Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1915 ‘Battle of St. Eloi’ D.C.M. group fo four awarded to Corporal H. Berry, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (9477 L.Cpl. H. Berry. 1/R. Ir. Regt.); 1914-15 Star (9477 L-Cpl. H. Berry, R. Ir. Regt.); British War and Victory Medals (9477 Cpl. H. Berry. R. Ir. Regt.) mounted as worn, edge bruise to DCM, generally good very fine (4) £800-£1,200

D.C.M. London Gazette 1 April 1915:
‘For gallant conduct at St. Eloi on the night of 14-15 February 1915, in rescuing the wounded under a heavy fire, including one wounded man from a ditch full of water.’

Henry Berry attested for the Royal Irish Regiment on 25 March 1908 and served with the 1st Battalion, as part of 82nd Brigade, 27th Division, during the Great War on the Western Front from 19 December 1914 - the Division was formed from regular army units recalled from garrison duty around the Empire, with the 1st Royal Irish Regiment having been recalled from India.

The Division was sent to the Ypres sector and it was here that Berry was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions at St Eloi on 14-15 February 1915. The Regimental History gives the following account:
‘At 4.15pm on 14 February sudden orders were received for the battalion to move forward at once in support of the Royal Irish Fusiliers who were engaged with the enemy at St. Eloi, the battalion on their left having lost trenches 19 to 22. When A and C Companies, under Major White, reached Voormezeele they were ordered by the Brigade to move up to the Mound, St. Eloi, to be ready to join in a counter attack on Trench 19. B and D companies followed to Voormezeele and thence B company moved up to S.10 by order of the commanding officer.
At about 8.45pm Lieutenant Colonel Forbes, Major White and Captain Roche-Kelly (commanding B Company) met at the Mound. Major White stated that he had been ordered by the Brigade to counter attack Trench 19 with A and C Companies (which consisted of 85 men all told). He said that he had personally reconnoitred the ground and that in front of all and parallel to Trench 19, at a distance of about forty to fifty yards, was a deep and muddy ditch with a hedge on the enemy’s side of it. The only means of crossing the ditch was by a plank bridge. He proposed to get the companies across the plank bridge, deploy in rear of the hedge and then rush the position. He asked for support for his attack, as he had only some 85 men.
Colonel Forbes ordered Captain Roche-Kelly to bring up B company in support of Major White, while D company was ordered to hold the redoubt just east of St Eloi. Major White got most of C company across the bridge, but before A company had begun to cross the Germans sent up flare lights and star shells and discovered the movement. They at once opened a hot fire, with the result that Major White was killed, Second Lieutenant Anderson died of his wounds, 13 men were killed and 21 wounded - all with the exception of Major White belonging to C company. The machine guns which had been mounted on the Mound were out of action owing to being coated with mud, so no covering fire of any consequence could be opened from that place.
As the rear of the column was not getting on, Captain Roche-Kelly went forward to find out what was checking it. On arrival at the head of A company he learnt the state of affairs and returned to the Mound to report to Colonel Forbes, who decided that the attack would have to be postponed until adequate arrangements could be made to organise a counter attack in sufficient strength.
Captain Roche-Kelly was ordered to withdraw B company to S 10, and also to get back A and C companies. This was done and these companies reorganised in rear of S10. About 2am on 15 February the 1st Leinsters retook and held Trench 20. At 4am B company was again brought up to St. Eloi to support the attack made from the north east on Trench 19 by the 2nd DCLI and 3rd King’s Royal Rifles. This attack developed about daylight and was entirely successful. About 7am a party from D company, under Lieutenant Pratt, did excellent work in bringing in the wounded and Major White’s body.’

The Division was to take part in all of the major actions of the Second Battle of Ypres in April and May 1915. In November the Division was entrained for Marseille, from where they embarked for the Macedonia front, arriving at Salonika in February 1916.
In November 1916, the 1st Royal Irish Regiment was transferred to 30th Brigade, 10th (Irish) Division, with whom they remained for the duration of the war. In August 1917, the Division was transferred to the Palestine front, where it was to remain until the cessation of hostilities. At some point, Berry was transferred to the Labour Corps and given the number 515032, and it was with this unit that he finished the war. He was discharged due to sickness on 26 April 1919 due to sickness and was awarded a Silver War Badge.

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