The very fine and unusual Great War Western Front 8 June 1918 night attack on trenches at Beaumont Hamel company commander’s Military Cross and advance on Flers August 1918 casualty group awarded to Lieutenant G.B. Cameron, Highland Divisional Train, Army Service Corps, Territorial Force, attached to the 7th Service Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment and seconded to the Border Regiment. From Bogbain, Keith, Banffshire, he graduated from the University of Aberdeen and was present out on the Western Front from mid 1916. Despite his being Army Service Corps he found himself in the unusual position of fighting as a company commander with the infantry, and as such won a very fine Military Cross during an attack on trenches at Beaumont Hamel on the night of 8 June 1918. He led his company with great dash and determination, and personally attacked and killed a machine-gun crew and captured the gun. He also led a party forward of his objective to an enemy strong point and completely mopped up dug-outs and trench-mortar emplacements between the second and third objectives. Cameron’s Military Cross was ultimately gazetted posthumously, he having died of wounds on 8 August 1918, these having been received during the advance on Flers in the Somme region.
Group of 3: Military Cross, GVR GRI cypher; British War Medal and Victory Medal; (LIEUT. G.B. CAMERON)
Condition:; Nearly Extremely Fine.
George Brown Cameron was born on 22 March 1894 in Bogbain, Keith, Banffshire, Scotland, the son of a Major George Cameron, and Elspet. He gained a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture through the University of Aberdeen in 1915, he being noted as a very distinguished student, who carried off prizes in all his classes, and ‘was for a time an able president of the Agricultural Society. He was an enthusiast in Agriculture, especially scientific Agriculture, and gave promise of going far both in the study and practice of the subject, but the war came.’
Owing to the ongoing Great War, on his graduation, he was commissioned into the Territorial Force as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Army Service Corps on 23 April 1915, and promoted to temporary Lieutenant on 19 July 1915. Assigned to the Highland Divisional Train, a year later he was posted overseas to the Western Front, and relinquished his rank of temporary Lieutenant on 18 July 1916. Seeing active service with the 1st Highland Divisional Transport and attached to the 7th Service Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, a unit of the 50th Brigade in the 17th (Northern) Division.
Cameron was confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant on 1 July 1917, and soon proved himself a most excellent officer. Despite being Army Service Corps attached to the 7th East York’s and then seconded to the Border Regiment from 31 December 1917, he ended up a company commander with the infantry. As such Cameron won his Military Cross during an attack on trenches at Beaumont Hamel on the night of 8 June 1918, the citation reading as follows: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during a raid. He led his company with great dash and determination, and personally attacked and killed a machine-gun crew and captured the gun. He also led a party forward of his objective to an enemy strong point and completely mopped up dug-outs and trench-mortar emplacements between the second and third objectives. His skill and gallantry set a splendid example to all ranks.’
Cameron’s award of the Military Cross was published in the London Gazette for 24 September 1918. The award was however posthumously announced, as by then, Cameron had been killed on 26 August 1918, he having died of wounds received during the advance on Flers in the Somme region. Cameron lies buried in Pozieres British Cemetery at Ovillers - La Boisselle. He is also commemorated by name on the University of Aberdeen War Memorial.
