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Auction: 22002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 220

A 'Battle of Le Quesnel' 1918 M.M. group of three awarded to Private G. F. W. Veall, Tank Corps, late King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who was latterly killed in action on 21 August 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (77402 Pte. G. F. Veall. 2/(L.) Bn: Tank Corps.); British War and Victory Medals (26428 Pte. G. F. Veall. K.O.Y.L.I.), nearly extremely fine (3)

M.M. London Gazette 11 December 1918.

George Frederick Wright Veall was born in 1894 at Walkley, Sheffield and was a cutler by trade, working for Moseley's. He served initially with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and latterly joined the Tank Corps, distinguishing himself with the 2nd (Light) Battalion at the Battle of Le Quesnel on 8 August 1918:

'An hour before dawn on August 8, the attack began and surprise was total. More than 2,000 guns suddenly flashed out in barrage, while 420 tanks, closely followed by the infantry, surged forward over ground that was heavily shrouded in mist. German machine-gunners found few targets as the tanks, accompanied by determined men, crashed through their positions.

The enemy artillery, which might have been counted on to break up the attack despite the fog, had been effectively neutralized by counter-battery fire; batteries were quickly overrun, many of them without having fired a shot. In what was then open warfare, massed cavalry and light "whippet" tanks swept ahead to exploit success.

On that first victorious day, "The Black Day of the German Army", as the enemy termed it, the Canadians gained 13km, the Australians 11km, the French 8km and the British 3km. The Germans lost 27,000 men and 400 guns as well as hundreds of mortars and machine-guns. The Canadian Corps alone captured 5,033 prisoners and 161 guns. Against this, Fourth Army's casualties totalled 9,000 - about 4,000 for the Corps. The Battle of Amiens continued until August 11.'

Veall would be killed in action with the 3rd Battalion, Tank Corps on 21 August, aged 25. He did not live to see the M.M. he had duly earned and is buried in the Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery.

Sold together with his Memorial Scroll, in its forwarding tube, his M.M. Certificate, in its forwarding tube, besides other original paperwork.


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Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£1300