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Auction: 20001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - conducted behind closed doors
Lot: 916

(x) 'Sz-z-z-upp! Sz-z-z-upp! Sz-z-z-upp! Sz-z-z-upp!

"By Jove! Those were close. Get out quick before the next salvo."
"Ikona! We're as safe here as anywhere."

"---- it! I have come out without my pants. And I've left my tin hat behind"

Why on earth any one wants any reminiscences of France, I can't think. I only want to forget it all toute de suite. Just imagine any one retaining pleasant recollections of "All Guns action!" at 04.00 on a winter's morning, with all that it means - groping, half awake, for hand-spikes; falling over cartridge boxes on a pitch black night; stumbling into shell-holes on the way to the night picket; barking your shins on the trail, and brushing frozen snow off a stack of shells.

Or who would willingly remember an ammunition fatigue on a cold frosty night when, in an endeavour to get up a three-feet bank you come to grief, drop the shell on your pet corn, and then, to cap it all, hear the voice of authority coming out of the inky darkness: "What the ---- are you doing? You can't dump those here."'

Reminiscences of the men of the 71st (Transvaal) Siege Battery, S.A.H.A., refers

A fascinating 'Western Front' group of three awarded to 2nd Lieutenant A. W. Redick, 71st (Transvaal) Siege Battery, South African Heavy Artillery, who initially served as a Gunner and stoically manned a howitzer during the Battle of the Somme, catching the eye of his superiors and leading to his name being put forward for a commission

1914-15 Star (S/Sjt. A. W. Redick. S.A.E.C.); British War and bilingual Victory Medals (2/Lt. A. W. Redick.), nearly extremely fine (3)


Arthur William Redick was born on 21 March 1886 at Beaufort West, the son of railway guard Jonathan Hargreaves Redick of Touws River, Beaufort West, South Africa. Educated at the Boys High School, Beaufort West, he was employed as an engine cleaner in the local locomotive yards at the age of 15 in order to raise much-needed income for the family. Serving an apprenticeship with the South African Railways, he soon became an expert on steam locomotives and with time became as Associate Member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Early sporting promise

As a young man, Redick displayed considerable talent at rugby union. As a full-back for Orange Free State he was invited to the Springbok rugby trials in Cape Town but did not get selected. He also showed considerable promise as a young cricketer and represented Transvaal in the fourteenth Currie Cup Tournament played at Bloemfontein from 14-16 December 1912. Contributing 29 runs as No. 10 batsman before being caught & bowled, and responsible for 2 wickets in the course of nine overs as a bowler, Redick assisted his team to defeat Orange Free State by 1 wicket. He went on to represent the Transvaal 'A' XI in a match against the M.C.C. played at Vogelfontein from 14-15 January 1914, bowling nine overs at the cost of 55 runs.

Calm before the Storm

Temporarily leaving behind his work as a Fitter with the railways, Redick attested at Cape Town for the South African Field Artillery on 28 August 1915. Posted to the South African Heavy Artillery as Gunner, he embarked for France aboard the converted mail ship Saxon on 8 November 1915 and joined the 71st (Transvaal) Siege Battery on 30 April 1916. This Battery had mobilised at Fareham on 6 April 1916, proceeded to Le Havre on the 16th and had transferred under the command of Major Harrison to billets at Beauquesne not long thereafter. As such, Redick had arrived at a time when the Battery's 6-inch breech loading howitzers had yet to fire a shot in anger. The men were green and the 'cultivated fields, compact houses filled with women and children, the estaminets and village shops, formed a strange setting for a battery position.' (The Transvaal Siege Battery, S.A.H.A., refers)

Baptism of Fire

Attached to VIII Corps, the 71st first came into action on 25 May 1916, but the expenditure of shells was limited until they might be required for the impending Somme push. It is likely that Redick and his fellow Gunners spent their time improving the position, but this proved fruitless as the Battery were suddenly ordered to Ypres on 2 June 1916 to assist in the Canadian counter-attack to recover important trenches lost at Hooge. Arriving on 4 June near the Dixmude Gate, the 71st sustained its first casualties:

'During this baptismal period it was practically continuously in action, for most of the time under heavy hostile shelling, and lost five men killed and twenty-two wounded. Eleven thousand shells were fired in six days, and No. 1 gun on one occasion fired eighty-one rounds in twenty-nine minutes, which probably constitutes a record for this type of artillery.' (ibid)

Thanked in person by General Currie, the 71st returned to Mailly-Maillet and contributed to the intense preliminary bombardment of the Somme battlefield from 25 June-1 July 1916. It later participated in the battles for Mametz Wood, Ovillers and Contalmaison. On 5 September 1915, the Battery participated in the attack on Courcellette, Martinpuich and Flers, where tanks were used for the first time with such wonderful advantage. From the middle of July 1916 the rain fell incessantly upon the clay soil of Bazentin, causing it to cling to everything and severely testing the staying power and moral of the 71st Gunners. After assisting with the 'clearing out' of Regina Trench, the 71st were removed to Beauval to rest on 22 December 1916.

