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Remembered Today:

Military Cross to Lt. Raymond Percy


thedawnpatrol

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Liverpool Regiment...............

just picked these 3 up..............

can anyone add any info on the two MC's is there a citation for Raymond Percy's Award ? 

 

413159545_MilitatyCrosses.jpg.35e188e3db112529a15cb1a56300e4e2.jpg

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wow, that was quick, thank you very much.............

I  have presumed that Dickinson was flying an artillery Observation aeroplane as they spotted from the air and messaged the Battery below............but i may have this wrong, he could have been on the ground and still with the RGA then joined the RAF

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5 hours ago, thedawnpatrol said:

I  have presumed that Dickinson was flying an artillery Observation aeroplane as they spotted from the air and messaged the Battery below............but i may have this wrong, he could have been on the ground and still with the RGA then joined the RAF

As the citation suggests, he was still RGA.

He was wounded 8/7/17 whilst with 91st heavy Battery RGA. (presumably the event that led to his MC.)

13/7/17 he was posted to 10th Heavy Battery RGA

He didn't get attached to RFC until March 1918 (having first done a 5 day course with RFC in Jan 1918)

 

MC originally gazetted 26/9/17

Edited by charlie962
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Nice awards... have they been engraved on the back, or are the slips of paper inserted in the lid the only evidence linking them to Dickinson and Percy? It would be nice to see a photo of the back of the MC's.

Cheers,

            Steve

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HI thedawnpatrol,

image.png.ac6a8e9101a8e150d51f07b46c611683.png

The MC Registers at the National Archives show:

Dickenson - for his actions on 8(?).7.1917image.png.0752e2dcac6d89a3085a95e067bd4ec6.png

image.png.3d053fd2b768754e7900b241a1b933c4.png

 

Percy - for his actions on 1st/2nd (?) June !916
image.png.01a71027204d1e1ce9cfdada022bc8fe.png

image.png.d8f693ddbf86b83307b673760d2336c0.png
Images sourced from the National Archives

In the images the handwritten place names are a bit indistinct (to me), but hopefully given the dates a little bit of research will enable you to nail that.

Regards
Chris

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You are in luck- here's some more detail:

91 Heavy Battery RGA

5th June 1917
Lieut (acting Captain) C O'B Dickinson SR RGA joined battery as acting Capt from No103 Coy RGA

.................

8th July 1917
Right Section under command of Lieut Dickinson engaged in operations with Desert Column two miles east of KARM.

9th July 1917
12.30   Right Section opened fire and silenced a hostile 4 gun battery at a range of 10,600.     24 rounds HE were fired.
15.00   The section silenced 2 guns with 16 rounds HE at 7.100.
Lieut Dickinson and Gnr Rickards were both wounded. Lieut Dickinson was awarded the Military Cross for Gallantry in Action.

12th July 1917
Lieut Dickinson joined 10 H Battery and 2Lt Trevor attached in his place.

 

The recconaissance referred to in the citation must have been that of the Desert Column.

Edited by charlie962
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That's all brilliant, thank you so much for the extra information, I'll Photo the backs of the MC's tomorrow, but I think only Percy's is engraved.

cheers

julian

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11 hours ago, Stevie said:

Nice awards... have they been engraved on the back, or are the slips of paper inserted in the lid the only evidence linking them to Dickinson and Percy? It would be nice to see a photo of the back of the MC's.

Cheers,

            Steve

only Percy's is engraved

 

MC 2.jpg

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The MC to Lt Percy is nice, but other than the slip of handwritten paper in the lid of the box, do you have any other provenance that positively links the other MC to Dickinson?

Cheers,

           Steve

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32 minutes ago, Stevie said:

The MC to Lt Percy is nice, but other than the slip of handwritten paper in the lid of the box, do you have any other provenance that positively links the other MC to Dickinson?

Cheers,

           Steve

no, don't think so, to be honest i have inherited a vast amount of WW1 / WW2 material and there could still well be provenance lurking in the piles of ephemera still to go through.................

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Hi,

For 2/Lt Percy, I wonder what the inscribed date of 27.7.1916 represents? The inscription presumably dates to after his death, and after the medal was sent to his NoK on 13 11.1918?

Regards
Chris

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18 minutes ago, clk said:

Hi,

For 2/Lt Percy, I wonder what the inscribed date of 27.7.1916 represents? The inscription presumably dates to after his death, and after the medal was sent to his NoK on 13 11.1918?

Regards
Chris

That's the date of the entry in the Gazette.

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Thanks Stevie. I should have realised - DOH! :thumbsup:.

So the time line would appear to be...

Awarded his MC for his actions on 1/2..6.1916...
image.png.85b4edd2a9cfd2ca1b3102fd9b9e7c64.png

The MC index card suggests that the award was originally announced in the LG of 24.6.1916 (I haven't followed that up though), with the citation being published on 27.7.1916.

At the start of June 1916 the 6th Infantry Brigade HQ war diary says that they were based at/near CARENCY, so I guess that's the place name in the blurred image above..  

What I am left thinking is that as Carency and Deville Wood appear to be about 30 miles apart is that the paper slip with medal may be somewhat misleading.

Regards
Chris

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12 hours ago, clk said:

Thanks Stevie. I should have realised - DOH! :thumbsup:.

So the time line would appear to be...

Awarded his MC for his actions on 1/2..6.1916...
image.png.85b4edd2a9cfd2ca1b3102fd9b9e7c64.png

The MC index card suggests that the award was originally announced in the LG of 24.6.1916 (I haven't followed that up though), with the citation being published on 27.7.1916.

At the start of June 1916 the 6th Infantry Brigade HQ war diary says that they were based at/near CARENCY, so I guess that's the place name in the blurred image above..  

What I am left thinking is that as Carency and Deville Wood appear to be about 30 miles apart is that the paper slip with medal may be somewhat misleading.

Regards
Chris

I wouldn't place my trust in a handwritten slip that looks as though it was done years after the event. You need something much more concrete to rely upon - such as the citation I have with my medal.

Cheers,

             Steve

 

img20211202_20250869.jpg

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On 02/12/2021 at 11:34, thedawnpatrol said:

no, don't think so, to be honest i have inherited a vast amount of WW1 / WW2 material and there could still well be provenance lurking in the piles of ephemera still to go through.................

Well, just found the named pair to Dickinson both named to him as RAF ......they were in a separate box! 

IMG_8441.JPG

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Thanks Charlie - very likely. 

Charles O'Brien Dickinson is mentioned in the University of London OTC War Service Roll pp. 113 & 239: 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/2896/images/40584_606246_0912-00128?usePUB=true&_phsrc=AHE17979&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=9576

Screen Shot 2021-12-08 at 12.04.22.png

Screen Shot 2021-12-08 at 12.07.28.png

Edited by Ivor Anderson
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29 minutes ago, Ivor Anderson said:

Charles O'Brien Dickinson is mentioned

There are several other useful documents relating to Dickinson's overall service but I've not posted/linked them as they were not required by OP (?) and I found the thread getting complicated switching between two unrelated men!

charlie

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Thank you Charlie, yes sorry about the complication, I'll separate inquiries in future.

thank you to everyone who has really helped with both men.

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