Beschreibung:

A good Great War Gallipoli operations D.C.M. group of five awarded to Warrant Officer Class 2 J. Clark Scottish Rifles Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (969 Sjt. J. Clark 1/7 Sco. Rif. - T.F.); 1914-15 Star (969 L. Cpl., Sco. Rif.); British War and Victory Medals (969 W.O. Cl. 2, Sco. Rif.); Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (266420 Sjt. - A.C.S. Mjr., 7/Sco. Rif.), generally very fine (5) £1200-1500 Footnote D.C.M. London Gazette 22 January 1916: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in the Gallipoli Peninsula on 15 November 1915, when he led a party of bombers with great dash. In order to stop our own artillery fire which was impeding his advance, he got on the top of the parapet exposed to artillery and rifle fire and waved his flag. He was wounded.’ James Clark entered the Gallipoli theatre of war in mid-June 1915, when the 1/7th Cameronians suffered their first casualties. Amalgamated with the 1/8th Battalion later in the same month, the men quickly grew weak through over work on trench digging duties, while from August through to the new year, they were regularly employed on front line duty, not least in the attack launched against Turkish positions at Krithia Nullah on 15 November 1915. Of this action, Lieutenant-Colonel R. R. Thompson’s The Fifty-Second (Lowland) Division 1914-1918, states: ‘Both attacks would be made from parts of the line where three of four bombing-saps ran down old trenches towards Turkish bombing-saps, which in some cases were only twenty yards away. The attack was to have no artillery preparation, but was to be a surprise, the signal being the explosion of three mines, which the mining detachments, working under the Royal Engineers, had run under the enemy trenches ... It had been very wet on the night before and was showery during the afternoon of the 15th. At 3 p.m. everything was ready, the three mines went off with mighty explosions that shook the whole ground in the vicinity, and immense brown and black columns of dust, earth and smoke were flung into the air, in form like a row of gigantic elm trees. As this happened, two monitors, each mounting 14-inch guns, and the cruiser Edgar, all “blister ships” to protect them from submarine attack, began to pound the enemy’s support and reserve trenches. The British artillery also joined in, and between the explosions could be heard the continuous chatter and rattle of machine-guns. One mine had destroyed a Turkish bombing station in the trench (H. 11a) to be taken by the 7th R.S. The other two had almost ruined G. 11, the objective of the Cameronians, and had blown most of its garrison into the air. While the dust and debris were still in the air, Cameronians on the right and the Royal Scots on the left had dashed forward. The Turks appeared to be demoralized by the explosion, and could be seen running backwards and forwards in a communication trench on the tongue of land, discharging their rifles in the air. British machine-guns were turned on them, and added to their confusion. The surpirse was complete. The Cameronians met with little opposition. Led by Lieutenants Meiklejohn and Watson, they were soon in full occupation of the mine craters and ruined trench, which had been the Turkish G. 11, and ready to defend themselves against counter-attacks. The task of consolidation amounted almost to rebuilding the trench, but this had been provided for, filled and empty sandbags were ready, and despite enemy snipers the work pressed on. Lieutenant Meiklejohn was shot dead whilst directing this work. At 3.37 p.m. the Turks tried to get over the parapet opposite this captured trench, but our machine-guns drove them back ... On that night, the 15th-16th, there burst a heavy storm of thunder, lightning and rain. It turned the trenches into canals, and flooded the “rest camp” area, until most of the dug-outs there became treacherous pits, in which clothing and kit floated or lay submerged, until they could be fished out in the morning. In the captured tre