Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce 1914 'Battle of Ypres’ D.C.M. group of five awarded to Driver T. Wells, Army Service Corps, attached 5th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, who served in the same bearer company as Lieutenant A. Martin-Leake V.C., and was awarded the D.C.M. for his gallantry on one of the occasions recorded in the official recommendation for the award of Martin-Leake's (then unique) Second Award Bar to his Victoria Cross, both men being noted for their conspicuous gallantry near Zonnebeke on the 12 November 1914 when their advanced dressing station, known as the 'White House', was heavily shelled, during which Wells was noted for his gallant conduct in assisting to remove wounded men from the building whilst under heavy fire

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (T.22849. Dvr: T. Wells. A.S.C.); 1914 Star, with copy clasp (T.22849. Dvr. T. Wells. A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals (T.22849. Dvr. T. Wells. A.S.C.) mounted court-style, pitting and contact marks, heavily polished and worn, fair to fine (4) £1,200-£1,600

D.C.M. London Gazette 1 January 1915; citation published 16 January 1915:
‘For gallant conduct on 12th November at Zonnebeke when he assisted to remove wounded men from a building into safety during a heavy bombardment, and subsequently performed a similarly gallant act’.

Thomas John Wells was born at Landport, Portsmouth, on 28 February 1887, and attested for the Army Service Corps at Winchester on 24 February 1905, having previously served with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. Posted to No. 26 Company, A.S.C., with the rank of Driver, Wells was allocated a ‘T’ Prefix to his service number which confirms service with the Horse Transport Branch. Following completion of his first period of service, he was transferred to Class ‘A’ Army Reserve on 23 February 1907.

Recalled from the Army Reserve on the outbreak of war, Wells reported for service at Aldershot on 5 August 1914. As part of the Army Service Corps’ commitment to supply drivers and horse drawn ambulance wagons to the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was amongst a draft of one sergeant and 40 other ranks who were attached for service with the 5th Field Ambulance R.A.M.C. with effect from 6 August 1914; this unit forming part of the medical support units to the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. The unit entrained for Southampton on 18 August and embarked the same day in two groups aboard the transports SS Welshman and SS Achlibster, arriving at Boulogne on 19 August. The 1st Army Corps was not heavily engaged at Mons but in order to conform with 2nd Corps retirement, commenced its retreat on 24 August. The previous day, 5th Infantry Brigade of 2nd Division had been despatched to Frameries in support of the hard pressed right flank of 3rd Division, and as such saw more fighting than any other unit of the 2nd Division, losing 73 all ranks in casualties. During the early days of the retreat, the 5th Field Ambulance War Diary notes that the ambulance wagons were sent to the rear to pick up stragglers.

Service with Lieutenant A. Martin-Leake, V.C.
On 6 September 1914, Lieutenant Arthur Martin-Leake, V.C., joined the ambulance, and would almost certainly have worked alongside Driver Wells throughout the Battles of the Aisne and the First Battle of Ypres. By 1 November 1914, the 5th Field Ambulance had been moved out of Ypres to a position along the road to Vlamertinge. The War Diary notes that one bearer party was located at Zonnebeke and two at Wulvestraate, and it is clear from the following events that Martin-Leake’s and Wells' party were at Zonnebeke, a few miles east of St Jean. The advanced dressing station of this party was located in a large house known as the ‘White House’, at a junction of two lanes about 500 yards from the front line trenches. Severe cases were treated at this advanced dressing station until nightfall when they were sent by horse ambulance to the principal dressing station some five miles away.

On 12 November 1914, as on two previous occasions, the 'White House' was heavily shelled, and the names of both Lieutenant Martin-Leake and Driver Thomas Wells were brought to notice for their gallant conduct in removing wounded men from the building whilst under heavy fire. Martin-Leake was subsequently awarded a bar to the Victoria Cross he had been in South Africa, and Wells the Distinguished Conduct Medal for their gallant conduct on this occasion.
Although Martin-Leake’s official citation for the Second Award Bar to his Victoria Cross defines the period of his gallant conduct as between 29 October and 8 November 1914, the Military Secretary, War Office MS3, had originally recorded the dates as between 5 and 12 November 1914, these being the dates quoted in the original recommendation, submitted to HQ by Major General C. C. Munro, Officer Commanding 2nd Division, dated 26 November 1914, as follows:
‘This officer has shown such conspicuous gallantry that I recommend his case be favourably considered, and that he be granted a bar to the Victoria Cross that he already holds. At Zonnebeke, when he was with the Bearer Division of the 5th Field Ambulance, in a most exposed position, he went out continually over the ground in between the English and German positions in search of wounded, and although always fired at, and often having to crawl on hands and knees, he was able to get away large numbers of wounded men... His behaviour on three occasions when the dressing station was heavily shelled on the 5th November, 9th November and 12th November, was such as to inspire confidence both with the wounded and the Staff...’

Wells' D.C.M. was only the second to be awarded to an Army Service Corps Driver during the Great War. He returned to England on 11 March 1918, on account of a fractured thumb received when he was dragged by a runaway horses at Cambrai on 11 February 1918. Initially posted to 665 Company A.S.C., he joined 572 Company AS.S.C. on 27 August 1918, and was transferred to Class 'Z' Army Reserve on 9 March 1919. He was discharged at Woolwich on 31 March 1920, his character reference stating: 'Very good, a good groom and driver, willing and hardworking and gave satisfaction. He is honest, sober and reliable.'

Following his discharge, Wells ran a cycle shop in Landport for many years. He is recorded in the 1939 Register, residing at 62 Hertford Street, Portsmouth, where his occupation is given as 'General Dealer'. He died at Portsmouth in 1962, aged 75.