Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private W. C. Crosby, Royal Army Service Corps

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (M2-115134 Pte. W. C. Crosby. R.A.S.C.); 1914-15 Star (M2-115134. Pte. W. C. Crosby. A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals (M2-115134 Pte. W. C. Crosby. A.S.C.); together with the recipient’s related miniature awards, these mounted as worn; and a Royal Automobile Club silver medal, E.VII.R. to obverse, the reverse inscribed ‘Awarded to W. C. Crosby, D.C.M., holder of the R.A.C. Driving Certificate for 17 Years continuous service with Miss Ethel Sands of London’, the DCM lightly polished, generally good very fine and better (4) £700-£900

D.C.M. London Gazette 1 January 1919; citation published 3 September 1919:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as driver from February 1918 to September 1918. Throughout this period he has performed a great amount of work in forward areas by night and day and frequently under shell fire. On several occasions he has taken up urgently needed stores to advanced signal stations when roads were being shelled, and had invariably shown the greatest coolness, determination and disregard of danger.’

William C. Crosby attested for the Army Service Corps and served with 37th Division during the Great War on the Western Front from 15 August 1915. The Division took part in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Arras and Passchendaele in 1917, and the Hindenburg Line and the advance to victory in 1918. Over the course of the war, the division suffered some 30,000 casualties. Crosby was awarded his Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions during 1918 with 37th Divisional transport - the “M2” prefix on his service number denotes electricians Mechanical Transport 2nd Army, of which 37th Division was a part. He was discharged to Class Z Army Reserve on 1 May 1919. His D.C.M. was one of just 253 awards (and one Bar) to the Army Service Corps during the Great War.

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