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Auction: 22075 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 114

A very fine and rare 'Battle of Beersheba 31 October 1917' D.C.M. awarded to Private I. Davies, 24th (Denbigh Yeomanry) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (345941 Pte. I. Davies. 24/R. W. Fus.), naming a little weak in places, very fine

The 24th Battalion earned just eight gallantry awards for the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917, these being a D.S.O. to Captain Knightley, M.C.'s to Captain Springman and Reverend Jones, besides D.C.M.'s to Company Sergeant-Major Blake and Privates Davies and Wilkinson.

D.C.M. London Gazette 4 March 1918:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in an attack. When the rest of his Lewis gun section became casualties he carried his gun to the assault, collected men as magazine carriers and opened a very effective fire on the enemy. He showed splendid courage and initiative.'

Ivor Davies, a native of Penrhwceiber, had previously seen service with the Welsh Regiment before joining the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, with whom he won the D.C.M. at Beersheba on 31 October 1917. The 24th and 25th Battalions of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers served in the action and were with the 231st Brigade (74th Division). They "met with stout resistance" at one location, where the Ottoman soldiers fought to the last. Intense hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches continued until 1330hrs, when the Ottoman trench line on the western side of Beersheba (stretching from the Khalasa-to-Beersheba Road in the south to the Wadi es Saba in the north) was captured. For his actions Corporal John Collins was later awarded the Victoria Cross. During this fighting, the two Royal Welch Fusiliers Battalions captured three-quarters of the prisoners (and suffered two-thirds of the casualties) of the XX Corps.

Davies latterly served with the Yorkshire Regiment and was further entitled to the British War and Victory Medals; sold together with a postcard of Davies wearing his D.C.M. and copied research.

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Sold for
£1,100