An Outstanding & Exceptional
"FINAL ADVANCE"
Military Medal & 2nd Award Bar
(With rare surviving 'bar' citation)
with 1914-15 Trio.

To:
25510 Pte F. Doody. 9th Notts & Derby Regt.
"THE SHERWOOD FORESTERS"



[BIOGRAPHY]
Fred Doody was born in Walsall Wood, Staffordshire in 1897. He later lived at 40 Hardwick Street, Holmewood, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. (The address is still extant as Hardwick Close.) On the 1911 census he is seen aged 14 living with his mum and dad Albert & Maria Doody and his three brothers & two sisters.

By 1911 and at the very young age of 14 he was already working down the local coal mine (Probably at Silverhill Mine) being employed as a "Miner, Pony Driver." With the outbreak of the Great War, at the age of 18 he enlisted into the British Army on 19th April 1915.


He saw initial service at Gallipoli, with an arrival at Lala Baba at the infamous Suvla Bay on 6th & 7th August 1915. After the abandonment of the Gallipoli campaign he was then shipped to the Western Front where from 27th July 1916 he was in the front line on the Somme. He was decorated with the Military Medal for bravery during the 3rd Battle of Ypres a year later in August 1917, [L.G. 2nd November 1917]
He was subsequently awarded a Second Award Bar to his Military Medal this being for his gallantry on 4th November 1918 when ‘he did excellent work in assisting in the rout of the enemy’ during the attack on the town of Sebourg.


[THE RARE SURVIVING CITATION FOR 2nd AWARD BAR]
[L.G. 23rd July 1919]
The surviving citation reads as follows:

"For his personal gallantry when in action during the attack on the town of Sebourg on the 4th November 1918. He went forward into the attack regardless of the great danger to his person, and did excellent work in assisting in the rout of the enemy. His bravery was a fine example to those near him which greatly encouraged his comrades during the capture of the objective."

** ( Note: All the original M.M. Citations were destroyed by enemy bombing in the London blitz of WW2. Thus it is truly rare to find any surviving citation for a military medal of the Great War. In our opinion, the loss of these priceless citations to the ordinary soldiers is perhaps the greatest loss of any in the world of military award records. The fact that they were not at the time considered worthy of individual publication in the London gazette ( as were the M.C. & D.C.M. citations ) or stored in duplicate at a second location is perhaps one of the greatest government oversights in recent history.

Frank Doody, still at the young age of only 22 with two gallantry awards to his credit was subsequently discharged on 16th April 1919 and awarded the Silver War Badge No.B182003.

[9th SHERWOOD FORESTERS]
(Notts and Derby Regt)
The 9th was raised at Derby in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army. After initial training close to home, they moved to Belton Park, Grantham. On the 4th of April 1915 the Division assembled at Witley and Frensham for final training. They sailed for Gallipoli from Liverpool via Mudros at the end of June 1915. They landed near Lala Baba at Suvla Bay on the 6th and 7th of August. On the 19th and 20th of December 1915 the Division was withdrawn from Gallipoli, moving to Imbros then to Egypt at the end of January. They concentrated at Sidi Bishr and took over a section of the Suez canal defences on the 19th of February. On the 17th of June 1916 the Division was ordered to France to reinforce Third Army on The Somme. They departed from Alexandria on with the last units leaving on the 3rd of July.

[BACK ON THE SOMME]
By the 27th July, they were in the front line on the Somme and took part in The capture of the Wundt-Werk, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette and The Battle of Thiepval. In 1917 they were in action in Operations on the Ancre then moved north to Flanders for The Battle of Messines, The Battle of the Langemarck, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde and The Battle of Poelcapelle. In 1918 they were at Arras for The 1918 Battle of the Scarpe and The Battle of the Drocourt-Quant Line and fought in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and The Battle of the Sambre including the passage of the Grand Honelle. At the Armistice the Division was on high ground east of Havay.

A Rare & Truly Excellent 'Double Gallantry' award to a brave soldier in the greatly collected Sherwood Foresters.

With super rare original citation for the second award.

All medals are EF+ having seldom been worn. Totally original & uncleaned on original ribbons.

SOLD (In 24 Hours)