Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E.

A Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M. awarded to Serjeant R. Dooley, Royal Field Artillery, awarded for an action near St. Quentin, 21 March 1918

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (L-10081 Sjt., A.149/Bde. R.F.A.) very fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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D.C.M. London Gazette 3 September 1918. ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when the enemy reached the gun positions he immediately organised a party with rifles and covered the withdrawal of the detachments. He himself covering the withdrawal of his party. Later, he went out by himself on a flank and held up the enemy, enabling some officers and men who had been cut off to withdraw to safety’.

21 March 1918 was the first day of the great German offensive ‘Operation Michael’ the main weight of the attack was between Arras and a few miles South of St Quentin. The new German infiltration (‘Hutier’) tactics meant that small groups of infantry using bombs and machine guns avoided Allied strong points and continued to press forward wherever there was an opportunity. Serjeant Dooley earned his D.C.M. for his gallantry in this very confusing and dangerous situation.