WW1 CASUALTY DCM MM MEDALS BRITISH ARMY DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY 325266 CALDWELL

Offered is a Great War ‘Western Front’ D.C.M., 1916 ‘Somme’ M.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant A. Caldwell, 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, who died of accidental injuries on 14 June 1917.

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (325266 Sjt: A. CALDWELL. 1/9 DURH: L.I. -T.F.); Military Medal, G.V.R. (2501 Sjt: A. CALDWELL. 9/DURH: L.I. -T.F.); 1914-15 Star (2501 Pte. A. CALDWELL. DURH: L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (9-2501 Sjt. A. CALDWELL. DURH L.I.), swing mounted as worn. Medals come with research paperwork, photo of grave, as well as copied service documents.

D.C.M. London Gazette 18 July 1917.
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led his platoon with great courage and skill. He went forward and captured an enemy machine-gun and eleven prisoners. His prompt action removed a very serious obstacle’.
Original citation additionally annotated ‘Wancourt Tower, 13 April 1917.’

M.M. London Gazette 9 December 1916. Schedule  No 50986 awarded for Somme Sept – Oct 1916.

Sergeant Alexander Caldwell D.C.M., M.M. was born in Gateshead, County Durham, in 1888/9. The 1911 census records him living with his widowed father in Gateshead, working as a ‘press glass worker’.  Based on his service number 2501, he enlisted into the 1/9^th Battalion Durham Light Infantry after August 1914 probably early 1915. He landed in France with the battalion on the 20/4/1915 (151st Brigade, 50th ‘Northumbrian’ Division) as a Private and straight into the Second Battle of Ypres, on the Frezenberg and Bellewaarde ridges. The battalion served until August 1916 in the trenches of the Ypres Salient and Armentieres. Then it was moved south to join the Somme offensive.

In September and October, the battalion attacked towards the Starfish Line, north of High Wood, and the Flers Line at Eaucort l’Abbaye. The commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Bradford gained the Victoria Cross for his leadership and bravery. On the 5/11/1916, the 151 Brigade attacked the Butte de Warlencourt. The Butte was captured by the 1st/9th Battalion but were unable to hold it and fell back. This battle cost the battalion 300 men killed or wounded.

Caldwell was by now a Sergeant, and was awarded the Military Medal for his actions on the Somme.

April 1917. The sector occupied by the 50th Division was on the ridge immediately east of the villages of Wancourt and Heninel. The left flank of the Divn front rested on the river east of Wancourt, the right on the well defined building known as the Wancourt Tower, which stood upon the ridge east of Wancourt and Heninel.”

Friday, 13th April 1917. Early on the 13th patrols carried out by the 9th Bn DLI reached the Cojeul River and dug in fifty yards east of Wancourt Tower. That night, two Coys of the 9th Bn DLI were holding the front line from Wancourt Tower northwards for about six to seven hundred yards, and two coys were in a sunken road just east of the Cojeul River.

14/4/1917, The 151st Bde was to attack in order to protect the left flank of the 56th Divn, and form a defensive flank facing north along the high ground, with their left flank in Wancourt Tower. This attack met with some success with the 6th Bn DLI reaching German trenches just south of Wancourt Tower. Wancourt Tower was destined to become the scene of continual fighting during the next few days because it commanded a view of all the Divns approaches from Telegraph Hill.

15/4/1917, the 151st Bde was relieved 2am.

Sergeant Cardwell was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for leading his platoon in this action 13/4/1917.  The Battalion War Diary records that casualties ‘due to machine gun fire and heavy shelling’ were 1 Officer and 13 other ranks killed and 3 Officers and 39 other ranks wounded - presumably but for Caldwell’s gallantry in capturing an enemy machine gun the Battalion’s casualties would have been much higher

The Battalion War Diary show that in June 1917 they were heavily involved in live bomb training and included a ‘Demonstration Raid’. Caldwell died of of accidental injuries on 14/6/1917, quite probably caused during the bomb training and is buried at the Avesnes-Le-Comte Communal Cemetery Extension.

An excellent unit history ‘The Gateshead Ghurkha’s. A History of the 9th Battalion. The Durham Light Infantry, 1859-1967’ is available.