A Great War M.C. group of eight awarded to Colonel F. A. Charlier, Royal Pioneer Corps, late Royal Fusiliers

Military Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence & War Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (Col., M.C. Staff) generally good very fine (8) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to the Pioneer Corps from the Collection of the late Peter Wilks, TD.

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M.C. London Gazette 11 January 1919: ‘During an attack he took command of a body of men composed of parties whose officers had become casualties, and, having rallied and reorganised them, he led them forward with great gallantry and skill and captured the objective with many prisoners and machine guns.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 20 December 1941, for services in the Middle East, February to July 1941.

Frederick Aloysius Charlier was commissioned into the 27th (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, in December 1915, and went to France with the 23rd (1st Sportsmen) Battalion in 1916. He returned to France in September 1918 as Acting Captain with the 9th Battalion, with whom he won the Military Cross. He transferred to the Royal Pioneer Corps early in the Second War as W.S. Major/Acting Lieutenant-Colonel. In January 1941 he went to the Sudan and became O.C. No. 2 Depot, Pioneer Corps, engaged in recruiting Sudanese for service in Egypt. He subsequently commanded a Pioneer Group as a full Colonel in Palestine.