Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 3875    Session 15 (7.30pm Thursday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $4,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

MILITARY MEDAL FOR BATTLE OF TEL EL KHUWEILFE, (GVR type 1). 2818 Tpr. W.E.Grimshaw. 1/L.H.Bde:A.M.G.SQ. Impressed. Toned, good extremely fine.

MM: LG 4/2/1918, p1618, posn 64; CAG 27/6/1918, p1393, posn 8.

Recommendation: For conspicuous bravery and determination of purpose in carrying ammunition over the open whilst being heavily shelled and fired on from machine guns and rifles. When wounded the first time he refused to leave off work and was only compelled to do so on being wounded the second time.

William Edward Grimshaw, surveyor's labourer, age 32, born at Byrock, NSW (small village in the Bourke Shire); Enl.14Jan1916 at Town Hall Recruiting Depot, Sydney, NSW; Emb.08Jul1916; WIA 03Nov1917 GSW left thigh (serious), Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe, Palestine; 4Nov1917 awarded MM; RTA 15Feb1918; Disemb.20Mar1918; Disch.12Sep1918 Medically Unfit.

William Grimshaw reported his Military Medal as lost during the Anzac Day March 1959 and under a statutory declaration requested a replacement in June 1965. A replacement was subsequently issued on 21 July 1965 by the Office of the High Commissioner of Australia in London to Central Army Records Office, Victoria. It was then forwarded to Grimshaw on 2 August 1965 by registered mail to his address at Newtown, Sydney, NSW.

William Grimshaw's 30 year old brother, Charles Edward Grimshaw, served as a trooper with B Sqn 7ALH and was KIA on 02Jun1915 at Gallipoli. He is buried at Shrapnel Valley Cemetery.

The Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe, part of the Southern Palestine Offensive, began on 1 November 1917, the day after the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the Battle of Beersheba during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After the stalemate in Southern Palestine a series of co-ordinated attacks were launched by British Empire units on the Ottoman Empire's German commanded Yildirim Army Group's front line, which stretched from Gaza inland to Beersheba. During fighting for the town, the road from Beersheba to Jerusalem via Hebron was cut just north of the town in the southern spur of the Judean Hills. Here Ottoman units strongly defended the road and the Seventh Army headquarters at Hebron.

Over the next week, attacks by the 53rd (Welsh) Division, the Anzac Mounted Division, and the 5th Mounted Brigade (Australian Mounted Division) attempted to capture the Khuweilfe position. Attacks were launched by the British infantry and Yeomanry cavalry, and Australian and New Zealand mounted brigades. Despite their failure to dislodge the Ottoman defenders, the continuing pressure drew in Ottoman reserves, which could have made the EEF attacks at Gaza during the night of 1/2 November more strongly contested.

EEF aerial reconnaissance had observed the Ottoman columns' movements, and Chauvel ordered the 53rd (Welsh) Division to advance to the track from Ain Kohle to Tel es Sheria in the direction of Khuweilfe, to connect with Desert Mounted Corps units holding the outpost line. At dawn, it was apparent the Ottoman defenders on Tel el Khuweilfe had been reinforced and, on the right, Major General Edward Chaytor, commanding the Anzac Mounted Division, ordered the 1st Light Horse Brigade, supported by the Inverness Battery, forward to support the 7th Mounted Brigade while the 53rd (Welsh) Division advanced on their left, to establish a line stretching from Ras en Naqb towards Tel el Khuweilfe 2.5 miles (4.0 km) away.

By 04:15, the two brigade headquarters had joined up and, by 07:00, the South Notts Hussars Regiment of the 7th Mounted Brigade had occupied Ras el Naqb, while the 1st Light Horse Regiment with two sub-sections of Machine Gun Squadron attacked on their left, to gain a horseshoe-shaped position. Two squadrons with eight Hotchkiss Rifles and four machine guns stopped attempted outflanking movements. By 08:00, they were within 350 yards of their objective on the left, but could make no further advance in that sector.

The fighting was fierce on the 3 Nov 1917 and during the battle, the 1st Light Horse Brigade suffered 16 killed and 67 wounded. It was on this day that Tpr Grimshaw was twice wounded. It was also for his actions on this day that he was awarded the Military Medal. The Battle for Tel el Khuweilfe would rage on for another three days before victory was achieved in securing the objective.

With copies of both brothers' service files and other research.