Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 5169    Session 19 (4.30pm Friday 25 November)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $5,250
Bid at live.noble.com.au

GROUP OF FOUR: Distinguished Conduct Medal (GVR); 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19. 2709 Pte P.P.Widdop 12/Aust Inf on first medal, 2709 Pte P.P.Widdop 26/Bn A.I.F. on second to fourth medals. All medals impressed. Fine - very fine.

Percy Peter Widdop, labourer, born in Bradford, UK; Enl.05Aug1915 in Brisbane, QLD; WIA 23Sep1917 GSW to left side, knee and foot at Rouen in France; RTA 24Jan1918.

DCM: LG 01Jan1917 p51; CAG No.103 29Jun1917 'For conspicuous gallantry. He repeatedly carried messages under intense fire, displaying great courage and determination throughout.'

Percy Widdop is mentioned in the 'The Story of the Twelfth'. Page 106 mentions 'Two runners were usually employed, and one message was taken by the Headquarters runners, 'Skinny' Mears and 'Scottie' Widdop. They reached 'Gibraltar' just as a section of the Signal Company returned there with a coil of wire, saying the shelling was too intense for them to lay it as a new line to the Battalion. Mears and Widdop said they had just come through it and were going straight back and would lay the line. The offer was accepted, and they brought the wire through, when it was joined up by the Battalion Signallers and held for about four hours during a critcal period of the battle before it received its first cut from the shell.' This took place during August 1916. On page 146 'The Brigade was very much scattered in this area, our Battalion being between four and five miles from Brigade Headquarters, which made heavy work for the Battalion messengers, Widdop and Mears as there was no telephone communication.'

Together with fourteen photocopy pages of research.