Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-war ‘Sudan’ O.B.E., Great War 1916 ‘Western Front’ M.C. group of seven awarded to Major F. A. Waugh, 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, who was decorated for gallantry when establishing bombing posts at the Ancre in November 1916

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; Military Cross, G.V.R., reverse privately engraved ‘Beaucourt sur Ancre Railway Trench Nov 19th 1916. F. A. Waugh.’; British War and Victory Medals (Major F. A. Waugh.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, Fourth Class breast badge, by Lattes, Cairo, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, maker’s name to reverse, with rosette on riband, good very fine (7) £1,200-£1,600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Gallantry Awards to the Lincolnshire Regiment.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 9 June 1938: ‘Frederick Arthur Waugh, Esq., Water Supply Engineer, Public Works Department, Sudan Government.’

M.C. London Gazette 3 March 1917:
‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. He displayed great courage and determination in establishing bombing posts at a critical time, working under very heavy fire and most trying conditions. He set a fine example to his men.’

Order of the Nile, Fourth Class London Gazette 10 June 1932:
‘In recognition of valuable service rendered by him whilst in the employment of the Sudan Government.’

Frederick Arthur Waugh was born in Uppingham, Rutland, in 1885, the son of Arthur Waugh. He was working as an engineer in Argentina at the start of the Great War, returning to England on 9 October 1915 and commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment on 28 December 1915. In April 1916 he transferred to the 11th (Reserve) Battalion and then in June 1916 was advanced to Company Commander, 8th (Service) Battalion. The engraving on the reverse of his M.C. states that he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry at Beaucourt sur Ancre on 19 November 1916. In a letter written by Waugh to his mother, dated 8 February 1917, he describes the action which led to the award of his M.C.:
‘…of course my getting an M.C. was all a bit of luck. I just happened to be able to do a little job that the Divisional General wanted jolly badly to be done and someone else had tried to do and failed, in fact the Huns got him and he is now in Germany having got most of his party knocked out. I went out the same night and managed to do it, I got eight men wounded and one killed but we managed to stick it and we brought one old Bosche back alive. Of course once having got the place this bit was easy, we dug ourselves in and made it strong and then started to dig back to our own line which we finished the second night, we then fortified two other posts and that’s the lot.’

The 8th Battalion Diary contains the following entry for the period in question:
‘14.11.16 to 20.11.16. Battalion in action, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Johnson, D.S.O. Casualties, officers wounded – Captain J. T. Preston, and Second Lieutenant A. B. Wiggins; wounded and missing believed prisoner, Second Lieutenant L. D. Edwards. Other ranks, killed – fourteen; wounded – one hundred and fifteen; missing – eight; evacuated sick – thirty five. Total, including thirty four N.C.O.s – one hundred and seventy two.’

The regimental history also describes the difficulties endured by the 8th Battalion at this particular time:
‘In the days following (after the relief of the 14th) further ground was secured by means of parties pushed out at night. Shelling on this ground both by day and by night was very heavy and considerable work was carried out under the greatest difficulties. The weather was consistently bad. Rain and snow made what was left of the trenches a mass of mud. For twelve days work was carried out under these circumstances, during which time none of the battalion had their clothes off, and on coming out of the trenches the men appeared covered from head to foot in mud.’ (The History of the Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-1918 by Major-General C. R. Simpson C.B. refers)

Waugh held the rank of Temporary Major at the conclusion of the war and in June 1919 was Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Garrison, Calcutta before being demobilised in April 1920, remaining on the Regular Army Reserve of Officers list from 1920-1935. In 1920 he resumed his career as a Water Supply Engineer, being awarded the O.B.E. and Order of the Nile 4th Class for his work in this field while in the employment of the Sudan Government.

In 1940 he was awarded a Regular Army Emergency Commission as a Lieutenant in the Pioneer Corps, with which regiment he served until the end of the war, being released and relinquishing his commission on 20 August 1945.

Sold with a Trench Map of the Montauban area; scale 1:20000, stained and linen backed; and a copy of a pencil letter written to his mother dated 8 February 1917 describing the action which led to the award of his M.C.