Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War sniper’s D.C.M. group of five awarded to Lieutenant V. S. Van Renen, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, late Cape Peninsula Rifles, decorated for ‘conspicuous bravery and ability as a scout and sharpshooter’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (5800 Sjt: V. S. Van Reenan. 2/K.R.R.C.) note spelling of surname but as in London Gazette; 1914-15 Star (R-5800 Pte. V. S. Van Renen. K.R. Rif: C.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. V. S. Van-Renen.); Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal, G.V.R. (Lt. V. S. Van Renen. R. of Officers.) court mounted, nearly extremely fine (5) £1,400-£1,800

D.C.M. London Gazette 14 January 1916; citation London Gazette 1 March 1916:

‘For conspicuous bravery and ability as a scout and sharpshooter. Throughout the campaign he has always displayed great courage, and has been most successful as a sniper.’

Valentine Sebastian Van Renen was presumably born in South Africa and served as a Corporal and Sergeant in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Volunteer Rifles from 25 June 1890 to 1 July 1898. He served as Company Sergeant-Major in the Cape Peninsula Rifles from 7 July 1903 to 31 December 1912. Van Renen joined the British Army on 13 October 1914, as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, who he joined in France on 23 November 1914, but ineligible for the 1914 Star.

The following entry from the Regimental history would seem to tie in perfectly with Van Renen’s arrival in France and the award of his D.C.M.:

‘On December 26th the Brigade (2nd Brigade/1st Division) marched into Cambrin, and took over the line from the Bethube-La Basse road to the Canal, relieving the South Staffords. It was still freezing, and the trenches were in very good condition, except that the front parapet was barely bullet-proof, and that the Germans had attained an ascendancy in sniping, which made it almost impossible to use any of the loopholes in our own parapet.

We had, however, lately received a draft of Rhodesians and of other men from our Overseas Dominions. A number of these men were selected from these and from the Battalion generally, and formed into a section of Battalion snipers under Lieutenant Rattray. Thanks to their enterprise and accurate shooting, we soon got the upper hand of the German snipers, and this ascendancy was maintained in every section of the line.’

Van Renen was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29 August 1917, and sent to the 7th Battalion, K.R.R.C., located near Ypres, and spent the following five months in operations around that sector. At the end of January 1918, the unit moved to the St Quentin area where it helped stop the last German offensive in March. The Battalion afterwards transferred to Amiens where, on 20 June, it was disbanded. Van Renen was promoted to Lieutenant in the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, K.R.R.C., on 28 February 1919, and left the Army on 1 April 1920. Returning to South Africa after being released from the Army, Van Renen settled in the Sea Point area of Cape Town. In December 1927 he applied for the Colonial Auxiliary Forces L.S. & G.C. by virtue of his 23 years in uniform, viz 8 years in the D.E.O.V.R., 9 years 6 months in the Cape Peninsula Rifles, and 5 years 6 months in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. His request was approved and the medal was issued in March 1928.