A Rare, Very Unusual & Appealing
MILITARY MEDAL
&
2nd Award Bar
with
1914 Star & Bar Trio.
To:
T-20690 DVR. R. HALLAM. Army Service Corps.
(attd: 6th CAVALRY FIELD AMBULANCE)
A Double Gallantry Award
To
“A Horse Drawn Field Ambulance Driver”
[THE MEDALS]
Officially Impressed
MILITARY MEDAL (L.G. 11th November 1916)
(Possibly in connection with the famous cavalry attack at Monchy-Le-Preux on 10th-11th April 1917)
T-20690 A.SGT: R.HALLAM. A.S.C.
2nd Award Bar (L.G. 16th July 1918)
(Probably for Villers-Bretonneux 4th-6th April 1918)
1914 Star & August-November Clasp.
T-20690 DVR. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
War Medal
T-20690 T.SGT. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
Victory Medal
T-20690 T.SGT. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
All medals are Officially Impressed & EF+ on original WW1 issue silk & cotton ribbons.
[BIOGRAPHY] 3rd September 1884- September 1966 (81)
Robert Charles Hallam was born into the “horse community” on 3rd September 1884 at Newmarket, then Suffolk. He’s first seen in the 1891 census aged 6 living with his parents James & Florence and four siblings at Drapery Row, Newmarket where his father was a stableman and groom at the racing stables. By 1901 Robert had followed in his father’s footsteps and was working with his dad as a groom at the Newmarket racing stables.
Robert enlisted into the ASC (horse transport section) on 17th February 1903 at age 18. His first period of service (8 years) when he was discharged into the reserves on 16th February 1911. As normal during this period and still obviously being fit for further service he was placed into the Army Reserve where from at the start of WW1 he was called up for further service and was attached to 6th Cavalry Field Ambulance.
Thus, Robert Hallam became a member of the famed Old Contemptibles right at the start of the Great War and entered France on 6th October 1914.
When Army Service Corps medals are mentioned some people tend to yawn, but let me tell you, this group is something VERY different indeed.
It’s also a common misconception that only men who served as trench infantry combatants took part in deeds which earned gallantry medals. This is not correct at all and this very exciting Old Contemptible's “Double MM” & 1914 Star & Bar A.S.C. group well proves otherwise & confirms that men who were on the face of it, engaged in apparently mundane service activities sometimes performed extreme acts of bravery.
[AN ARMY SERVICE CORPS, AMBULANCE VICTORIA CROSS WINNER]
One other such A.S.C. man was Private Richard George Masters, (of Birkdale, Southport,Lancs) known as “George”, who was also an ASC driver with 141st Field Ambulance. George won a VICTORIA CROSS for an extreme act of valour when he evacuated over 200 casualties via a bombed out road which was considered to be totally impassible.
George thought otherwise and personally cleared the road when required under withering shell & gun fire and time and time again returned for more wounded men. I was greatly privileged to meet Mr Masters many years ago when as a very young lad I also lived near him in Southport.
Our man Driver Hallam was as we’ve seen, a horse handling specialist before WW1 and he was clearly a natural person for recruitment into a horse powered unit. In this case the unit selected for him was “6th Cavalry Field Ambulance” which employed horse drawn wagons to carry medical supplies & for the purpose of removing wounded men from the front line and nearby field hospitals.
Sitting up in the open while steering a horse pulling a slow moving cart was a very hazardous occupation indeed and obviously took a huge degree of courage particularly when in the battle area when all others had their heads down.
Basically, and by default, he was an R.A.M.C. horse & cart ambulance driver.
Knowing myself how all this went on with the Field Ambulance evacuation units and having seen this situation before, it’s pretty clear that Driver Hallam won his two Military Medals for rescuing & evacuating casualties on a horse drawn cart which normally for these brave drivers was while under lethal gun fire.
If you are a collector of Medical & Associated medals, this unusually good Double MM & 1914 Star & Bar Trio is definitely for you.
This classic “Old Contemptible” group comes complete with a very comprehensive & professionally produced 31 page illustrated research file on the life and service career of an interesting man.
