{"product_id":"black-watch-royal-highlanders-kia-iraq-1916-wauchope-medal-1915-lochee","title":"Black Watch Royal Highlanders KIA Iraq 1916 Awarded a Wauchope Medal 1915 Lochee","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFirst World War Medal Trio – Private Thomas Lamb, 2\u003csup\u003end\u003c\/sup\u003e Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e1914-15 Star – \u003cb\u003eS-7508. PTE. T. LAMB. R. HIGHRS.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eBritish War Medal – \u003cb\u003eS-7508 PTE. T. LAMB. R. HIGHRS.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eVictory Medal – \u003cb\u003eS-7508 PTE. T. LAMB. R. HIGHRS.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThomas Lamb\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born at \u003cb\u003eLochee, Dundee\u003c\/b\u003e, in or about \u003cb\u003e1897\u003c\/b\u003e, and was the son of \u003cb\u003eCharles and Helen Lamb\u003c\/b\u003e, of \u003cb\u003e1 (later recorded as 3) Sinclair Street, Lochee\u003c\/b\u003e. He grew up in a large working-class Dundee household and appears in the \u003cb\u003e1901 Scotland Census\u003c\/b\u003e aged four, living with his parents and siblings. Prior to enlistment, he was employed at \u003cb\u003eMessrs Spalding \u0026amp; Valentine, Caledonian Works, Lochee\u003c\/b\u003e, a major local employer, reflecting the industrial background typical of many Dundee volunteers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eLamb enlisted at \u003cb\u003eDundee\u003c\/b\u003e, joining the \u003cb\u003eBlack Watch (Royal Highlanders)\u003c\/b\u003e, and was posted to the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion\u003c\/b\u003e, receiving \u003cb\u003eregimental number S\/7508\u003c\/b\u003e. He embarked for \u003cb\u003eFrance on 29 April 1915\u003c\/b\u003e, entering the Western Front during a period of heavy fighting and rapid expansion of British operations in Flanders. His early overseas service placed him with the battalion during some of its most intense actions of 1915.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eOn \u003cb\u003e8 October 1915\u003c\/b\u003e, while serving with the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion, Black Watch\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ePrivate Thomas Lamb distinguished himself by an act of conspicuous gallantry at Givenchy Hill\u003c\/b\u003e. For this action he was awarded the extremely rare \u003cb\u003eWauchope Medal\u003c\/b\u003e, a privately instituted gallantry award created by \u003cb\u003eLieutenant-Colonel A. G. Wauchope\u003c\/b\u003e for acts of bravery by Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the Black Watch. The medal awarded to Lamb is engraved \u003cb\u003e“For Conspicuous Gallantry on Givenchy Hill Oct. 8th 1915”\u003c\/b\u003e, with the reverse engraved \u003cb\u003e“2nd Bn. The Black Watch to Pte. T. Lamb from Lt. Col. A. G. Wauchope”\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eWauchope Medal\u003c\/b\u003e is one of the most sought-after regimental gallantry awards in British militaria collecting. Approximately \u003cb\u003e70 examples\u003c\/b\u003e were awarded during the Great War, with around \u003cb\u003e60 issued for gallantry during the Battles of Loos and Mushahide (the ‘Battle Beyond Baghdad’)\u003c\/b\u003e, and a small number for particularly hazardous scouting operations in No Man’s Land. Surviving examples are exceptionally scarce, and named medals to men who were later killed in action are rarer still. \u003cb\u003eLamb’s medal was sold at Noonan’s Medal Auction, Lot 815, in March 2018\u003c\/b\u003e, achieving a hammer price of \u003cb\u003e£550\u003c\/b\u003e, and was described as \u003cb\u003e“very rare”\u003c\/b\u003e, reflecting its high collector importance.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFollowing service on the Western Front, the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion Black Watch\u003c\/b\u003e was transferred to the \u003cb\u003ePersian Gulf\u003c\/b\u003e, part of the Mesopotamian campaign. This theatre was marked by extreme climatic conditions, disease, supply difficulties, and fierce fighting against Ottoman forces. During operations in the region, \u003cb\u003ePrivate Thomas Lamb was killed in action on 7 January 1916\u003c\/b\u003e, aged just \u003cb\u003e19\u003c\/b\u003e. Contemporary newspaper reports described the loss as a heavy blow to a \u003cb\u003e“patriotic Lochee family”\u003c\/b\u003e, noting that \u003cb\u003efour brothers\u003c\/b\u003e were serving with the colours at the same time. His brothers included \u003cb\u003ePrivate George Lamb, Royal Engineers; Sergeant David Lamb, 1st Black Watch; and Private Fred Lamb, Seaforth Highlanders\u003c\/b\u003e, while a brother-in-law was serving with the \u003cb\u003e4th Black Watch\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eThomas Lamb is \u003cb\u003eburied at Amara War Cemetery, Iraq\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eGrave XXX.H.17\u003c\/b\u003e, where he is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His headstone records his service with the \u003cb\u003e2nd Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)\u003c\/b\u003e and confirms his parents as \u003cb\u003eCharles and Helen Lamb of Lochee, Dundee\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eKilled at just nineteen years of age, Thomas Lamb stands out not only as one of the youngest Black Watch casualties of the Mesopotamian campaign, but also as a \u003cb\u003edecorated gallant soldier\u003c\/b\u003e, whose bravery at \u003cb\u003eGivenchy Hill\u003c\/b\u003e was formally recognised by one of the \u003cb\u003erarest and most important regimental awards\u003c\/b\u003e of the First World War. His service and sacrifice make this group of exceptional significance to \u003cb\u003eBlack Watch, Scottish infantry, and gallantry medal collectors alike\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003cbr style=\"mso-special-character: line-break;\"\u003e\u003c!-- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--\u003e\u003cbr style=\"mso-special-character: line-break;\"\u003e\u003c!--[endif]--\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53151151292762,"sku":null,"price":295.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20251219_123303_0.png?v=1766187650","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/black-watch-royal-highlanders-kia-iraq-1916-wauchope-medal-1915-lochee","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}