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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 363

A Great War M.M. group of five awarded to Lieutenant, late Sergeant, W. Beattie, Royal Artillery and Royal Tank Corps, who served with 107th Siege Battery on the outbreak of the Great War; with Beattie present, it was this very same Battery which fired the first ever round of Anti-Aircraft Fire in the Defence of Britain on Christmas Day 1914

Military Medal, G.V.R. (20693 Cpl. W. Beattie. 17/Sge: By: R.G.A.); 1914-15 Star (20693 Bmbr. W. Beattie. R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. W. Beattie.); Defence Medal 1939-45, very fine (5)

M.M. London Gazette 11 November 1916.

William Beattie served with the 107th Siege Battery. His unit had begun the Great War on the Channel Islands and were then withdrawn to man posts on the coast of England. It was on Christmas Day 1914, with Beattie confirmed as having been present, that the first German Seaplane Raid was made - and it just so happened to pass over the Anti-Aircraft Guns of his Battery on Beacon Hill, Sheerness, in which he served. With the enemy Seaplanes flying at around 7,000ft and at a range of 4,000 yards they fired some 27 rounds of shrapnel. This was the first round fired in the Defence of Britain and such was their eagerness to engage '...that in their enthusiasm the Gunners managed to shoot away their telephone lines.'

The German raider dropped two bombs near Cliffe Station at Tilbury and was then driven away by three of our aircraft. Beattie served in Egypt from 11 July 1915 and probably earned his M.M. for gallantry after the Battery was badly shelled on 21 August 1916.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant for 'Services in the Field' on 8 December 1917, he joined the Tank Corps from 20 May 1920, with seniority as Lieutenant from 8 December 1919. He was retired on 30 April 1921; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£380

Starting price
£180