Description
Military Medal, with 2nd award clasp, 1914-15 Star Trio, 13287 Sergeant Joseph Gregg, 10th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Military Medal officially impressed: “13287 L. Cpl J. Gregg. 10/L. N. Lanc: R.”
Star officially impressed: “13287 Pte J. Gregg. L.N. Lan R.”
Pair officially impressed: “13287 Sjt J. Gregg. L.N. Lan R.”
All medals confirmed, well kept in very good condition.
Military Medal announced in the London Gazette, 21st October 1916.
The MM project attributes these schedules for “Awards for the 1st July to 24th August 1916, Battle of the Somme.”
The award has been confirmed as an award for 11th August 1916, for the 10th LN Lancs action at Bazentin le Petit.
Second Award bar of the Military Medal announced in London Gazette, 26th March 1917.
MM project attributes these schedules for “Awards for minor actions mainly in January and February of 1917, including operations on the Ancre, Miraumant etc.”
Just after the award, the regiment was engaged with heavy loss at Arras in April, by Roll Call on 12th April: “Only a few of the brave fellows are left, our losses was estimate all 13 officers and 286 men, that is over 60% of our fighting strength.”
The 10th Loyal North Lancs received 79 Military Medals, and 7 second awards in total.
Sjt Gregg first landed in France on 31st July 1915, as part of their original deployment overseas to Boulogne.
The 10th Loyal North Lancs was formed as part of Kitchener’s “Third New Army” joining the 22nd Division about 75% of them were locals from Bolton. They were given a Goat as Regimental Mascot whilst stationed in England.
Earning the Military Medal at Bazentin Le Petit.
Of particular note during the fighting on the Somme during the period, the only notably major action that was fought for the 10th LN Lancs was on 11th August 1916 at Bazentin-le-Petit.
The war diary confirms this award, on 5th September 1916 they note:
“The General Officer Commanding of the 37th Division Inspected the battalion and seemed well pleased with Battalion.
Sergeant Wood, Corporal Gregg, Ptes Johnson, Taylor, Loupworth and Macguinness, LCpl Seddon and Cpl Richardson being awarded Military Medals for Bravery on the 11th ulto (last month)”
A personal account of the action was lodged in the War Diary for the unit which spans many note pages and recalls the fighting in great detail, where the Commanding Officer Lt Col Cobbold recalls the men shouting out “Bolton, Bolton!’ as they climbed over the trench to charge at the Germans, the CO writes; “the men being apparently mainly from that town.”
During the initial charge “Lt Gravett led the attack with 30 bombers all carrying waistcoasts, filled with 10 bombs in each, each man with rifle bayonet fixed slung.”
The action was summarised in the “The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 1914-1919, by Harold Carmichael Wylly:
“On the 6th August the Brigade took over the front line, the Battalion occupying trenches east of Bazentin-le-Petit, and at 2 am on the morning of the 11th, so the Divisional History tells us:
‘The turn of the of the 10th Loyal North Lacnashire came. Immediately on the tail of a heavy bombardment, C Company under Lieut J.A. Gravett, sprang out of our trench on the right of the barrier, and dashed along the top of the Boche trench, hurling down bombs on its occupants.
A Company, under Lieut W.H. Proctor, followed and, passing C Company pushed on, sprang down into the trench and bayoneted the defenders, clearing the trench up to the Martinpuich road.
Lieut Duggan, with a building party then put up a barricade 50 yards from the road, which was completed by 2.50 am.
Both the company Commmanders and their Seconds-in-command, 2nd Lieuts E.Y. Wadeson and A.F. Gordon, having been wounded (the latter died later), Duggan took command and beat off 3 determined counter-attacks with heavy loss to his assailants.
At 7.am. B Company took over the 300 yards of trench won by C and A Company, and later a company of the 9th Staffordshires came ong to consolidate the gain.
Our casualties were, 1 Officer Killed and 20 other ranks, Wounded, 3 Officers and 77 other ranks, of the wounded men 3 later died.”
THE CLASP
His clasp can be attributed to the Period of January to February 1917.
An overview of the War Diary recalls a relatively quiet period, there were 2 significant actions which might lead to an MM being:
On 7th Jan 1917: An attack consisting of 2nd Lieut S.B. Smith, 2 Officers and 9 other ranks, went out at 11pm, returning at 2.30am.
This party went up to the enemy’s wire to see if there was an entrance, as a large well used gap was easily found.
2/Lt Smith, Cpl Whittle and 2 Officers went through the gap and when within 3 years of the enemy parapet, an order in German was shouted and immediately about 6 rifles waged forth.
2/Lieut Smith was wounded in 3 places but only slightly, Cpl Whittle, was severely wounded in the thigh and had bullets through both his hands. The patrol then returned bringing all the wounded back with them. Although this patrol was perhaps a little one, cautious they brought back most important information – this being that the gap by the wire was well covered by Machine Guns and Sentries.”
on 28th January 1917:
“This morning at 3am, 3 parties each consisting of 1 Officer and 23 other ranks, entered the enemy’s trenches at the Cour d’Avoue after a short bombardment. They entered the trench quite unmolested and secured 1 Officers and 16 other ranks as prisoners, unfortunately 8 prisoners cause a great deal of trouble so they were ‘dealt with’. Our casualties were 3 other ranks killed and 2 missing, with 11 other ranks wounded, the enemy retaliation was feeble.”
