A rare Great War 1915 ‘Gallipoli operations’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private H. Allen, Worcestershire Regiment, who died of wounds in the peninsula on 10 May 1915

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (11891 Pte. H. Allen. 4/Worc: Regt.); 1914-15 Star (11891 Pte. H. Allen. Worc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (11891 Pte. H. Allen. Worc. R.) very fine or better (4) £800-£1,200

Provenance: Sotheby’s, March 1984; Dix Noonan Webb, December 2012 (on both occasions the D.C.M. only)

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 June 1915:
‘For conspicuous gallantry on 28 April 1915, during the operations near Krithia, when he brought up ammunition to a machine-gun under heavy fire when it was critically needed. Private Allen’s conduct was exceptionally meritorious.’

Henry Allen, whose real name was Henry Ewart Gladstone Allen Shuker, was born in Wolverhampton on 1 February 1894 but used the alias ‘Henry Allen’ on enlisting in the Worcestershire Regiment at Birmingham - quite possibly on account of his surname being mistaken for one of German origin. Posted to the 4th Battalion, he served during the Great War in the Gallipoli theatre of War from the date of the Gallipoli landings on 24 April 1915, when his unit suffered heavy casualties.

A few days later, on 28 April, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the above cited deeds in the first battle of Krithia, for bringing up ammunition under what regimental records describe as ‘a rain of bullets’, this at a vital time when casualties were occurring ‘left and right’ and most of the officers had been struck down. He was also Mentioned in Sir Ian Hamilton’s Despatch of 5 May 1915 (London Gazette 5 August 1915).

Meanwhile, the 4th Battalion, now less 300 men on account of the action on the 28 April, remained actively engaged in the peninsula, participating in the second battle of Krithia a week later, and it was probably on this occasion that Allen was mortally wounded - his official date of death being listed as 10 May. He was 21 years of age and is buried in Port Said War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.

Sold with a large quantity of copied research.