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Auction: 9033 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 24

The Great War 1915 ´Battle of St. Eloi´ D.C.M., Russian Cross of St. George Group of Three to Second Lieutenant and Big Game Hunter T.H. Spanton, King´s Royal Rifle Corps, Later Killed in Action at Ypres, 1.7.1915 a) Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (R.7689 L. Cpl. T.H. Spanton. 3/K.R.R.C.) b) British War Medal (2. Lieut. T.H. Spanton) c) Russia, Imperial, Cross of St. George, Fourth Class, silver, reverse officially numbered ´127173´, nearly extremely fine Estimate £ 800-1,200 D.C.M. London Gazette 23.6.1915 R.7689 Lance Corporal (Acting Sergeant) Spanton, T.H., 3rd Battalion, King´s Royal Rifle Corps ´For conspicuous gallantry on the 15th February, 1915, in going out by daylight under fire to bring in wounded men; also for consistent good work and gallant conduct.´ The recommendation, dated 16.2.1915, and signed by Captain J.B. Brady, Officer Commanding ´D´ Company, 3rd Battalion King´s Royal Rifle Corps, states: ´For gallant behaviour on the morning of the 15th February 1915 at St. Eloi. A party of six stretcher bearers carrying wounded men from the firing line came under a heavy and sustained rifle fire. The bearers left their stretchers and ran to cover leaving Private Wright, D.C.L.I. (shot through the knee) and Private A. Stevenson, D.C.L.I. (shot through stomach) lying in open under heavy fire. 7679 Lance Sergeant T. Spanton, 6170 Rifleman E. Largen, and 1126 Company Sergeant Major S.M. Clay [together with Captain Brady] rushed some 50 yards across the exposed fire zone and carried in to cover the stretcher bearing Private Wright, whilst under heavy rifle fire. Private Stevenson, who was lying beside Wright, was found to be dead, and so was not carried in until dark. Lance Sergeant Spanton, Company Sergeant Major Clay, and Rifleman Largen have on several occasions done noticeably good work, showing fearlessness, resource, and devotion to duty.´ Russia, Cross of the Order of St. George, Fourth Class London Gazette 25.8.1915 R.7689 Acting Sergeant Thomas Henry Spanton, 3rd Battalion, King´s Royal Rifle Corps ´For gallantry and distinguished service in the Field.´ Second Lieutenant Thomas Henry Spanton, D.C.M., born 1883, the son of the Reverend E. Spanton, of Hereford; served with the Cape Mounted Rifles during the Boer War, and afterwards settled in Rhodesia, working as an elephant hunter, in which profession he accounted for 93 of these beasts in addition to other big game; enlisted as a Rifleman in the King´s Royal Rifle Corps, as one of the Rhodesian platoon, 18.11.1914; Lance Corporal, 26.11.1914; served with the 3rd Battalion of the Regiment on the Western Front from 21.12.1914; awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantly bringing in wounded at St. Eloi, 15.2.1915. Action at St. Eloi At about 7:00 p.m. on the night of the 14th February, the 3rd Battalion King´s Royal Rifle Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Gosling, left Dickebusch to support the 82nd Brigade who had lost four trenches. Proceeding to St. Eloi, orders were received to mount an attack on these trenches, to be carried out by two companies of the Duke of Cornwall´s Light Infantry, supported by the 3rd K.R.R.C. The assault was carried out at 5:00 a.m. on the 15th February. Two trenches were rushed and, despite heavy casualties from the enemy fire, successfully taken. After valuable reconnaissance work by Captain Franks, the other two trenches were successfully taken without loss, capturing 12 prisoners in the process. Promoted Sergeant, 20.3.1915, Spanton was Commissioned temporary Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, King´s Royal Rifle Corps, 16.5.1915 ´For service in the Field´ (London Gazette 4.6.1915), and was ´killed in action by a rifle shot on leaving trenches´ whilst the Battalion was serving in the Armentieres District near Ypres, 1.7.1915 (War Gratuity claim form refers); he is buried in Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, France. For their gallant conduct at St. Eloi Captain Brady was awarded the Military Cross and Company Sergeant Major Clay the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

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