Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1918 ‘Somme’ M.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal F. Little, 7th Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, Australian Imperial Force, a gallant Stretcher Bearer who had already been recommended for the M.M. the previous year


Military Medal, G.V.R. (9137 Pte. - L. Cpl. - F. Little. Aust: A.M.C.) nearly extremely fine £600-800

M.M. London Gazette 24 January 1919. The original recommendation states:

‘On the afternoon of 9th August 1918, during operations east of Amiens in the vicinity of Harbonnieres, while the 26th Australian Infantry Battalion were subject to heavy shell fire, Lance Corporal Little left his position at the Regimental Aid Post and attended a wounded man in the open, thereby dangerously exposing himself. Later in the afternoon of 9th August near Vauvillers, while subjected to heavy point blank shell fire, he again went into the open two hundred yards away and attended a wounded machine-gun officer, and got him to a place of safety. From the morning of the 8th August, he showed a willingness and fearlessness and devotion to duty, which was a splendid example to all the bearers under his charge.’

Having been previously recommended (unsuccessfully) for the M.M., the recommendation dated 3 October 1917, states:

‘In charge of a squad of Stretcher Bearers, he worked under continued shell fire between West Hoek Ridge and Bellewaarde Ridge, East of Ypres from 4 pm, 26 September 1917 to 12.30 pm 27 September 1917 with only one hour’s rest. By his total disregard of danger and cheerfulness he set a very fine example.’

Frederick Little was born in Lewisham, Sydney, Australia, in 1888. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, at Liverpool, New South Wales, 13 July 1915. Little embarked for Egypt in December 1915, and embarked for France in H.M.T. Invicta, 16 July 1916. He served with the 7th Australian Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps as part of the 2nd Australian Division in the French theatre of war. Little was attached to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance in 1917, during which time he was unsuccessfully recommended for the award of the M.M. (in the Routine Order 12 October 1917, the Army Corps Commander expressed his appreciation for Little’s gallant services rendered). He subsequently returned to his parent unit the following year, having advanced to Lance-Corporal in 25 January 1918.

Little was awarded his M.M. for service with the 7th Battalion Field Ambulance, as part of the 4th Australian Division on the Somme, 8 - 9 August 1918. He returned to Australia in SS Armagh, and was discharged 12 July 1919. In later life Little resided in Manly, and he died 27 September 1950.