A really lovely “double gallantry” group to yet another humble recipient & unsung hero who clearly never wore his medals which having all their original surfaces have clearly never been polished.
A Superb Early Group on original WW1 cotton & silk ribbons.
£1995.
[THE MEDALS]
Officially Impressed
MILITARY MEDAL (L.G. 11th November 1916)
(Possibly in connection with the famous cavalry attack at Monchy-Le-Preux on 10th-11th April 1917)
T-20690 A.SGT: R.HALLAM. A.S.C.
2nd Award Bar (L.G. 16th July 1918)
(Probably for Villers-Bretonneux 4th-6th April 1918)
1914 Star & August-November Clasp.
T-20690 DVR. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
War Medal
T-20690 T.SGT. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
Victory Medal
T-20690 T.SGT. R. HALLAM. A.S.C.
All medals are Officially Impressed & EF+ on original WW1 issue silk & cotton ribbons.
[BIOGRAPHY] 3rd September 1884- September 1966 (81)
Robert Charles Hallam was born into the “horse community” on 3rd September 1884 at Newmarket, then Suffolk. He’s first seen in the 1891 census aged 6 living with his parents James & Florence and four siblings at Drapery Row, Newmarket where his father was a stableman and groom at the racing stables. By 1901 Robert had followed in his father’s footsteps and was working with his dad as a groom at the Newmarket racing stables.
Robert enlisted into the ASC (horse transport section) on 17th February 1903 at age 18. His first period of service (8 years) when he was discharged into the reserves on 16th February 1911. As normal during this period and still obviously being fit for further service he was placed into the Army Reserve where from at the start of WW1 he was called up for further service and was attached to 6th Cavalry Field Ambulance.
Thus, Robert Hallam became a member of the famed Old Contemptibles right at the start of the Great War and entered France on 6th October 1914.
When Army Service Corps medals are mentioned some people tend to yawn, but let me tell you, this group is something VERY different indeed.
It’s also a common misconception that only men who served as trench infantry combatants took part in deeds which earned gallantry medals. This is not correct at all and this very exciting Old Contemptible's “Double MM” & 1914 Star & Bar A.S.C. group well proves otherwise & confirms that men who were on the face of it, engaged in apparently mundane service activities sometimes performed extreme acts of bravery.
[AN ARMY SERVICE CORPS, AMBULANCE VICTORIA CROSS WINNER]
One other such A.S.C. man was Private Richard George Masters, (of Birkdale, Southport,Lancs) known as “George”, who was also an ASC driver with 141st Field Ambulance. George won a VICTORIA CROSS for an extreme act of valour when he evacuated over 200 casualties via a bombed out road which was considered to be totally impassible.
George thought otherwise and personally cleared the road when required under withering shell & gun fire and time and time again returned for more wounded men. I was greatly privileged to meet Mr Masters many years ago when as a very young lad I also lived near him in Southport.
Our man Driver Hallam was as we’ve seen, a horse handling specialist before WW1 and he was clearly a natural person for recruitment into a horse powered unit. In this case the unit selected for him was “6th Cavalry Field Ambulance” which employed horse drawn wagons to carry medical supplies & for the purpose of removing wounded men from the front line and nearby field hospitals.
Sitting up in the open while steering a horse pulling a slow moving cart was a very hazardous occupation indeed and obviously took a huge degree of courage particularly when in the battle area when all others had their heads down.
Basically, and by default, he was an R.A.M.C. horse & cart ambulance driver.
Knowing myself how all this went on with the Field Ambulance evacuation units and having seen this situation before, it’s pretty clear that Driver Hallam won his two Military Medals for rescuing & evacuating casualties on a horse drawn cart which normally for these brave drivers was while under lethal gun fire.
If you are a collector of Medical & Associated medals, this unusually good Double MM & 1914 Star & Bar Trio is definitely for you.
This classic “Old Contemptible” group comes complete with a very comprehensive & professionally produced 31 page illustrated research file on the life and service career of an interesting man.
A really lovely “double gallantry” group to yet another humble recipient & unsung hero who clearly never wore his medals which having all their original surfaces have clearly never been polished.
A Superb Early Group on original WW1 cotton & silk ribbons.
£1995.