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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 480

Scottish Rifles (Cameronians)

A Great War Palestine operations M.M. awarded to Private W. Gowanlock, 1/8th Battalion, Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), who was killed in action in France on 29 July 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (265463 Pte. W. Gowanlock, 1/8 Sco. Rif.), good very fine

M.M. London Gazette 23 April 1918.

While not confirmed as being for Third Battle of Gaza, other awards published on this date are confirmed as such.

Walter Gowanlock first entered a theatre of war in 1916, or later, as a Private in the 1/8th Battalion, Scottish Rifles (Cameronians). His unit served in the Egypt and Palestine operations 1916-18, prior to being embarked for France in April of the latter year.

At the Second Battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917, the Battalion, as part of 156th Brigade, was on the left of the advance on Ali el Muntar thus responsible for maintaining direction. However, as documented in other groups of this collection, the fight for Outpost Hill held up the brigade to the left and forced the 8/Scottish Rifles to halt, the flank being threatened. Compelled to lay out in the open for much of the day, the Battalion had one officer and 16 men killed, and nine officers and 144 men wounded, the whole without having come close to the enemy.

Gowanlock's MIC states that he was entitled to the British War and Victory Medals but that, under King's Regulations (992 K.R. of 1923), they were returned to the War Office. This suggests the issuing office was unable to trace his next of kin. He is buried in Raperie British Cemetery, Villemontiore, France.


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Sold for
£280