal Naval Division group, and this a unique combination of medals and awards to the R.N.D., comprising: Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (TZ-2118 C.P.O. J. Marchant. M.M Hood. Bn: R.N.V.R.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with second award bar (TZ-2118 P.O. J. Marchant. Nelson Bn: R.N.V.R.); 1914-15 Star (KP.844 J. T. Marchant, A.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (T.Z.2118 J. Marchant. C.P.O. R.N.V.R.); War Medal, 1939-45 (N74834 J. Marchant); Australian Service Medal, 1939-1945 (N74834 J. Marchant); Group swing-mounted in two parts, the first three, and last four, each on bar with reverse brooch pin, lightly polished, toned, very fine, and a rare and unique combination to the Royal Naval Division (7) D.C.M.: London Gazette: 16 January, 1919 – ‘When the advance of the company was held up by severe machine-gun fire at Achiet-le-Petit on 21st August, 1918, he displayed great gallantry and initiative in rushing the machine gun and capturing the crew. Later on while bombing another machine gun he was severely wounded, but declined to leave his men until he fell exhausted by loss of blood, and had to be carried from the field of battle. He set a splendid example to his men.’ M.M.: London Gazette: 9 July 1917 Bar to M.M.: London Gazette: 19 March 1918 (original recommendation reads as follows) – ‘[From Lt. W. D. Wellwood, O.C “A” Company, to C.O. of Nelson Battalion] On the morning of the 30th December 1917 when moving up to the counter attack he went forward during a halt and found the enemy in possession of the remainder of the trench; he came back and warned me and taking four O.R’s with him he moved them out to the flanks, carried out a rapid fire causing the enemy to keep low whilst the Company withdrew to a suitable situation and got some bombs. During the day his valuable assistance to the wounded saved many lives and when any casualty occurred he was on the spot immediately rendering assistance. In the attack in the afternoon his conduct was also splendid as he kept running up and down the line under a heavy barrage and machine-gun fire, keeping the men in touch and extended properly and encouraging them all by his splendid example. I trust that Chief Petty Officer will receive due recognition of his splendid work.’ Chief Petty Officer James T. Marchant was born 30 July 1890 at Spennymoor, County Durham, was later a resident of Ushaw Moor, County Durham. He worked for a time as a Miner before joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman on 30 November 1914, and was quickly added to the ranks of the new 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. After an initial period with the Chief Military Instructor’s Staff involved with training at Crystal Palace, he was promoted to Leading Seaman on 16 April 1915, and then to Petty Officer on 17 November 1915. During 1916 his service records indicate that he moved between the various R.N.D. battalions and units with some regularity, largely behind the front lines, however he soon found himself in the thick of the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front from March 1917 onwards. He re-joined the Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 26 February 1917, and during this time was recommended for his first Military Medal, received just a few months later in July. The timing of this award would appear to correspond to the various operations and actions which were taking place in the Ancre valley, where the Royal Naval Division saw heavy fighting in and around Miraumont, and was most likely awarded for the attack and capture of the Gavrelle Windmill (part of the Battle of Arras) soon afterwards. Later that year, the R.N.D. took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele of late October / early November 1917 – widely recognised for its brutal fighting, endless enemy shelling, and appalling mud and rain. