Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal P. McNee, Royal Highlanders, who died of wounds in Mesopotamia, 23 January 1916

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (941 L. Cpl., 2/R. Hdrs.) very fine £800-900

D.C.M. London Gazette 30 October 1918. ‘For gallant conduct at Neuve Chapelle on 12th March, 1915, in working a trench mortar gun in the Crescent with great effect on the enemy, whilst exposed to heavy fire from them’.

Peter McNee was born in Auchterarder, Perthshire in 1889. He attested for the Black Watch at Crieff aged 18 years, 6 months. Serving with the 2nd Battalion Black Watch in India, he was awarded the Delhi Durbar Medal in 1911. With them he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 12 October 1914. For his active service in the early months of the war he was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp. He was awarded the D.C.M. for his gallant conduct at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. On 25 September 1915, during the battle of Loos, he was gassed. Recovering, he was able to leave the western front with the rest of the 2nd Battalion for the Mesopotamian theatre of war. He saw action at the battle of Shaikh Saad, 7 January 1916 and then the first attack on Hanna, 21 January 1916, during which battle he was mortally wounded. He died of his wounds on 23 January 1916 and was buried in the Amara War Cemetery.

Sold with copied research which refers to him as a Corporal Piper. In The Piper in Peace and War, it states, ‘The Admirable Crighton of the battalion was Piper Peter McNee, a very handsome man who, besides being a splendid shot was an excellent bomber. When placed on trench mortar work he was equally distinguished’. and ‘“Let me have McNee and the goods” remarked a certain stalwart Irish officer, “and I’ll keep back a whole German Corps.”’