Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

A good Great War M.C. group of six awarded to Quartermaster & Captain W. R. Warburton, 6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (298 C.Q.M. Sjt., Manch. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Q.M. & Capt.) the B.W.M. neatly fitted with a swivelling suspension; Territoral Decoration, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1919, this lacking top brooch bar,; Territorial Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (298 L. Sjt., 6-Manch. R.) generally good very fine (6) £600-800

M.C. London Gazette 12 December 1919 (Q.M. & Lieut., 1/6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment).

Despatches twice London Gazette 21 December 1917 and 9 July 1919.

The following is extracted from an obituary published in The Manchester Regiment Gazette: ‘Although his health had not been as good as usual and an operation had been necessary, it was a very great and grievous shock to his host of friends to learn of the sudden death of Major and Quartermaster W. R. Warburton in hospital. He was recovering from his operation, and was listening with joy to the sound of a battery of 60-pounders firing a salute of 21 guns in commemoration of the King’s Jubilee, and suddenly passed away between the firing of the last two salvoes.

Born on 14 May 1881, he enlisted as a private in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on 12 December 1899. In June 1904, he received his first stripe, being promoted on that date to Lance Corporal, and to full Corporal on 6 June 1906. By 6 June 1909 he was a full Sergeant, and had by this time become a very keen rifle shot, which he remained throughout the whole of his service.

When the Territorial Army was mobilized in August 1914, Sergeant Warburton was still serving, having by that time completed 14 years and eight months service, and he gained further promotion by being appointed Colour Sergeant on 3 September 1914. He embarked with his unit for Egypt on 10 September, and immediately on arrival at Alexandria he was appointed C.Q.M.S. of “C” Company.

Landing with the Battalion at Cape Helles early in May 1915, it was not long before his capabilities were further recognized, and he was promoted to a Warrant Officer Class II and appointed R.Q.M.S., with effect from 1 May 1915. During the whole of that very difficult and trying time of the Gallipoli Campaign he continued to hold this appointment, and did most invaluable work.

On 22 August 1916, he was welcomed with great enthusiasm by his brother officers into the Officers’ Mess as Hon. Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the Battalion, and as such he continued to serve his old Battalion throughout the one hundred miles of the desert sands of Sinai, and throughout the mud and wet of France and Flanders.

He finally returned from France in April 1919, with the cadre of the Battalion, having served continuously from the day of the declaration of war to the date of his return without wounds or sickness, and with only the minimum amount of leave throughout those four years and eight months. This is surely a record of which he had indeed reason to be proud, and of which very few men can boast...’ Sold with further photocopied research detail, including pictures of recipient.