THE SUPERB AND RARE ‘GALLIPOLI’ D.C.M. MEDAL AND DOCUMENT GROUP AWARDED TO AN N.C.O., 1ST AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY ‘FOR GREAT GALLANTRY’ DESTROYING A MACHINE GUN DURING A RAID ON ‘GERMAN OFFICER'S TRENCH’, 5 JUNE 1915, HIMSELF AND HIS OFFICER SHOOTING CREW AND THE LOCK OF THE MACHINE GUN THROUGH A LOOPHOLE IN A COVERED TRENCH. ADDITIONALLY SPECIALLY MENTIONED IN DIVISIONAL ORDERS ‘FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY OR VALUABLE SERVICES DURING THE PERIOD 25.5.15-28.6.15’, HE WAS FURTHER M.I.D. AND SERIOUSLY WOUNDED DURING 1ST BRIGADES FAMED ATTACK ON LONE PINE, 6 AUGUST 1915, HIS BATTALION WINNING TWO V.C.’S. SENT TO ENGLAND FOR TREATMENT, HE REJOINED HIS BATTALION IN FRANCE IN JULY 1916 AND WAS WOUNDED AGAIN DURING THE BATTLE OF POZIERIES BEING DISCHARGED IN 1917 DUE TO THE AMPUTATION OF HIS LOWER RIGHT LEG

DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL G.V.R. ‘457 L. CPL C. DAVIS. 1/AUST:I.F.’ PRIVATELY ENGRAVED AFTER IMPRESSED NAMING ‘JUNE 1915’, 1914-15 STAR ‘457 L/CPL C. DAVIS. 1/BN. A.I.F.’, BRITISH WAR MEDAL ‘457 CPL C. DAVIS. 1/BN. A.I.F.’, VICTORY MEDAL ‘457 CPL C. DAVIS. 1 BN. A.I.F.’, WITH M.I.D. OAK LEAVES. MOUNTED AS WORN.

D.C.M. London Gazette 3 September 1915:

“For great gallantry on the 5th June 1915, during the operations near Gaba Tepe (Dardanelles). He was one of a small party who led by an Officer and under heavy fire, made a direct attack on a machine gun, which was destroyed.”

The original recommendation, which was a joint one with Lieutenant Lloyd stated:

“At 3 am on 5th June 1915, Lieut L. Lloyd, A Company, 1st Battalion, took 100 men and attacked what is known as ‘German Officers Trench”, in which there was several machine guns, which were harassing Quinn’s Post. He was unable to get the left hand machine gun which was his chief objective, out of the trench owning to somewhat heavy head cover, but destroyed the gun with rifle fire. He also personally shot two Turks with his own pistol, while the detachment under his command partially destroyed the head cover for about fifty yard of trench into which they fired. They must have inflicted a good number of casualties on the Turks for in addition to firing on them they bombed them. The detachment was ultimately taken in the flank from the S.E. from what was known as “Johnston’s Jolly” and had to retire sustaining 32 casualties.

Lieutenant Lloyd mentioned No 457 Lance Corporal C. Davis, 1st Battalion, as being one of 10 men who accompanied him in the direct attack on the main machine gun, and as being the man who when they could not get the gun out of the trench, destroyed it with rifle fire.

I recommend Lieut Lloyd for the Military Cross and Lance Corporal Davis for the D.C.M.”

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 November 1915 – For Lone Pine.Sir Ian Hamilton Despatch, 22 September 1915

Additionally, Special Mention in Divisional Order No 161 ‘For conspicuous gallantry or valuable services during the period 25.5.15-28.6.15’

CORPORAL CHARLES DAVIS 1ST BATTALION, AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES

Charles Davis, a 22 year old Carpenter, enlisted into the 1st Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces in Sydney on 27 August 1914……………………..

SEE PDF FOR FULL WRITE-UP

THE GROUP CONSISTS OF:

1) Davis’s medals as described above, condition VF
2) Framed Original Mentioned in Despatches certificate for Lone Pine dated 22 September 1915
3) Framed original discharge certificate, frame glazed on reverse also
4) Framed original and named King’s Certificate scroll for honourably discharged disabled servicemen, dated 11 September 1917
5) Original copy of The ANZAC Book for Gallipoli, published in 1916, contains soldiers stories from Gallipoli, illustration etc. 170 pages
6) Original copy of the RSA New South Wales ANZAC Memorial, dated Sydney 25 April 1916, inscribed as a gift from Charles’s mother, dated 30/7/17. Various pages have dried poppy leaves between them. Contains rolls of honours, soldiers stories, portraits and scenes from ANZAC etc. 300 plus pages
7) Framed copy studio photograph of Davis and another ANZAC in uniform
8) Tewkesbury Historical Society Bulletin 2021 with article on Davis as noted above

Sold with the following digital records: Service records, DCM recommendation, War Diaries for periods of Davis’s frontline service, History of the First Battalion, A.I.F, Australian Military Journal, Chapters from Bean etc.

127 DCM’s awarded to Australians for the Gallipoli campaign, this being 1 of 29 DCM’s awarded to men of the 1st Battalion during the entire war.

A superb and rare Australian multiple gallantry group for Gallipoli.