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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 243

A Great War M.S.M. for Gallantry group of four awarded to Sergeant B. R. Badger, Royal Engineers

1914-15 Star (105813 Sjt B. Badger. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (105813 Sjt. B. R. Badger. R.E.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (WR-252503 Sjt B. R. Badger. R.E.), the number officially corrected on the last, otherwise very fine

M.S.M. London Gazette 3 July 1919. Citation gives further details:

'On the night of 27th of December, 1918, one of 21 wagons of German ammunition wagons standing in Ath station was set alight by some unknown means. These wagons contained heavy ammunition and the cordite immediately blazed up. Sergt. Badger, although fully aware of the contents of the truck, immediately proceeded and uncoupled the truck on both sides. He then obtained the assistance of an engine and pulled the front portion of the rake from the blazing truck and man-handled five wagons on the other side to a place further down the line. In order to prevent the blazing wagon from running down, he had to scotch the wheel. The ammunition in this wagon subsequently exploded.

Sergeant Badger, by his prompt action, saved the rest of the train which, if it had got alight, would have resulted in disastrous consequences.

Through the campaign he has shown great devotion to duty and more particularly last April, after the enemy advanced on the Lys, when, as Station Master at Abeele, he remained at his post although the Station was constantly being shelled, and supervised operations there until the situation necessitated the line being closed.'

Bertie Reginald Badger was born in 1889 at Stourbridge, Worcestershire. He married Florence Kearney (born 10 April 1893) in Crickhowell, South Wales in 1915. He was likely to have been employed on the Railways after leaving school, as he volunteered his services to the Royal Engineers at the start of the Great War, being posted to the Railway Operating Division. He went to France on 4 October 1915 as a Sergeant, obviously having a degree of supervisory ability and specialist knowledge.

Badger served throughout the Great War and did good work during the German Spring Offensive and in particular during the enemy advance on the Lys, where he remained at his post, as Station Master at Abeele, under heavy shell fire until forced to withdraw.

After the conclusion of the War, a series of huge explosions occurred at Ath Railways Station in Belgium on 27 December 1918, when wagons containing large amounts of captured German ammunition caught fire. There were a number of British casualties who were evacuated to the 2nd Australian C.C.S. - those that were killed were initially buried in the German cemetery in Ath, then in the beginning of 1920s were transferred to the Tournai communal cemetery. One of those casualties was Quartermaster Sergeant S/12751 G.E. Smith, Royal Army Service Corps, 55th Div. H.Q, who died of his wounds on 28 December 1918.

More soldiers died in the following days due to their wounds, but more would have undoubtedly been killed that night had it not been for the brave and selfless actions of Badger, who took the M.S.M. for his part.

Badger survived the Great War and died in early 1964 at Bedwellty, South Wales.



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Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£650