A Collection of Medals to the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment

A Great War M.C. group of three awarded to Lieutenant D. R. Blundell, 2/20th Battalion, London Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.) good very fine or better (3) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment.

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M.C. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

The following is extracted from The History of The 2/20th Bn. London Regiment, by Captain W. R. Elliot, MC: ‘Just before noon [4 November 1918] Colonel Craddock received verbal orders from the Brigadier for the Battalion to move forward in order that it might be ready to advance to the ‘red line’ which was to be the jumping off place for an attack by the Battalion on the high ground east of Gommegnies. Three hours later the Battalion was established in a sunken road west of Frasnoy. From here a mounted party, consisting of the Commanding Officer, Captain Bacon, Captain Wilson, Lieutenant Blundell and the Adjutant, went forward to reconnoitre the route to Gommegnies, and to find suitable jumping off places on the ‘red line’. The road into Frasnoy was being continually harassed by an enemy battery which had direct observation, and was enfilading Frasnoy from some high ground north of the village. The reconnoitring party was quickly spotted, and the enemy ‘bracketted’ the road. Captain Wilson was hit, and in remaining behind to look after him until stretcher bearers could be obtained, Lieutenant Blundell was also wounded. Both horses were hit. Lieutenant Blundell, with great gallantry, remained to see Captain Wilson carried off on a stretcher, and then managed to get back to the Battalion in the Sunken Road, where he arrived in an exhausted condition, leading his horse.’

Douglas Roper Blundellwas commissioned into the 2/20th Battalion, London Regiment in August 1916, serving with his regiment in France, Salonika and Palestine, before being discharged on 4 April 1919.