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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 548

A 1918 D.C.M. group of four awarded to Corporal W. Hogben, 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Hogben was Aid Post Sergeant to Captain J. V. Dunn, author of The War the Infantry Knew and was mortally wounded during an aerial raid on Polygon Wood on 26 September 1917

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (11053 Sjt: W. Hogben. 2/R. W. Fus); 1914 Star (11053 Pte. W. Hogben. 2/R. W. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (11053 Cpl. W. Hogben. R. W. Fus.), good very fine (4)

D.C.M. London Gazette 17 April 1918:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has carried out his duties in a most gallant and efficient manner during a very long period and he has always shown great courage and resource.’

William Willis Hogben was born at Sandgate, Kent and served in France with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers from 11 August 1914. Hogben was latterly Aid Post Sergeant to Captain Dunn, author of The War the Infantry Knew, who recalls the action which cost Hogben his life:

'(September 1917): 'Next I went to the Aid Post. The Staff had settled in a bit of a trench behind our line of deployment; it was probably a relic of Oct-Nov. 1914 because digging had revealed a rusted rifle barrel.

When I got near Sergeant Hogben shouted 'Look out' and pointed to the Fokker which was coming around for the second time. It was not a hundred feet up, and fewer yards away by then. 'Get down,' he shouted again, 'the bloody thing's hit me.' Very soon he was showing me the nose of a German bullet sticking out between two of his ribs in front.

He was sure the German airman had hit him, although the airman never seemed to fire, and he had no notion that the bullet had come through from his back. It had most probably been fired from Solderhoek. He did not feel ill but septic pneumonia set in ten days later and he died close to Beachy Head.'

The action occurred on 26 September. In his letter to Serjeant Hogben's father, Dunn wrote:

'As a stretcher bearer he was esteemed throughout the Battalion; the Military Medal [sic] he got was hardly an adequate recognition of the courage he never failed to display in the discharge of his duty. I will always remember him with respect for his conduct at High Wood on July 20th, 1916, for he stayed at duty after being wounded, when the great majority of his fellows would have sought the respite of the Field Ambulance.'

Having just made it home before slipping away, Hogben was buried in the Portsmouth (Kingston) Cemetery; sold together with an old copy of Dunn's letter, besides copied research.

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Sold for
£1,300

Starting price
£1100