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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 239

A 1918 M.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal C. W. Deal, 21st Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps, for advancing into No Man's Land and duelling German snipers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (1531 Pte. C. W. Deal. 2/Aust: M.G.C.); 1914-15 Star (1531 Pte C. W. Deal. 21/Bn. A.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (1531 Cpl. C. W. Deal. 21-Bn. A.I.F.), mounted as worn, good very fine (4)

M.M. London Gazette 24 January 1919, the original Recommendation quoted in his Service Records states:

'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an attack at Framerville, near Amiens on the 11th August, 1918. When the infantry were digging in on the last objective, Pte. Deal crept forward to snipe at a M.G. which was worrying the party. From his position some 100 yds. in advance of the line, he silenced the M.G. and continued to fire at enemy snipers, eventually returning with two prisoners.

Throughout he showed great resource energy and bravery.'

Charles William Deal was born at London, England in 1890 and enlisted at Melbourne, Victoria on 8 April 1915. Posted to the 21st Battalion, Australian Imperial Force he joined them on 3 May 1915 and was still with them on their arrival at ANZAC Cove in September of that year. Evacuating from there to Mudros and thence to Alexandria in early 1916 Deal was hospitalised briefly when the Battalion was stationed on the Suez Canal.

He did not rejoin them until they had been posted to France, arriving on 26 March 1916 and seeing action with them at the Battle of the Somme. The Battalion was to suffer their worst losses of the war during this period during the action at Mouquet Farm. Deal was later transferred to the 6th Machine Gun Company on 9 June 1917 although he spent much of the year invalided with Pneumonia. Upon recovering in Britain he returned to France with the 2nd Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps on 28 March 1918.

Deal was still with this unit when Lieutenant Edgar Towner was awarded the Victoria Cross in September 1918. He was discharged on 3 March 1919; sold together with copied service papers.

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Sold for
£900

Starting price
£320