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Auction: 25111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 688

A Great War Military Cross group of eight awarded to Sergeant Major M. Sweeney, Royal Engineers who also received a Royal Humane Society Bronze medal for an unsuccessful attempt to save a child's life in January 1918

Military Cross, G.V.R. the reverse contemporarily engraved ,'Presented by King George V to Sgt Major Sweeney R E 12 April 1916'; Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (2702 Sapr M. Sweeney. R...); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (2702 Sapr: M. Sweeney. R.E.); 1914 Star with clasp and rosette (2702 Tp: S. Mjr M. Sweeney. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (2702 W.O.Cl.2. M. Sweeney. R.E.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (2702 Trp: S. Mjr: M.Sweeney. R.E.); Royal Humane Society, small bronze medal (unsuccessful) (S.S. Major. M.J. Sweeney. R.E. 20 Jan 1918) fitted with integral bronze riband buckle, contact marks, partial erasure to R E on QSA, QSA & KSA good very fine, the remainder very fine (8)

M.C. London Gazette 14 January 1916.

M.I.D. London Gazette 7 May 1901, 1 January 1916.

R.H.S. Case no 43,964: '16.00 hours, 20 January 1918, Irrigation stream, Netheravon, [Wiltshire], 'child fell into stream and was drawn into culvert, 18 feet long , 6 feet wide, 6 feet deep. Sweeney across Avon (70 feet wide, 7-10 feet deep) dived into culvert for 45 minutes but failed to find boy.'

Michael Sweeney an 18-year-old carpenter from Dublin enlisted in the Royal Engineers as a Sapper on 21 January 1899. Promoted to Corporal in July 1900 he served in the 9th Field Company Royal Engineers during the Boer War being 'mentioned' for his service. He remained in South Africa until December 1905. In 1906 he extended his service to twelve years and in 1908 was re engaged to complete twenty-one years' service with the Colours.

Promoted Troop Sergeant Major in 1912 Sweeney was posted to the 1st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers and served with them in the Great War embarking for France on 15 August 1914 as part of the British Expeditionary Force where it served for the whole war in support of formations of the Calvary Corps. The Squadron took part in many of the major actions of the war including, the retreat from Mons, the advance to Aisne, the outflanking advance into Flanders, the first battle of Ypres in 1914, digging and blowing up of the first mine laid by the BEF in France in 1915.

In August 1916 he was posted to the Cadet Squadron based at Netheravon, Wiltshire and was serving there when he made an unsuccessful attempt to save a child's life in January 1918 for which he was awarded the bronze medal from the Royal Humane Society.

His long service & good conduct medal was awarded under Army Order 312 / 1917. Sweeney was discharged after a long and eventful period of service on 22 February 1920; sold together with copied research, his damaged M.I.D. certificate for the Great War, and citation from the Royal Humane Society for his bronze award.

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Sold for
£1,600

Starting price
£700