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Auction: 9033 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 76

Four: Sergeant S.G. Roe, "L" Battery, Royal Horse Artillery 1914 Star (57021 A. Bmbr: S.G. Roe. R.H.A.); British War and Victory Medals (57021 Sjt. S.G. Roe. R.A.); Army Long Service & G.C., G.V.R., 1st ´Field Marshal´s bust´ type (1032311 Sjt. S.G. Roe. R.A.), contact marks, good fine or better (4) Estimate £ 180-220 57021 Sergeant Samuel G. Roe, served with "L" Battery, Royal Horse Artillery on the Western Front from 15.8.1914. The Action at Nery Two weeks later, on the night of 31.8.1914, "L" Battery set up camp outside the village of Nery, twelve miles south-west of Compiegne. A Squadron of the Queen´s Bays was camped in the same field. The following morning, while the men were breakfasting, the camp was startled by the sound of guns very nearby. Soon the shells began to land amongst the teams harnessed up ready to march, and within two minutes there was not a single horse alive, and many men had been killed or wounded. The Battery tried to bring four of their guns into action against the Germans, who had eight guns just 500 yards away. Only one gun was successfully brought to bear on the enemy, under the command of Captain E.K. Bradbury. As they could not get an ammunition wagon alongside the gun, each round had to be carried up separately. Manning the gun until all the ammunition in both wagons had been used up, the Battery succeeded in knocking out four of the enemy´s eight guns. At this point "I" Battery arrived, and with the help of a machine gun of the Bays succeeded in silencing the remaining enemy guns, all of which were subsequently captured. "L" Battery lost 23 killed and 31 wounded; three Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the Battery for this gallant action.

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