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Create new list‘I made my way up to the frontline but quickly realised that machine-guns were no use there, for it was impossible to put one’s head up for any length of time, let alone bring two guns into action. At this time I also observed a German officer leading a platoon towards our right flank, obviously with the intention of attacking it. So I crawled down the ridge a little way, and moved to the extreme right to engage him ... I got my guns into action and told my men to open fire as soon as I gave the word, watching the German officer, meanwhile, carefully though my glasses. Presently I saw him kneel, give a signal to his men, and then jump up. As he did so, my gunners opened fire, and the poor fellow pitched forward dead, the spike of his helmet burying itself in the ground. later in the day when we advanced over this ground, one of my men handed me his sword and belt as a trophy.’
G. D. “Tommy” Melville describes a successful encounter with the enemy in mid-September 1914, one of several actions recounted by him in Whitehorne & Marden’s History of The Welch Regiment (1932).
A fine Great War O.B.E., M.C. group of nine awarded to Major G. D. Melville, Welsh Regiment, who served with distinction as Machine-Gun Officer in the 2nd Battalion in August-October 1914: badly wounded in the knee by shellfire at the end of the latter month, he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the French Legion of Honour
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military Division) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for 1919; Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lieut. G. D. Melville, Welsh R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major G. D. Melville); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; France, Legion of Honour, 5th Class breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1917, with bronze palm, some damage to arm points and enamel on the Legion of Honour, otherwise generally very fine (9) £1200-1500
This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Welsh Regiments formed by the Late Llewellyn Lord.
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O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1919.
M.C. London Gazette 4 June 1917.
George David “Tommy” Melville was born in Georgetown, Demerara in April 1884, the son of Sir George Melville, K.C.M.G. Educated at Dover College, he was appointed a Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment in January 1907, direct from the 6th (Militia) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), but was seconded to the West African Regiment in 1909-12, in which period he was advanced to Lieutenant.
With the advent of hostilities, Melville arrived in France with the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment, on 12 August 1914 but was wounded and invalided home at the end of October. As stated in his regimental obituary, it was a period of operations in which he served with distinction, showing ‘those qualities of personal courage, leadership and cheerfulness which endeared him to all who were privileged to know him and to serve with him.’
No better evidence of that ‘personal courage, leadership and cheerfulness’ may be cited than that in the regimental history. Time and again, he and his machine-gunners were in action with the enemy, more often than not at very close quarters. In retreating through a battalion of the Queen’s Regiment in positions at Croix and Rouveroy in late August, Melville noted:
‘In falling back we had to cross an open plain in which the road was only slightly sunk, and we discovered this alive with German cavalry. On one or two occasions a squadron, seeing us, wheeled and charged, but our men, lining the side of the road, quickly emptied many saddles and drove them off.’
In the following month, the pursuit of the enemy by the Welsh was ‘so energetic that, on arriving at Bourg, he found in an upper room a candle still burning and a pair of German field glasses, evidently hurriedly abandoned.’
Back in action near Chivy in late September, ‘before the order to retire came, the Welsh machine-gunners had another wonderful target’: Melville takes up the story:
‘Well on top of the skyline about 1,000 yards away were two large haystacks, and behind them a large number of Germans, I presume Staff and Field Officers with range-finders and glasses, engaged in making a thorough reconnaissance of the position. Ranging on them with my Barr & Stroud very carefully, I opened with combined sights, and had the satisfaction of seeing that I caused great execution.’
At Langemarck in October, Melville received a nasty shock: climbing the church belfry to spot for his guns, he was shot at by a German concealed in the spire: ‘but the fighting round the village was too brisk to waste time on a single man.’
It was here, too, that Melville’s luck ran out on 29 October, an enemy artillery bombardment knocking out one of his machine-guns and seriously wounding him in the knee.
He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 19 October 1914, refers) and, ‘for gallantry during the operations between 21-30 August 1914’, awarded the 5th Class of the French Legion of Honour.
Melville returned to France as a Staff Captain in July 1915 and remained similarly employed until April 1916, when he was appointed a Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General (D.A.A.G.) in 31st Division. He subsequently served in a similar capacity in 38th Division and was mentioned in despatches on three further occasions (London Gazettes 15 June 1916, 20 May and 20 December 1918, refer), in addition to being awarded the O.B.E. and M.C.
Post-war he served as Adjutant 1921-24 and was advanced to Major in January 1928, the same year in which he was appointed 2nd-in-command of the 2nd Battalion in Shanghai. In early 1931 he transferred to the 1st Battalion in the U.K. and, a few months later, was appointed to the command of the Regimental Depot. Following his retirement in January 1934, his final appointment was as Zone Recruiting Officer, Southampton, in which capacity he was granted the local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He died in 1954; sold with copied research.
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