Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry

A Great War ‘Givenchy’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Private F. Richardson, 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, for gallantry at Cuinchy in February 1915, during a counter attack in conjunction with the Irish Guards to recapture a section of trench known as the ‘hollow’, an action extensively covered in Deeds that Thrill the Empire and in which Lance-Corporal O’Leary of the Irish Guards won the V.C. Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (4796 Pte. F. Richardson. 2/C.G.); 1914 Star, with contemporary copy slide clasp (4796 Pte. F. Richardson. C. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (4796 Pte. F. Richardson. C. Gds.) small abrasion over ‘S’ of ‘Gds’ on British War Medal, very fine and better (4) £1,400-£1,800 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 10 March 1915; citation published 1 April 1915. ‘For gallant conduct on 1st February 1915, at Cuinchy, when he was one of the bombing party in the successful counter-attack on the enemy’s position. This work demanded great coolness and skill.’ The story of the actions of the Coldstream and Irish Guards at Cuinchy [one mile south of Givenchy] on 1 February 1915, is extensively covered in Deeds that Thrill the Empire, pp159-168. Whilst Private Frank Richardson is not specifically featured in any of the illustrations, his name is mentioned in the text on four occasions as shown in the following example: ‘This successful artillery preparation, which lasted for about ten minutes, was immediately followed by a brilliant bayonet charge made by about fifty men of the 2nd Coldstreams and thirty of the Irish Guards. The Irish Guards attacked on the left, where the enemy’s position was strengthened by barricades; and it was here that Lance-Corporal Michael O’Leary performed that heroic feat of arms which gained him the Victoria Cross and made his name a household word. But the Coldstreams also had their heroes that day, amongst them a young Yorkshireman, Private Duncan White, whose action, if necessarily overshadowed by that of O’Leary, was, nevertheless, a most gallant one. Private White was one of a little party of bomb-throwers who led the assault, and on Captain Leigh Bennett, who commanded the Coldstreams, giving the signal for the charge by dropping his handkerchief, he dashed to the front and, passing unscathed through the fierce rifle and machine-gun fire which greeted the advancing Guardsmen, got within throwing distance and began to rain bombs on the Germans with astonishing rapidity and precision. High above the parapet flew the rocket-like missiles, twisting and travelling uncertainly through the air, until finally the force of equilibrium supplied by the streamers of ribbon attached to their long sticks asserted itself, and they plunged straight as a plumb-line down into the trench, exploding with a noise like a gigantic Chinese cracker and scattering its occupants in dismay. So fast did he throw, and so deadly was his aim, that the enemy, already badly shaken by our artillery preparation, were thrown into hopeless disorder; and the Guardsmen had no difficulty in rushing the trench, all the Germans in it being killed or made prisoners. The attacking infantry had been followed by a party of the Royal Engineers with sandbags and wire, to make the trench defensible. Scarcely had they completed their task, when the German guns began to shell its new occupants very heavily; but our men held their ground, and subsequently succeeded in taking another German trench on the canal and two machine-guns. Private Duncan White, whose home is at Sheffield, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his gallantry and skill, as also were Privates F. Richardson, S. B. Leslie and J. Saville, of the same regiment.’ These four awards all carried identical citations. Frank Richardson was recalled to the Colours on the outbreak of war, having been in the Army Reserve since 25 August 1905. He entered the French theatre of war on 12 August 1914, landing at Le Havre with the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards. The battalion formed part of 4th Guards Brigade, 2nd Division, part of Haig’s 1st Corps for the initial phase of the war, comprising the retreat from Mons, and subsequent battles of the Marne, Aisne and First Ypres. Richardson was discharged from the Army on 24 August 1915, upon the expiry of 13 years service. At some point he re-enlisted into the Royal Army Service Corps and served as Private No. 49598.