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Auction: 326 - The Numismatic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 564

Great Britain. An Interesting 1918 Spring Offensive Group of Three to Second Lieutenant F.G. Oliver, Northumberland Fusiliers, late Canadian Army Medical Corps, Captured in Action, 21.3.1918
1914-15 Star (521139 Pte. F.G. Oliver. C.A.M.C.); British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut. F.G. Oliver), Nearly Extremely Fine, mounted court-style for display purposes, together with a file of copied research (3)

Second Lieutenant Frederick George Oliver, born Berwick-on-Tweed, July 1882; an architect by trade; served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps initially as a Private with the Regimental Number '521139'; served during the Great War in the Balkans from 16.11.1915; commissioned Second Lieutenant, 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, 27.6.1917; captured in action, 21.3.1918, North of Bullecourt, the 'Confidential' copied transcript provides more details in the hand of Oliver 'On 21st March 1918, I was in command of "B" Coy, 22nd Northubmerland Fusiliers- my company being in support to front line I placed- 3 platoons in "Tiger" Trench and 1 platoon with Company Headquarters- "Mann Support." Our battalion was to the extreme right of the 34th Division and joined up with the 59th Division - the communication trench (Pelican Avenue) being the divisional boundary line- on our left was the 23rd N.F. Starting at 4am we were subjected to a heavy bombardment lasting the entire day without intermission- by 6am all telephone communication was cut and it being impossible, owing to the heavy mist, to use the visual lamp- the only means of communication was by runner- an extremely difficult undertaking under the circumstances. At 9am it was reported to me that the enemy had broken through at Bullecourt on our right and I then manned Pelican Avenue to form defensive flank. After repeated attempts to get messages through to Battalion Headquarters i was finally re-inforced by 2 platoons from Reserve Company to help defend flank- in addition to which I also moved support platoon to this position- leaving only four men at Company Headquarters. At 5pm the enemy in overwhelming numbers broke through the flank and in danger of being entirely cut off, I made an attempt to get back to Battalion Headquarters but, owing to shattered state of [the] trench, I was overtaken and captured in the first wave of enemy storming troops.'

Sold for
$230