Baldwin & Sons
Auction 98 3 May 2016
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MILITARY MEDALS, Awards for Gallantry and Distinguished Service, The Regimentaly Important Great War Gallipoli Peninsula Attack on Achi Baba Distinguished Conduct Medal Group of 5 for Killing Four of The Enemy With The Bayonet awarded to Company Serjeant Major and Warrant Officer Class 2 A. McLachlan, 5th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders T.F., comprising Distinguished Conduct Medal G.V.R. (33 Sjt. A. McLachlan 1/5 A.& S. Hdrs.- T.F.); 1914-15 Star (33 Sjt. A. McLachlan A. & S. Highrs.); British War And Victory Medals 1914-1920 (33 W.O. Cl. 2 A. McLachlan A. & S. Highrs); Territorial Force Efficiency Medal E.VII.R. (1156 Sjt. A. McLachlan 5/A.& S. Hdrs.) D.C.M. surname re-engraved, all but first letter "L". Victory Medal ribbon shows marks for M.i.D emblem, toned, good very fine. (5)
Distinguished Conduct Medal London Gazette, 15 September 1915
Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette, 28 January 1916
Distinguished Conduct Medal
33 Serjeant McLaughlin (note spelling) A, 1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (T.F.)
For conspicuous gallantry on 12 July 1915, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. During the advance he assisted to clear the hostile trench, killing four of the enemy himself, and afterwards rendered valuable aid in consolidating and holding it. He then advanced with his party to an isolated trench and held it until relieved. He had been 30 hours in action and had set a fine example to his men.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Alexander McLachlan came from Renfrewshire, Scotland, a pre-war member of the Territorial Force receiving the Territorial Force Efficiency medal as a Serjeant before the out-break of the Great War.
The 5th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders mobilised for war on 5 August 1914, the Battalion spent the next three months manning the Clyde defences whilst training hard for overseas service, from the Clyde they were posted to the Tay defences but after only 8 days the Battalion was ordered to join the ½ Lowland Division which was later retitled the 52nd Lowland Division; the Battalion then embarked for overseas at Devonport on the 1st June 1915 aboard the transport "Andania" as part of the 157th Infantry Brigade, they arrived at Alexandria on 12 June where preparations were immediately commenced for the voyage to Gallipoli. On 28 June, the Battalion sailed aboard the S.S. Alnwick Castle for Mudros and reached there on 1 July, being the next transhipped aboard the destroyer HMS Bulldog and the S.S. Fauvette, and two trawlers for Cape Helles. The Battalion sailed for Cape Helles on the night of the 2/3 July 1915 and landed at "S.S. River Clyde Landing". C.S.M. McLaughlin was promoted to W.O.2 sometime around the arrival of his at Gallipoli.
The Battalion's first tour of the trenches was on 5 July at Ghurkha Bluff, where it underwent instruction in trench warfare. After this followed tours in Nelson Avenue and Plymouth Avenue, between which rest trenches were occupied near Pink Farm. In order to assist the troops who were going to carry out a fresh landing at Suvla Bay, an attack on Achi Baba, a large hill which overlooked the whole of the British communications, was ordered. The Battalion formed the centre of the left flank of the left attack, which commenced at 4.30pm on 12 July, the object being to capture an intricate trench system known as E9, E10, E11 and E12a. Three lines of trenches were detailed as objectives, whereas only two actually existed, and the heavy losses suffered scrambling up the slopes were doubled during the return to the second objective. Most of the Turks defended so stubbornly that they had to be bayonetted in their trenches, Company Serjeant Major McLachlan cleared a trench by himself, killing four Turks one after the other with his bayonet, for his general behaviour he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (Extract The Fifty-Second Lowland Division History 1914-1918 Chapter VI; by Lt Col R.R. Thompson M.C.)
The re-engraving of the surname on the D.C.M. is easily explained, it having been done by the recipient, as the D.C.M roll confirms that it was issued in the name of McLaughlin, a spelling error on the part of the issuing authorities, and his D.C.M. bears the correct service number, rank, initials and unit details. The award of this D.C.M would appear to be the first to the Battalion in the Great War. Sold with copied London Gazette entries, m.i.c. and extracts from Divisional History.
Estimate: £4000-5000
Distinguished Conduct Medal London Gazette, 15 September 1915
Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette, 28 January 1916
Distinguished Conduct Medal
33 Serjeant McLaughlin (note spelling) A, 1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (T.F.)
For conspicuous gallantry on 12 July 1915, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. During the advance he assisted to clear the hostile trench, killing four of the enemy himself, and afterwards rendered valuable aid in consolidating and holding it. He then advanced with his party to an isolated trench and held it until relieved. He had been 30 hours in action and had set a fine example to his men.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Alexander McLachlan came from Renfrewshire, Scotland, a pre-war member of the Territorial Force receiving the Territorial Force Efficiency medal as a Serjeant before the out-break of the Great War.
The 5th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders mobilised for war on 5 August 1914, the Battalion spent the next three months manning the Clyde defences whilst training hard for overseas service, from the Clyde they were posted to the Tay defences but after only 8 days the Battalion was ordered to join the ½ Lowland Division which was later retitled the 52nd Lowland Division; the Battalion then embarked for overseas at Devonport on the 1st June 1915 aboard the transport "Andania" as part of the 157th Infantry Brigade, they arrived at Alexandria on 12 June where preparations were immediately commenced for the voyage to Gallipoli. On 28 June, the Battalion sailed aboard the S.S. Alnwick Castle for Mudros and reached there on 1 July, being the next transhipped aboard the destroyer HMS Bulldog and the S.S. Fauvette, and two trawlers for Cape Helles. The Battalion sailed for Cape Helles on the night of the 2/3 July 1915 and landed at "S.S. River Clyde Landing". C.S.M. McLaughlin was promoted to W.O.2 sometime around the arrival of his at Gallipoli.
The Battalion's first tour of the trenches was on 5 July at Ghurkha Bluff, where it underwent instruction in trench warfare. After this followed tours in Nelson Avenue and Plymouth Avenue, between which rest trenches were occupied near Pink Farm. In order to assist the troops who were going to carry out a fresh landing at Suvla Bay, an attack on Achi Baba, a large hill which overlooked the whole of the British communications, was ordered. The Battalion formed the centre of the left flank of the left attack, which commenced at 4.30pm on 12 July, the object being to capture an intricate trench system known as E9, E10, E11 and E12a. Three lines of trenches were detailed as objectives, whereas only two actually existed, and the heavy losses suffered scrambling up the slopes were doubled during the return to the second objective. Most of the Turks defended so stubbornly that they had to be bayonetted in their trenches, Company Serjeant Major McLachlan cleared a trench by himself, killing four Turks one after the other with his bayonet, for his general behaviour he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (Extract The Fifty-Second Lowland Division History 1914-1918 Chapter VI; by Lt Col R.R. Thompson M.C.)
The re-engraving of the surname on the D.C.M. is easily explained, it having been done by the recipient, as the D.C.M roll confirms that it was issued in the name of McLaughlin, a spelling error on the part of the issuing authorities, and his D.C.M. bears the correct service number, rank, initials and unit details. The award of this D.C.M would appear to be the first to the Battalion in the Great War. Sold with copied London Gazette entries, m.i.c. and extracts from Divisional History.
Estimate: £4000-5000