Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant E. Forrest, Grenadier Guards, attached Special Brigade, Royal Engineers, the Army’s Chemical Warfare Unit

Military Medal, G.V.R. (156554 Pr. E. Forrest, 5/Spec: Bde: R.E.) rank officially corrected; 1914-15 Star (18304 Pte. E. Forrest. G. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (18304 Sjt. E. Forrest. G. Gds.) pitting to MM, nearly very fine (4) £400-£500

M.M. London Gazette 12 March 1917.

Ernest Forrest was born in Cresswell, Derbyshire, in 1890 and attested there for the Grenadier Guards on 2 September 1914. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 17 March 1915, before transferring to the Royal Engineers on 13 March 1916. Posted to 5th Battalion, Special Brigade (the Army’s Chemical Warfare Unit), he served as a ‘Chemical Soldier’ for the remainder of the Great War. He was wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, but remained at duty, and it is possible that this action contributed to the award of his Military Medal. He was promoted Corporal on 29 August 1916, and Sergeant on 13 June 1918, before being admitted to hospital suffering from the effects of gas on 7 September 1918. Recovering, he was back in the field by the time of the Armistice, before transferring to Class ‘Z’ Reserve on 30 January 1919.

At its greatest strength the Special Brigade, Royal Engineers, numbered 258 officers and 5,832 men. It conducted 768 gas operations involving 88,000 gas cylinders, and discharged over 5,700 tons of various gases. From Loos to the Armistice the gas companies discharged gas two nights out of every three. Total brigade casualties were 5,384, close to 100% of its total strength, and the Brigade won 557 decorations, including the Victoria Cross awarded to James Dawson.

Sold with copied correspondence regarding the issuing and returning of the recipient’s Military Medal to have the rank officially corrected from ‘Pte’ to ‘Pr’ (for Pioneer); copied Medal Index Card; service papers; medical papers; and other copied research.