DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL
(Victoria Cross Action, 1st December 1917)
1914-15 Star Trio,
17th Middlesex Regt (1st Footballers)
To:
92859. Pte. A SNELGROVE. 17/MIDDX.R. (on D.C.M.)
T3-025083. DVR. A. SNELGROVE. A.S.C. (on Trio)
and
Later 221. Pte. A. C. SNELGROVE, D.C.M.
(24th London Defence Regt)
&
Later 6779835. Pte A. C. SNELGROVE. D.C.M.
(24th London Regiment. T.A.)
With a superb and lengthy battle citation which ties in with the same bloody action in the Moeuvers Sector (Battle of Cambrai) on 1st December 1917 where Captain Allastair Malcome Cluny Mc Ready-Diarmid won his posthumus Victoria Cross during the same fire fight.The Germans had penetrated our forward positions and a bloody hand to hand battle with great loss of life on both sides had ensued.
**Private Snelgrove was initially recommended for the Military Medal but when the Commander-in-Chief re-read the battle report he immediately upgraded the award to reflect Snelgrove's supreme act of gallantry and he was immediately awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
( *See transcipt of newspaper article below.)
London Gazette, 28th March 1918.
(92859 Pte A. SNELGROVE. (Walworth)
17th Middlesex Regiment
'DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL'
1st DECEMBER 1917
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When a strong enemy attack had driven back the company on the flank and when the enemy were endeavouring to work round to the rear of their own company, he, with another man, picked up a machine gun, rushed out with it across the open, and opened fire on the enemy on their flank and rear, remaining in this exposed position for two hours. This very gallant and couragious deed resulted in the enemy being driven back and the position restored.
The Victoria Cross Citation
Captain Allastair Malcome Cluny Mc Ready-Diarmid
also of 17th Bn Middlesex Regiment
reads:
On 30 November/1 December 1917 at the Moeuvers Sector, France, when the enemy penetrated into our position, and the situation was extremely critical, Captain McReady-Diarmid led his company through a heavy barrage and immediately engaged the enemy and drove them back at least 300 yards, causing numerous casualties and taking 27 prisoners. The following day the enemy again attacked and drove back another company which had lost all its officers. The captain called for volunteers, and leading the attack, again drove them back. It was entirely due to his throwing of bombs that the ground was regained, but he was eventually killed by a bomb.
HISTORY
The 17th Middlesex Regt (1st Footballers) was formed from professional footballers who landed in France at Boulogne on 18th November 1915
(Snelgrove's MIC shows an entry date of 3rd August 1915 with the ASC).
A fellow soldier of the 17th was non other than WALTER TULL the now renown Black Footballer (Tottenham Hotspur and Nothampton Town) who was at the time a Lance Sergeant and later became the first Black Officer in the British Army.
Losses in the 17th Middx during the war were totally shocking with only 100 out of the original 600 men still being alive at the end of hostilities.
By early 1918 the unit was so deplete, as was the case with so many fighting units, that it was disbanded on 2nd February 1918. At that date he was transfered to the 21st (Islington) Battalion of the Middlesex Regt in which he served until the end of the war. He then joined the 24th London Defence Regiment from which he was discharged on 4th July 1912 when it later became the 24th Bn London Regt T.A. He was discharged from this unit after exactly one year on 4th July 1922. We believe that he was wounded during the war and died only a few years after ceasing his military service.
********
A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE in THE SOUTH LONDON PRESS of March 15th 1918 RECORDS:
D.C.M. INSTEAD OF M.M.
SOUTHWARK MAN'S REVISED AND IMPROVED AWARD.
'Pte Alfred Charles Snelgrove, 17th Middlesex Regiment has reason to be proud of the unique position he has occupied in the "Gazette".
He was awarded the Military Medal for exceptional gallantry displayed on December 1, 1917, but this award has since been revised and Divisional Orders of date March 1, 1918 state that:-
"The award of the Military Medal to the undermentioned (Pte A. C. Snelgrove) having been reviewed, the Commander-in-Chief has, in consideration of the exceptional gallantry shown by this man, cancelled the award of the Military Medal and has awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in its place".
The recipient of the revised honour lived, in peace time at 12 Tiverton St., Rockingham St., Southwark. He is 27 years of age and was a pupil at Pocock St, L.C.C. School, after leaving which he was employed on the South East and Central Railway. In October 1915, he enlisted in the Army Service Corps and after a few months' service in France went to Salonica. He contracted malarial fever and was invalided home, and after recovering he again went to France, being transferred to the 17th Middlesex Regiment, in whose ranks he gained his proud distinction.
Two of his brothers are in the service, Henry, the elder, being enrolled in the Queen's (although having a glass eye) and is now lying in hospital suffering from malaria, and Walter, the second, in the A.S.C., being at Salonica, clearing up.
--------------------------------
Thus Pte Snelgrove served with the ASC until his transfer to the Middlesex Regiment where he won his DCM aged 27 in one of the most bloody of battles of WW1 in the Moeuvers Sector at Cambrai .
He was a diminutive man of only 5ft 2" and was born in 1890.
His widow Mrs C. Snelgrove was living at 2 Aird House, Rockingham Estate, London. S.E.1 (Southwark) in mid 1952.
The group comes with several original and interesting service documents and original photographs which include:
Discharge Cert from 24th Defence Regt ( 4th July 1921)
Discharge Cert from 24th Bt London T.A. (4th July 1922)
Original uniformed studio picture in ASC kit with spurs
Group picture including Snelgrove at Camp with 24th Londons 1921
(shown serving as a cook)
Second Division Gallantry Acknowledgement card 17th Dec 1917.
COPY MIC & DCM CARDS.
A MAGNIFICENT, COMLETE AND DESIRABLE GROUP OF THE HIGHEST RARITY AND QUALITY.
FIT FOR THE FINEST COLLECTION.
All medals are Extremely Fine or better and on their original ribbons. New to the market from the family and never before offered
(SOLD)