A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces

A Great War M.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant C. W. Dickson, 72nd (Seaforth Highlanders of Canada) Battalion, Canadian Infantry, who was severely wounded on Vimy Ridge in April 1917

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved ‘Lieut. C. W. Dickson, 72nd Batt. Can. Inf., 1914-1918’, in its case of issue with a related miniature dress medal; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. C. W. Dckson); Coronation 1937, privately engraved, ‘C. W. Dickson’, together with Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, prize medal for Chemistry, bronze, the reverse inscribed to ‘C. W. Dickson’, in its Wyon, Regent Street, fitted case of issue, his alloy identity bracelet and C.E.F. ‘Service at the Front’ lapel badge, the reverse officially numbered ‘149618’, generally good very fine and better (8) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Awards to the Canadian Forces.

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M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

Charles William Dickson was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on 13 January 1878. A Rancher from Kelowna, B.C., and a serving member of the Rocky Mountain Rangers - the 102nd Regiment (Militia) - he enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force in May 1916.

Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 72nd Battalion, Canadian Infantry, he was embarked for France in January 1917, and was severely wounded on Vimy Ridge on 9 April, when hit by shrapnel in the back. He was awarded the M.C., which distinction he received at a Buckingham Palace investiture held on 16 November 1918.

Meanwhile, owing to the serious nature of his wounds, he saw no further action and was seconded to the War Office from December 1917 until June 1918. Dickson was discharged back in Canada in January 1920.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including Certificate for Military Qualification as an Infantry Officer, dated 4 December 1915, another for Military Instruction, dated 28 November 1916, and a third for qualification with the Colt and Lewis machine-gun, dated 30 November 1916; a letter from a fellow officer to the recipient, dated in France on 20 April 1917, addressed to the latter at a hospital in the U.K. and with an update of the appalling casualties suffered by the 72nd Battalion at this time; another letter of similar vein from an officer by the name of Clark, presumably his C.O., this dated 30 April 1917 and addressed to the recipient at 1st Western General Hospital, Liverpool (’You own wound was the worst ... I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your good work while with us. I am tremendously proud of you’); the recipient’s C.E.F. Certificate of Service, dated 22 January 1920, and his Coronation Medal 1937 certificate and related Adjutant-General’s forwarding slip.