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Auction: 15003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 3

A Fine Great War 1918 'Pursuit to the Selle' D.S.O. Group of Four to Lieutenant-Colonel A.G.C. Colquhoun, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Wounded During The Shimber Berris Campaigns, He Commanded the 2nd Battalion on the Western Front in 1918, and Was Twice Wounded
a) Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top-riband bar
b) Africa General Service 1902-56, G.V.R., one clasp, Shimber Berris 1914-15 (Lieut: A.G.C. Colquhoun. A.&S. Hdrs.)
c) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Lt. Col. A.G.C. Colquhoun.), generally good very fine, A.G.S. scarce to officer and possibly unique to regiment (4)

D.S.O. London Gazette 30.7.1919 Capt. (A. Maj.) Archibald Gordon Campbell Colquhoun, 2nd Bn. A. & S. Highrs
'For conspicuous gallantry and exemplary leadership of his battalion near Neuvilly on October 10th, 1918. He was in temporary command and personally led what remained of his battalion in the second attack made against very strong enemy positions east of the R. Selle, succeeding, in spite of violent opposition, in establishing a series of posts on the east side of the river. On the following day, exposed to intense machine gun and sniper's fire, he personally visited these forward and isolated posts having to traverse the ground in full view of the enemy in order to do so. He set a fine example of courage and determination to his battalion, which had suffered heavy casualties.'

Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Gordon Campbell Colquhoun, D.S.O. (1887-1960), commissioned Second Lieutenant, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 4.5.1907; Lieutenant 28.4.1909; employed with the West African Frontier Force, 29.3.1911-28.1.1914; Captain 12.12.1914; attached Camel Constabulary, Somaliland, 29.1.1914-21.3.1917 (wounded); served with the 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on the Western Front, May 1917-November 1918; Acting Major, 29.10.1917-11.2.1919; Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, and Officer Commanding the regiment, 8th-18th May 1918 (Twice wounded; Twice M.I.D. London Gazette 28.12.1918 and 9.7.1919); he led the battalion as part of the 98th Brigade,17th Division in the pursuit to the Selle, and distinguished himself in this capacity in particular on the 10-11th October 1918, 'Lieut.-General Shute, about midday [10th October], ordered a combined attack of the 33rd and 17th Divisions at 5pm under a barrage fired by the artillery of all four of his divisions and four batteries of heavy artillery, the objective being the ridge about a mile beyond the Selle. Progress through the gardens and houses under spasmodic fire was difficult and slow; but the 2/Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, supported by the 4/King's, both of the 98th Brigade, managed during the night to establish two posts beyond the river between Montay and Neuvilly, crossing by wading, swimming and using fallen trees. Companies of the 10/West Yorkshire and 7/East Yorkshire of the 50th Brigade also got across the Selle north of Neuvilly and took the railway embankment, the enemy's main line of resistance; but the position was untenable, without support on either side, and at 9pm the companies were withdrawn to the western bank. Thus at night the main line of the V Corps was on the western bank along the Montay-Viesly road at the foot of the slopes of the Selle valley, with two posts east of the stream... [On the 11th] General Byng gave orders that no advance was to be made by the main bodies for the present, but that outposts should be pushed over the Selle to cover the construction of bridges. This led to a series of somewhat expensive and largely unprofitable nibblings at the passages of the river. In the V Corps, on the 11th, the 2/Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of the 33rd Division managed to hold on to its post across the river north of Montay; but the 4/King's had to withdraw from the post south of Neuvilly' (Official History of the War, Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918, Vol. V. refers); Brevet Major, 1.1.1919; employed with the Egyptian Army, from 10.3.1919.

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£2,800