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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 945

The 'Hundred Days 1918' trio awarded to Sergeant E. S. Straw, 10th (Stockbrokers) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (62099 Sjt. F. S. Straw. 10/R. Fus:); British War and Victory Medals (GS-62099 A.Sjt. E. S. Straw. R. Fus.), good very fine (3)

M.M. London Gazette24 January 1919.

Eric Sorby Straw was born at 6 Mitcham Lane, Streatham, London in 1896, the son of Charles and Gertrude Straw. His father worked as a horse dealer and owned the Manor Stables in Mitcham Lane, providing his family with a fairly substantial income. The young Straw was educated at St. Leonard's Church School and later Streatham Grammar School before finding work as a farmer prior to the Great War. Enlisting with the Royal Fusiliers he entered the war in France on 3 December 1916 with the 10th (Stockbrokers) Battalion.

Going into action for the first time during the Battle of Arras the Battalion was part of the force responsible for the capture of Monchy-Le-Preux. They advanced on the village through sporadic fire before being halted a sudden barrage of machine gun fire around 300 yards short of their goal. The village was only taken when the defenders were confronted by tanks and withdrew, unable to damage them.

The Battalion then moved to the Ypres Salient were Straw was wounded on 27 July. At this time the Battalion was stationed near Lumm Farm and came under a heavy artillery bombardment. Despite this he remained with the Battalion and was still with them when on 8 March when Lance Corporal Charles Robertson won his Victoria Cross.

The Battalion was in action at the Battle of Amiens in 1918, they were involved in the capture of the villages of Ablainzevelle, Achiet-le-Grand and Favreuil between 21-26 August 1918. It was around this time that Straw earned his M.M., quite possibly being one of the men who were awarded the ribbon of their medals in a special parade on 13 November 1918. He was demobilised the day before his award was gazetted, on 23 January 1918, returning to London. Notably Straw went on to serve as an Air Raid Warden in the Second World War, eventually dying in 1972 at Newton Abbott, Devon; sold together with a typed biography.

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Sold for
£300

Starting price
£150