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer on 19 November 1917, and was recommended for a bar to his M.M. for his gallantry on 30 December 1917 while serving with “A” Company of the Nelson Battalion, in gallantly attacking and clearing a trench during an enemy attack, and for rendering assistance to the wounded men of his company, saving ‘many lives’ in the process (a rare original ‘copy’ of this M.M. citation is included with this lot). After a short period of training at home, and two week’s leave, he returned to the Western Front, this time joining the Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 14 April 1918. It was with this Battalion that he would earn his third gallantry award, the Distinguished Conduct Medal. During an attack upon German positions at Achiet-le-Petit on 21 August, 1918, he led an attack upon a machine gun post, in which he was able to silence it and capture its crew (typical German MG08 machine-guns had a crew of 4). On the same day, he attacked another machine gun, and while ‘bombing’ the position with grenades he received severe gunshot wounds to the right knee and one arm, but remained in action until he fell exhausted from blood loss. He was duly returned home to recover from these wounds at the Lord Derby Hospital Warrington, in Tidworth, and then at home in Ushaw Moor, receiving his medal on 31 January 1919. This marked the end of his military career in an active sense, resulting in his eventual discharge owing to disability on 8 April 1920. Emigrating to Australia after WWI and living at Tuggerah, New South Wales, he volunteered for WW2 service in the Australian Navy at Newcastle, New South Wales, on 18 June 1940. After nearly two years of service, reaching the rank of Staff-Sergeant, he transferred to the Citizen Military Force on 14 April 1942 (now aged 52) with whom he served out the remainder of the war until his discharge on 10 June 1945. Research suggests that only three similar D.C.M. M.M. and bar groups were awarded to the R.N.V.R. in WWI: one to CZ2047 Petty Officer J. G. Cowie, Hood Battalion, R.N.V.R. (his D.C.M. with two bars); one to TZ618 Chief Petty Officer W. Brown, Hood Battalion, R.N.V.R.; and the last to CH/S/1191 Corporal L. Insley, R.M.L.I. (Att. M. G. Bn.). The group offered here is unique, by virtue of its Australian WW2 entitlement. This group offered with some useful related research, officially reproduced documentation obtained from the M.O.D. in 1982, original ‘copy’ of the recommendation for his second M.M., and original ‘copy’ of his D.C.M. citation. Ex Glendining, 25 November 1992, lot 467
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*The Extremely Rare Great War Royal Naval Division D.C.M. M.M. and Bar Group of 7 awarded to Chief Petty Officer James T. Marchant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Serving in the Hood & Nelson Battalions of the Royal Naval Division, he was recognised for his gallantry on three occasions during his service on the Western Front, being recommended for the D.C.M. on 21 August 1918 at Achiet-Le-Petit for storming and capturing a machine gun nest, and attempting to capture another during which he was severely wounded. He later served with the Australian Navy in WW2. An extremely rare combination of gallantry medals for a Royal Naval Division group, and this a unique combination of medals and awards to the R.N.D., comprising: Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (TZ-2118 C.P.O. J. Marchant. M.M Hood. Bn: R.N.V.R.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with second award bar (TZ-2118 P.O. J. Marchant. Nelson Bn: R.N.V.R.); 1914-15 Star (KP.844 J. T. Marchant, A.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (T.Z.2118 J. Marchant. C.P.O. R.N.V.R.); War Medal, 1939-45 (N74834 J. Marchant); Australian Service Medal, 1939-1945 (N74834 J. Marchant); Group swing-mounted in two parts, the first three, and last four, each on bar with reverse brooch pin, lightly polished, toned, very fine, and a rare and unique combination to the Royal Naval Division (7) D.C.M.: London Gazette: 16 January, 1919 – ‘When the advance of the company was held up by severe machine-gun fire at Achiet-le-Petit on 21st August, 1918, he displayed great gallantry and initiative in rushing the machine gun and capturing the crew. Later on while bombing another machine gun he was severely wounded, but declined to leave his men until he fell exhausted by loss of blood, and had to be carried from the field of battle. He set a splendid example to his men.’ M.M.: London Gazette: 9 July 1917 Bar to M.M.: London Gazette: 19 March 1918 (original recommendation reads as follows) – ‘[From Lt. W. D. Wellwood, O.C “A” Company, to C.O. of Nelson Battalion] On the morning of the 30th December 1917 when moving up to the counter attack he went forward during a halt and found the enemy in possession of the remainder of the trench; he came back and warned me and taking four O.R’s with him he moved them out to the flanks, carried out a rapid fire causing the enemy to keep low whilst the Company withdrew to a suitable situation and got some bombs. During the day his valuable assistance to the wounded saved many lives and when any casualty occurred he was on the spot immediately rendering assistance. In the attack in the afternoon his conduct was also splendid as he kept running up and down the line under a heavy barrage and machine-gun fire, keeping the men in touch and extended properly and encouraging them all by his splendid example. I trust that Chief Petty Officer will receive due recognition of his splendid work.’ Chief Petty Officer James T. Marchant was born 30 July 1890 at Spennymoor, County Durham, was later a resident of Ushaw Moor, County Durham. He worked for a time as a Miner before joining the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman on 30 November 1914, and was quickly added to the ranks of the new 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. After an initial period with the Chief Military Instructor’s Staff involved with training at Crystal Palace, he was promoted to Leading Seaman on 16 April 1915, and then to Petty Officer on 17 November 1915. During 1916 his service records indicate that he moved between the various R.N.D. battalions and units with some regularity, largely behind the front lines, however he soon found himself in the thick of the fighting in the trenches of the Western Front from March 1917 onwards. He re-joined the Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 26 February 1917, and during this time was recommended for his first Military Medal, received just a few months later in July. The timing of this award would appear to correspond to the various operations and actions which were taking place in the Ancre valley, where the Royal Naval Division saw heavy fighting in and around Miraumont, and was most likely awarded for the attack and capture of the Gavrelle Windmill (part of the Battle of Arras) soon afterwards. Later that year, the R.N.D. took part in the Second Battle of Passchendaele of late October / early November 1917 – widely recognised for its brutal fighting, endless enemy shelling, and appalling mud and rain. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer on 19 November 1917, and was recommended for a bar to his M.M. for his gallantry on 30 December 1917 while serving with “A” Company of the Nelson Battalion, in gallantly attacking and clearing a trench during an enemy attack, and for rendering assistance to the wounded men of his company, saving ‘many lives’ in the process (a rare original ‘copy’ of this M.M. citation is included with this lot). After a short period of training at home, and two week’s leave, he returned to the Western Front, this time joining the Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on 14 April 1918. It was with this Battalion that he would earn his third gallantry award, the Distinguished Conduct Medal. During an attack upon German positions at Achiet-le-Petit on 21 August, 1918, he led an attack upon a machine gun post, in which he was able to silence it and capture its crew (typical German MG08 machine-guns had a crew of 4). On the same day, he attacked another machine gun, and while ‘bombing’ the position with grenades he received severe gunshot wounds to the right knee and one arm, but remained in action until he fell exhausted from blood loss. He was duly returned home to recover from these wounds at the Lord Derby Hospital Warrington, in Tidworth, and then at home in Ushaw Moor, receiving his medal on 31 January 1919. This marked the end of his military career in an active sense, resulting in his eventual discharge owing to disability on 8 April 1920. Emigrating to Australia after WWI and living at Tuggerah, New South Wales, he volunteered for WW2 service in the Australian Navy at Newcastle, New South Wales, on 18 June 1940. After nearly two years of service, reaching the rank of Staff-Sergeant, he transferred to the Citizen Military Force on 14 April 1942 (now aged 52) with whom he served out the remainder of the war until his discharge on 10 June 1945. Research suggests that only three similar D.C.M. M.M. and bar groups were awarded to the R.N.V.R. in WWI: one to CZ2047 Petty Officer J. G. Cowie, Hood Battalion, R.N.V.R. (his D.C.M. with two bars); one to TZ618 Chief Petty Officer W. Brown, Hood Battalion, R.N.V.R.; and the last to CH/S/1191 Corporal L. Insley, R.M.L.I. (Att. M. G. Bn.). The group offered here is unique, by virtue of its Australian WW2 entitlement. This group offered with some useful related research, officially reproduced documentation obtained from the M.O.D. in 1982, original ‘copy’ of the recommendation for his second M.M., and original ‘copy’ of his D.C.M. citation. Ex Glendining, 25 November 1992, lot 467
War Medals, Orders & Decorations
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