Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War C.M.G., D.S.O. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel S. W. Watson, C.O. of the 1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps, late 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade and 5th Machine Gun Company

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. S. W. Watson, 5/Can. I. Bde. H.Q.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. S. W. Watson); Canadian Voluntary Service Medal 1939-45, no clasp; War Medal 1939-45, silver, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, the recipient’s Canadian Memorial Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially inscribed, ‘Major S. W. Watson, C.M.G., D.S.O.’, in its case of issue, Memorial Bar, officially inscribed, ‘Maj. S. W. Watson, C.M.G., D.S.O., Gen. List, Died in His Country’s Service, 28 Apr. 1947’, in its card folder, British Empire Services League (Canadian Legion) Past President’s Badge, gilt and enamel, the reverse inscribed, ‘Lt. Col. S. W. Watson, C.M.G., D.S.O., Sir Arthur Currie, Que., 1940-1’, and a Great War commemorative, generally good very fine (Lot) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Canadian Expeditonary Force 1914-1918.

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C.M.G. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

D.S.O. London Gazette 4 June 1917.

Stancliffe Wallace Watson, who was born in Montreal in November 1889, joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in October 1914.

Embarked for France in July 1915, with the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, he was appointed the Brigade’s Machine-Gun Officer, prior to being invalided to the U.K. in August 1916, suffering from trench fever.

Rejoining his unit in the Field before the year’s end, he was subsequently advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel, and commanded the 5th Machine Gun Company and the 1st Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps. In addition to the C.M.G. and D.S.O., he was thrice mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes 1 June 1917, 27 December 1918 and 8 July 1919 refer
Watson was demobilised back in Canada in May 1920 but returned to active duty in the 1939-45 War, gaining appointment as a Major on the Directorate of Staff Duties (Weapons) in January 1943, and briefly serving in the U.K. Struck off the strength of the Active List on account of ill-health in January 1946, he died in April of the following year; sold with extensive copied service records.