A rare Great War Serbia operations M.C. group of six awarded to Captain E. V. Mason, Royal Artillery, late South Irish Horse

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately inscribed, ‘Capt. E. Vance Mason, R.F.A., ‘P’ Ridge, Serbia, 19th Sept. 1918’; 1914-15 Star (1138 Cpl. E. V. Mason, S. Ir. H.); British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut. E. V. Mason); France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1916, with silver star riband fitment; Russia, Order of St. Anne, Second Class badge, with swords, by Albert Kiebel, St. Petersburg, 42 x 42mm., gold and enamel, manufacturer’s marks on reverse, ‘56’ gold mark on eyelet, mounted as worn, enamel reverse centre of the last chipped in places,otherwise generally good very fine (6)
£1600-1800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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M.C. London Gazette 1 February 1919:

‘For gallant conduct and forcefulness and the valuable information sent back under circumstances of extreme danger. When acting as F.L.O. on ‘P’ Ridge on 19 September 1918, though wounded three times, and placed continuously under heavy enemy barrage, he continued to report information of vital importance, showing great courage and devotion to duty.’

Ernest Vance Mason was born in Boyle, Co. Roscommon in January 1890 and enlisted in the South Irish Horse in Dublin in September 1914. Having then served out in France in ‘C’ Squadron from the end of 1915 until October 1916, he returned to the U.K. and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery in June 1917, and again witnessed active service in France and Flanders in August-September of the same year, when he sustained mustard gas poisoning at Ypres and was evacuated home.

Next actively employed on the Salonica front, Mason was, as cited above, thrice wounded in his M.C.-winning exploits on ‘P’ Ridge, Serbia on 19 September 1918, and remained employed in that theatre of war until March 1919, when he was embarked for South Russia. Re-embarked at Novorossisk that August, he was finally demobilised in May 1920.

Sold with hand written service details.