A rare ‘Battle of Messines’ tank driver’s M.M. awarded to Private Launcelot Donaldson, Heavy Branch, Machine Gun Corps, a forerunner of the Tank Corps

Military Medal, G.V.R. (1786 Pte. L. Donaldson, ‘B’ Bn. H.B.M.G.C.) nearly extremely fine and rare £350-400

The following citation is taken from The Tank Corps Book of Honour: ‘Battle of Messines, June 1917. 1786 Pte. Donaldson, L. ‘B’ Battn. Awarded M.M. This man, on 7 June, was first driver of tank No. 2682, which reached all its objectives. He showed great coolness and judgment throughout the action, and it was largely due to him that the tank was able to get into action at Wytschaete ahead of the infantry. He drove over very heavily crumped ground practically in darkness.’

The following extracts are taken from the 2nd Battalion Tank Corps War Diary: ‘The Battle of Messines, one of the most carefully planned and competently conducted actions of the war, was a deliberate set-piece attack on a well defined sector of the German lines just south of Ypres. A series of mines had been driven under the enemy positions and a programme of artillery preparation, lasting several days, preceded the operation; and a strong force of infantry and tanks were assembled, much superior in strength to the defenders. Surprise had been deliberately sacrificed, but nothing else had been neglected to make a success as certain as it ever can be in war.

For the purpose of the attack, “B” Battalion was split up by Companies, two being initially allotted to support the attack of the 2nd Anzac Corps, and one being at first retained in Army Reserve and later given to the 2nd Anzac Corps for the final stage of its attack. The Companies moved up in easy stages on the three nights before the battle day. The operation was a painful and laborious one; one supply tank caught fire on the way up, but no material damage was done.

Arrangements had been made for aeroplanes to fly overhead during the two or three hours before zero and also for a continuous rattle of machine gun fire in order to drown the noise of the approaching tanks. These precautions apparently proved satisfactory. The enemy took it into his head to bombard the area in which the last part of the approach march took place with lachrymatory and other gas shells and whizz-bangs and the night was so black that it was impossible to keep gas masks on the whole time. So, with streaming eyes, with no sort of light, tank commanders and drivers, coughing and spluttering, forged ahead with their tanks over this area of unseen trenches, barbed wire and shell holes, buoyed up by the knowledge of the shock the Hun would receive in an hour or so.

As zero hour, (3.10 a.m. on the7th) drew near, what keenness there was to see the opening spectacle. A few minutes before the appointed time practically all artillery fire had ceased and only a few machine guns were active. Then came a rumbling, the earth shook, and suddenly, with a tremendous flash, mighty masses of earth went sky-high. The mines had gone up, flinging balls of fire in every direction, and while these were still falling, down came the barrage with an awful roar. Morale was splendid. It had gone up with the mines and certainly did not come down with the barrage!

Of the thirty-six fighting tanks and six supply tanks employed, nineteen fighting and four supply tanks were back at rallying points and ready for next morning. Everyone was, of course, very fatigued and many were slightly wounded by burns, bullet splashes or small splinters of shell.

The work done by the Battalion in this, its first pitched battle, had been most creditable. Casualties in machines and in personnel had been somewhat heavy but the fact that the three immediate awards of medals for gallantry were made to officers and the three to other ranks proved that the battalion had acquitted itself well and gallantly, and shewn itself fully worthy to take its place among the existing war tried units of the Tank Corps.’