The very fine Great War Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine, Second World War and long service group awarded to Corporal A.E. Roddis, 3rd County of London Yeomanry – Sharpshooters, sometime 15th County of London Battalion – Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles, London Regiment and Labour Corps, who landed with his regiment at Gallipoli for service in the dismounted role, and was also a member of the London Private Fire Brigades Association.
Group of 5: 1914-1915 Star; (623 CPL A.E. RODDIS. 3-CO. Of LOND.Y); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (623 CPL. A.E. RODDIS. C. OF LOND.YEO.); Defence Medal 1939-1945; Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, GVR bust; (404 CPL A. RODDIS. 15/LOND:R.), mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: Good Very Fine.
Together with the following:
London Private Fire Brigades Association Bronze Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, with 5 Years Bar, rim numbered: ‘188’. Mounted as individually worn.
London Private Fire Brigades Association Silver Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct, with two additional 5 Years Bars, rim numbered: ‘S41’. Mounted as individually worn.
Recipient’s group of miniature medals mounted as worn.
Insignia relating to the County of London Yeomanry comprising: 3rd County of London Yeomanry Other Ranks Cap Badge, King’s Crown with battle honour for South Africa 1899-02; pair of brass ‘S.S’ Sharp Shooters shoulder titles; and a pair of tunic buttons, one breast, one pocket size.
A very fine selection of 11 photographs printed as postcards, showing individual and group images of men of the County of London Yeomanry, almost all pre-war, some with handwritten details on reverse, some having been used by the recipient to send to her family. Allan E. Roddis enlisted into the Territorial Force circa 1910, joining initially as a Rifleman (No.404) the 15th County of London Battalion – Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles, London Regiment, he then transferred as a Trooper (No.623) to the 3rd County of London Yeomanry – Sharpshooters on 15th May 1910
Appointed to Lance Corporal on 3rd April 1912, and promote to Corporal on 6th April 1912, he was then promoted to Sergeant on 1st December 1912, he was appointed Transport Sergeant on 1st April 1913, but by the outbreak of the Great War he was a Corporal again.
With the outbreak of war, as a member of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry, Roddis saw service with the 1st/3rd Battalion, and on 14 April 1915, the regiment departed Avonmouth for Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 27 April. It was posted to the Suez Canal Defences (near Ismaïlia) by the middle of May and its parent brigade was designated 4th (London) Mounted Brigade. The regiment was dismounted in August 1915 for service in the Gallipoli Campaign. It left a squadron headquarters and two troops (about 100 officers and men) in Egypt to look after the horses.
The regiment landed at Suvla Bay on the morning of 18 August and moved into reserve positions at Karakol Dagh. It moved to "C" Beach, Lala Baba on 20 August. On 21 August it advanced to Chocolate Hill under heavy fire and took part in the attack on Hill 112. Due to losses during the Battle of Scimitar Hill and wastage during August 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division had to be reorganised. On 4 September 1915, the 2nd Composite Mounted Brigade was formed from the 3rd (Notts and Derby) and 4th (London) Mounted Brigades. The regiment formed part of a battalion sized unit 4th London Regiment. The regiment embarked for Mudros on 2 November and, in December 1915, returned to Egypt, where it was reformed and remounted.
The regiment (and its brigade) left the 2nd Mounted Division on 18 January 1916 and was sent to Abbassia. It once again served as part of the Suez Canal Defences. In March 1916, the brigade was redesignated as 8th Mounted Brigade. From November 1916 to June 1917, the regiment took part in the Salonika Campaign, serving as GHQ Troops with the British Salonika Army.
The regiment arrived back in Egypt from Salonika with its brigade on 8 June 1917. It moved forward and joined the newly formed Yeomanry Mounted Division on 21 July 1917 at el Fuqari. From 31 October, it took part in the Third Battle of Gaza, including the Battle of Beersheba and the Capture of the Sheria Position. It took part in the Battle of Mughar Ridge on 13 and 14 November and the Battle of Nebi Samwil for 17 to 24 November. From 27 to 29 November, it withstood the Turkish counter-attacks during the Capture of Jerusalem.
Roddis subsequently transferred as a Corporal (No.487189) to the Labour Corps, and then, with the war over, he appears to have transferred back as a Corporal to the 15th County of London Battalion – Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles, London Regiment, with whom he was awarded the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal in the 1920’s. Roddis subsequently saw service presumably in Civil Defence during the Second World War.
