This is the rating and price for Six: Major H. C. F. Wortherspoon, South African Technical Service Corps, Late Lincolnshire Regiment And Royal Scots, Who Was Captured And Taken Prisoner Of War On The Western Front In March 1918 British War And Victory Medals (Capt. H. C. F. Wo...

Description : Six: Major H. C. F. Wortherspoon, South African Technical Service Corps, late Lincolnshire Regiment and Royal Scots, who was captured and taken Prisoner of War on the Western Front in March 1918 British War and Victory Medals (Capt. H. C. F. Wotherspoon.), War Medal 1939-45, Africa Service Medal, with copy Protea emblem, the two Second War Medals both named ‘117584 H. C. F. Wotherspoon’, Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued, Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, Regular Army (3048449 W.O. Cl.II H. C. F. Wotherspoon. R. Scots.) contact marks to the Great War pair, these polished and worn and therefore fair, the rest good very fine and better (6) £200-£240 --- Henry Charles Frederick Wotherspoon was born in New South Wales, Australia, on 17 September 1897. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 30 May 1917, and was posted to the 7th Service Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. He led ‘C’ Company in action during the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917, and was advanced Captain on 25 October of that year. He was captured and taken Prisoner of War on 24 March 1918- the Battalion History gives the following account: ‘The pressure of the enemy on Demicourt and Doignies on the night of 22-23 March had, as was anticipated, its effect on the 7th Lincolnshire, holding Hermies, for that Battalion early on the 23rd observed the enemy massing in the valley north and north-west of the latter village. Hermies was heavily shelled, the trench system round the eastern and northern exits escaped with only slight shelling. During the morning headquarters ordered the evacuation of Hermies. The Commanding Officer (Lieutenant-Colonel Metcalf) with A and C companies, withdrew at 1.45, he was followed at 2.15 p.m. by Major Peddie with B and D Companies. At 2 p.m. the enemy had broken into the Hermies line south of Graincourt Road (Lurgan Switch), and there was a gap from south of the road, which was filled by one platoon of D Company under Second Lieutenant Dunn. Hermes was now beset by the enemy on three sides. His troops poured down the Graincourt and Demicourt roads and up the valley north-west of the village. On the Graincourt road flank, Second Lieutenant Dunn with his platoon was soon engaged in a stiff rearguard action, a platoon of B Company being similarly engaged on the Demicourt road flank. Captain Carr and Captain Wotherspoon and Second Lieutenant Hommert, with about sixty other ranks of B Company, who had taken cover in the Quarry, were cut off and surrounded and presumably captured. After falling back from Hermies, the 7th Lincolnshire formed up in column of route at the eastern end of Bertincourt, A and C Companies being detailed to move to the north-eastern end of Velu Wood.’ Wotherspoon was repatriated after the end of the War on 29 November 1918. He saw further service as a regular soldier with the Royal Scots, and then during the Second World War, first as Acting Major from 12 December 1940 with the South African Technical Services Corps, having responsibility as Officer Commanding at various stations such as at the Bomb Assembly and Shell Fill Depot Camp at Pretoria. He was confirmed in this rank on 1 January 1941, and in 1944 he served as Officer Commanding at the No. 96 T.S.C. Camp at Lenz. He died following a coronary thrombosis in Johannesburg on 13 April 1954. ------ For more information , additional images and to bid on this lot please go to the auctioneers website, www.noonans.co.uk
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