Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb Great War ‘Palestine’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Warrant Officer Class II S. N. Seager, 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment, for his gallantry at Tel Bileibil during the crossing of the River Jordan on 30 April 1918; he had previously been wounded on the Western Front in 1916

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (630585 Sjt. S. N. Seager, 2/20 Lond: R.); British War and Victory Medals (2127 A.W.O.Cl. 2. S. N. Seager. 20-Lond. R.); Defence Medal, good very fine or better (4) £1,000-£1,400

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2008.

D.C.M. London Gazette 30 October 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an attack. When the leading line had been held up by machine-gun fire he collected seven men and led them along a ridge. All seven were wounded, so he walked back and fetched more men, whom he led forward. Again every man was hit. He walked back again and asked if he should take more men and make a third attempt.’
Original citation additionally annotated ‘Tel Bileilbil’.

A total of nine D.C.M.s were awarded to the 2/20th Battalion, London Regiment.

Stanley Noah Seager was born at Penge, Surrey, in October 1887, and attested for the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment. He was promoted Sergeant on 13 June 1916 and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 25 June 1916, being wounded in action on 17 October 1916. He saw further service with the Battalion in Salonika from 8 December 1916 to 15 June 1917; in Egypt and Palestine from 18 June 1917 to 23 June 1918 and again on the Western Front from 30 June 1918 to the cessation of hostilities. For his services during the Palestine Campaign he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, specifically for his gallantry during the attack on Tel Bileibil on 30 April 1918.

In early March 1918 the Battalion took part in reconnaissance missions looking for potential crossings of the River Jordan. A raid across the Jordan was planned and advancing towards Makhadet Hajlah on 20 March, the 180th Brigade planned to force a crossing of the Jordan there. A crossing was established and at midnight the Battalion advanced to the attack on a line of foothills, to broaden and secure the bridgehead. The attack met with little opposition. The advance was continued on 24 March, but 180th Brigade including the 2/20th Battalion went into Divisional Reserve, before covering a withdrawal from Amman, which had been the scene of heavy fighting during the raid.

The Battalion had a brief return to rest in Jerusalem and on 27 April 1918 left the city for a second raid across the River Jordan towards Es Salt, to be carried out by 179th and 180th Brigades and the Australian Mounted Division. During the night of 28-29 April, the two Brigades were concentrated within the jungle east of the Jordan in the Ghoraniyeh bridgehead. At 10:00 p.m. on 29 April the Battalion left its bivouack and marched to its assembly position. Proceeding through scrub towards their objective on Tel Bileibel, the advance commenced at 2:00 a.m. on 30 April, meeting with little opposition until the edge of the first crest. Here the trenches were captured in a bayonet charge and the advance continued until it was checked by a strong enemy counter attack from the left. This was in turn repulsed capturing over 100 prisoners and by 3:00 a.m. the first objectives had been taken. The enemy had by now reorganised a strong defensive position and further advance was stopped by heavy machine gun fire which enfiladed both flanks. When the Turks brought up artillery support, the line had to be withdrawn to the first crest and 2/20th were relieved by the London lrish that evening. The Battalion suffered total casualties of 204 killed, wounded and missing in this engagement and it was here that Seager earned his D.C.M. This proved to be the Battalion’s final engagement in Palestine. The award of Seager’s D.C.M. was noted in the Battalion War Diary on 23 May 1918, one of two D.C.M.s and three M.M.s given for this action.

Seager was advanced Warrant Officer Class II on 29 December 1918, and was demobilised on 12 March 1919. He saw further service during the Second World War with “A” Company, 54th London Battalion, Home Guard, based in Lewisham, London, for which he was awarded the Defence Medal. He died in Beckenham, Kent, on 23 December 1955.

Sold together with the recipient’s Warrant Document, appointing him a Warrant Officer, dated 29 December 1918; and copied research.