‘Western Front’ M.M. group of five – 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, who was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry in the action at Fresnoy and Maronniers Wood on 24 September 1918.

‘Western Front’ M.M. group of five – 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, who was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry in the action at Fresnoy and Maronniers Wood on 24 September 1918. Military Medal, G.V.R., 2628 Spl. F. W. Robbins. 1/Glouc: R.( surname partially officially corrected); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1902, 5628 Pte. F. W. Robins [sic]. Glouc: Regt.; 1914 Star, with clasp, 5628 Pte. F. W. Robbins. 1/Glouc: R.; British War and Victory Medals, 5628 Cpl. F. W. Robbins. Glouc. R.; mounted court-style for display, A rare combination of awards to the Gloucestershire Regiment M.M. London Gazette 11 February 1919. Frank William Robbins was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in 1881, one of seven brothers all of whom served in the Army, and attested there for the Gloucestershire Regiment on 15 August 1899. He served during the Boer War with the 2nd Battalion, initially guarding Prisoners of War on St. Helena from 11 May 1900 to 7 February 1902, and then in South Africa during the latter stages of the War from 8 February to 11 November 1902. He saw further service with the 1st Battalion in India from 12 November 1902 to 12 March 1907, and then with the British Expeditionary Force during the Great War on the Western Front from 11 November 1914. Promoted Signalling Corporal on 3 December 1916, Robbins was awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry during the attack and capture of Fresnoy and Maronniers Wood on 24 September 1918 – the attack was a success and all objectives, including the German trenches beyond at Gricourt were taken together with just under 400 prisoners, 28 machine guns, 8 trench mortars, and one 77 Field Gun. He was discharged on 31 March 1920, after 20 years and 229 days’ service. Unlike their sister battalion, the 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment arrived in South Africa slightly later, landing in January 1900 as part of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. They were quickly integrated into Lord Roberts’ grand offensive aimed at relieving besieged British forces and striking into the Boer republics. The battalion’s first major trial came in February 1900 at the Battle of Paardeberg. Operating under intense heat and heavy enemy fire, the Glosters participated in the successful encirclement of Boer General Piet Cronjé’s army, which ultimately led to a massive Boer surrender. Following this victory, the 2nd Battalion marched victoriously into Bloemfontein and later took part in the capture of Pretoria. As the conventional war transitioned into a bitter guerrilla phase, the 2nd Glosters adapted to a grueling counter-insurgency campaign. They were widely deployed across the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, manning the extensive network of fortified blockhouses and participating in sweeping “drive” operations designed to trap elusive Boer commandos. The battalion remained in South Africa until the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging in May 1902, earning a reputation for steadfast endurance through years of relentless veldt warfare. During the First World War, the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment served as a vanguard unit on the Western Front, earning enduring fame for its resilience. As part of the 3rd Brigade in the 1st Division, this regular army battalion was among the very first British troops deployed to France in August 1914 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The battalion was instantly thrown into the chaotic opening campaigns of the war. They participated in the grueling Retreat from Mons and fought to halt the German advance at the Battle of the Marne. By October 1914, they were positioned in the path of the German offensive during the First Battle of Ypres. In the frozen mud and shattered woodlands around Ypres, the 1st Glosters held their lines against overwhelming odds, suffering catastrophic casualties but successfully preventing a German breakthrough to the Channel ports. As the conflict settled into stagnant trench warfare, the battalion spent 1915 and 1916 enduring the grim realities of the Western Front. They saw heavy action at the Battle of Aubers Ridge and during the monumental Battle of the Somme in 1916, where they launched costly assaults against deeply fortified German positions. Whether attacking or defending, the Glosters maintained a reputation for unwavering discipline under intense artillery bombardment and machine-gun fire. In 1917, the battalion returned to the muddy hell of the Ypres salient to fight in the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres), struggling through waist-deep mud to capture strategic objectives. The following year brought the ultimate test during the German Spring Offensive of 1918. The 1st Glosters were vital in holding the line during the desperate defensive fighting on the Lys. On September 24, 1918, during the opening phases of the Battle of the Canal du Nord, the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment was tasked with a formidable assault against heavily fortified German positions at Fresnoy-le-Petit and the adjacent Marsonniers Wood (often recorded as Maronniers). Operating as part of the 1st Division, the Glosters advanced behind a creeping artillery barrage at dawn. Their objective was to clear a network of deep German trenches, machine-gun nests, and fortified dugouts that blocked the Allied approach to the Hindenburg Line. The fighting quickly intensified into a brutal, close-quarters struggle. The German garrison defended the wood and village stubbornly, unleashing devastating machine-gun fire that inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing Glosters. Despite the fierce resistance, the battalion displayed immense tactical skill, utilizing Lewis guns and bombing sections to outflank and systematically clear the enemy strongpoints. By the end of the day, through sheer determination and grit, the 1st Glosters successfully captured both Fresnoy and Marsonniers Wood, taking numerous German prisoners and securing vital high ground. This hard-fought victory was crucial in consolidating the Allied frontline for the final breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line. Once the German advance was broken, the battalion participated in the Allied Hundred Days Offensive. They pushed forward through the Hindenburg Line, fighting continuously until the Armistice of November 11, 1918. By the war’s end, the 1st Battalion had been completely reconstituted multiple times due to losses, leaving behind a legacy of immense sacrifice and steadfast bravery from the first day of the war to the last. Condition – VF with some light contact marking.