Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Lot 4003    SESSION 13 - 2.30PM Thursday 31 July    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $3,600

GROUP OF FIVE: Military Medal (GVR type 1); British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 with MID; NSW Volunteer Fire Brigade Long Service Medal; NSWR Railway Ambulance Corps Examination Medal (Passed 1915). 2193 Cpl - L.Sjt: - D.Woodbine. 30/Inf:Bn:A.I.F. on first medal, 2193 L-Sjt D Woodbine 30 Bn. A.I.F. on second and third medals, D.Woodbine - 1939 on fourth medal, D.Woodbine on last medal. First three medals impressed, last two medals engraved. Display court mounted, very fine - extremely fine.

Together with award of Military Medal congratulatory card from and signed personally by General H. Rawlinson; original Mention in Despatches certificate; award of MID congratulatory card from Maj Gen J. Talbot Hobbs.

MM: LG 24/1/1919, p1254, posn 53; CAG 23/5/1919, p897, posn 150.

Recommendation: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in the operations of the 8/9th August 1918 near Villers Brettoneux. This NCO is part of the Army Medical Corps Detail with the Battalion. On the 8th August the enemy were shelling Battalion Headquarters very heavily, when one shell wounded four officers and eight men including the M.O. of the Battalion. Sergt Woodbine at once, together with L/Cpl Faulks, set to work under fire and dressed the wounded and supervised the evacuation to A.D.S. His exceptional devotion to duty on this occasion was responsible for the saving of the lives of several of the wounded who otherwise would have bled to death. During the whole operation he was well forward with the Battalion and he was responsible for the quick attention to many of the badly wounded men.'

MID: LG 28/12/1917, p13568, posn 115; CAG 18/4/1918, p845, posn 93 in Sir Douglas Haig's despatch of 7Nov1917 for distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty in the Field during the period 26/2/1917 to 20/9/1917.

Recommendation: 'This man has served with his unit during the period February to September 1917, near Le Transloy and at Bapaume and Beaumetz. At the former place this man was untiring in his efforts for the comfort of the sick and wounded. Day and night he assisted the R.M.O. in attending to sick and often in dressing wounded under fire where no shelter could be obtained. On every occasion he went into the line this man worked hard all day and nearly the whole of the night, and came under notice by reason of the fact that his work saved a large number of evacuations of sick. No man in the Battalion has set a finer example of devotion to duty.'

Donald Woodbine, horse driver, age 24, born at Newcastle, NSW; Enl.14Sep1915 in 30Bn; Emb.16Feb1916; 16May1916 to 8Fd Amb later attached to 30Bn; WIA 26Apr1918 gassed; RTA 22Nov1919; Disch.11Apr1920.