Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Private F. J. Du Preez, 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry, who stoically delivered food and ammunition to his comrades under heavy shellfire

Military Medal, G.V.R. (5636 Pte. F. J. Du Preez. 2/S.A. Inf:) vedge bruising, traces of adhesive to reverse, nearly very fine £240-£280

This lot is to be sold as part of a special collection, The Bernard Harris Collection of Medals to the 2nd Regiment, South African Infantry.

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M.M. London Gazette 3 October 1918.
The original recommendation for an immediate award by Lieutenant-Colonel H. W. M. Bamford, Commanding South African Composite Regiment, states: ‘On the night 30th April/1st May this man was a transport driver taking limbers of rations and ammunition to his Battalion in the line near Ridge Wood. The whole area from Ouderdom forward was subject to considerable hostile shelling and du Preez was severely wounded in the leg en route. He was taken to a dressing station at Ouderdom and ordered by the M.O. to be immediately evacuated. In spite of this, as soon as his wound was dressed, Private du Preez returned to his limber and continued his journey forward under fire for a mile and safely delivered his load. The night in question was a particularly difficult one for transport work, and Private du Preez, in great pain the whole time, showed marked gallantry in his determination to finish his duty. This man has been previously noticed for gallantry under fire. He has been at duty with his Battalion in the field continuously for 2 and a half years.’

Firdinant Johannes du Preez, a farmer, was born in Adelaide in Cape Province on 29 April 1885 and worked on his father’s property at Fort Beaufort, Cape Colony, before attesting for the 2nd South African Infantry on 7 September 1915. Initially posted to Egypt, he was transferred to the Western Front and received a gunshot wound to the thigh on 29 April 1918. Sent briefly to the South African Military Hospital, he returned to active service with a metal fragment still inside his body and was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry near the hamlet of Ouderdom on the Poperinghe-Wytschaete road. According to the recipient’s service record, he was awarded a Bar to the Military Medal in the London Gazette of 7 October 1918, the second award being supported by the Forsyth roll. This remains unconfirmed, possibly an administrative error or a case of two separate events being referenced in the single citation above. Du Preez survived the Great War and was discharged at Bordon in October 1918.

Sold with copied service record and extensive private research, including the original hand written recommendation for the M.M.