The Spring of 1917 witnessed a return to action in operations around Miraimont. Sent to the Albert-Bapaume Road, the 71st went straight into action at Ervillers on 23 March 1917 causing some surprise to the enemy who had not expected heavy guns to be brought up so promptly given the severe weather with frequent blizzards. Redick was promoted Acting Bombardier on 5 April 1917, just in time for the First Battle of Bullecourt which opened on 17 April 1917. The 71st were consequently heavily engaged in attacking enemy emplacements, including the pill boxes of 'Gog' and 'Magog' which proved a thorn in the side of the Allied infantry.

Having continuously proved himself on the Western Front for over 16 months, Redick was sent to Cadet School at Marsfield Park, Uckfield, on 12 September 1917. He attended a course on auto engineering and another at the School of Gunnery at Lydd, before being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the S.A.H.A. on 11 February 1918. He successfully applied to return to his former unit, joining the 71st in time for the German Spring Offensive:

'At 4.30 a.m. on the 18th April, amid a very inferno of hostile shells, an S.O.S. was received to repel an attack launched in force against Givenchy, which was supported by an extremely heavy barrage of gas and high explosive shell of every calibre, and covering an area extending well behind the battery positions at Beuvry and La Bourse. The intensity of this barrage was without parallel in the memory of even the oldest members of the battery.' (ibid)

The end of April saw the close of what was probably one of the most strenuous periods the 71st had ever experienced, no less than 17,431 rounds being fired between the 9th and 30th of April 1918. Moved to Vermelles in August, and later Hulluch and Lesdain, the men experienced enemy shellfire until the very last moments of the war. In total, the Battery recorded 277 casualties over a period of two and a half years in France and Belgium, 26 of whom died.


Granted indefinite leave to England on 2 February 1919, Redick took the opportunity to represent South African Forces against England in a game of rugby union held at Twickenham. He was subsequently struck off strength from the B.E.F. and returned home to South Africa aboard Gaika on 1 June 1919, being demobilised at Maitland three days later. Returning to work as an engineer, Redick represented Transvaal in a cricket match against the Australian touring team held in 1921, before setting down roots and marrying Maude Agnes Perring at Clifton Presbyterian Church, Johannesburg, on 1 October 1924.

Second Innings

Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Redick served as Lieutenant in the Railways & Harbour Brigade from 29 July 1940. Promoted Acting Captain on 6 October 1941 he was placed in command of 'C' company of the 1st infantry battalion, before transferring to No. 1 Armoured Train as Officer Commanding on 19 January 1942. Affectionately called the 'War Train', he was in charge of regular journeys through Africa up to the copper belt 'showing the Flag'. Placed on the Retired List on 22 March 1946, Redick died on 8 January 1974.

Sold together with the following items and ephemera:

(i)
Original Officer's commission certificate, named to 2nd Lieutenant A. W. Redick, South African Heavy Artillery, dated 21 March 1918.

(ii)
Two Great War period photographs of 2nd Lieutenant Redick in uniform; a further photograph of the officers and men of the Railways & Harbour Brigade taken at Mapleton Camp, 6 June 1941; two photographs of Redick and the Senior Staff of the Bloemfontein locomotive workshops and yards, 1930's and 1946; a large collection of contemporary photograph postcards focussing heavily upon battery scenes and shelled buildings - approx. 35 postcards, a few briefly annotated in pencil; original Sergeants Mess Honorary Members card, dated 17 April 1917; Leave or Duty Ration Book to A. W. Redick, valid from 8 August 1918-22 August 1918; contemporary brass and enamel badge for the S.A.H.A.

(iii)
Copied attestation documents and considerable private research by the vendor, with an original but heavily damaged and worn copy of the Transvaal Siege Battery, S.A.H.A., pages separate, spine perished, but fully legible and a most detailed read.

(iv)
An unnamed bronze commemorative medal for the Battle of the Somme, together with Certificate No. 18253 conferred upon Lieutenant Arthur Redick by the President of the 'Ceux de la Somme' Association, on 1 July 1956.


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Sold for
£400

Starting price
£130