BATTLE LOOS 22 X ENEMY CAPTURED WW1 DSO MEDALS J STEVEN ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS

Offered is a scarce 'Battle of Loos September 1915' D.S.O. group of four awarded to Captain J. S. Steven, Royal Army Medical Corps, for personally capturing 22 of the enemy, whilst only a Subaltern.

Distinguished Service Order, (G.V.R.), silver-gilt and enamel; 1914 – 15 Star, impressed named LIEUT. J.F. STEVEN. R.A.M.C.; British War and Victory Medals (1914 – 18), impressed named CAPT. J.F. STEVEN. With M.I.D. device affixed to Victory Medal ribbon. Court mounted for display. Medals come with copies of M.I.C., medal rolls, war diary extracts, London Gazette extracts and research.

London Gazette 14/1/1916. Distinguished Service Order. 'For gallantry at Loos & capturing 22 Germans’.

London Gazette 1/1/1916. Mention in Despatches.

Captain John Fraser Steven D.S.O. was born on 21/2/1880 and was educated at Glasgow University, graduating MA in 1903, BSc in 1913 and MBChB in 1914. Prior to the outbreak of the Great War he was practising at 43 Lansdowne Crescent, whilst also being Assistant to the Professor of Physiology at Glasgow University, which he resigned to take his commission.

Commissioned as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps on 18/2/1915, he joined the 47th Field Ambulance (15th Division) in France on 9/7/1915, having arrived aboard La Marguerite from Southampton.

At the time of his gallantry at Loos, Steven had been in France for less than 3 months. He had gained front-line experience on 25-28/7/1915 when attached to the 6th (London) Field Ambulance with two other officers and 38 men. Steven thence proceeded to the Advanced Dressing Station at Fosse 7 on 20 September. The station was built against the Foss to provide protection from shell fire and splinter protection. Their joining the Station came in good time for the Battle of Loos on 25/9/1915. Their Station had room for 120 lying and 120 sitting casualties.

As the attack went in, new aid posts were established behind the attacking troops to facilitate the evacuation of casualties. It is probable that he was forward doing this when he came to notice and awarded the D.S.O. 'For gallantry at Loos & capturing 22 Germans. Other men from the Aid Post were also decorated including Lance-Corporal Shepherd and Private Butcher, who won D.C.M.'s for the actions in the same period, eleven other comrades were also 'brought to notice for gallantry and good service.'

N.B.: It is most unusual for such a junior officer to be awarded the D.S.O. and especially for a fighting action involving a doctor.

He assumed Medical Command of the 7th Battalion, Cameron Highlanders on 8/10/1915 and thence proceeded home on leave on 24/11/1915. His D.S.O. was presented by the King at Buckingham Palace on 19/2/1916, Steven also earned a 'mention' (London Gazette 1/1/1916, refers). Temporary appointments to be in Medical Command of the School at Gosnay in January 1916 and the same position for 71st Brigade, Royal Flying Corps came in February 1916, also being made Captain on 18/2/ 1916. Steven returned to the front on 4/3/1916 with the 1/2nd London Casualty Clearing Station but was admitted to hospital with pyrexia (fever) in June 1916 and again with trench fever in February 1917. He relinquished his commission on account of ill-health on 6/5/1917 and died in July 1919.