A Very Rare Great War D.C.M., M.M. and Bar Group of Four to Sergeant C.O.M. Buchanan, 9th South African Horse, Onetime Attached Nigeria Regiment, Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (5948 Sgt., 9th S.A.H.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with Bar for Second Award (5948 Sgt., 9th S.A.H.); British War and bi-lingual Victory Medals (Sgt., 9th S.A.H.), good very fine and better (4)

Details
A Very Rare Great War D.C.M., M.M. and Bar Group of Four to Sergeant C.O.M. Buchanan, 9th South African Horse, Onetime Attached Nigeria Regiment, Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (5948 Sgt., 9th S.A.H.); Military Medal, G.V.R., with Bar for Second Award (5948 Sgt., 9th S.A.H.); British War and bi-lingual Victory Medals (Sgt., 9th S.A.H.), good very fine and better (4)

Lot Essay

D.C.M. London Gazette 30.1.1920.

M.M. London Gazette 7.2.1919.

Bar to M.M. London Gazette 30.1.1920 'In recognition of gallant conduct and determination in escaping, or attempting to escape, from captivity'.

Sergeant Claude Osborn Massingham Buchanan, D.C.M., M.M., a native of Pretoria, was embarked at Durban in the Armadale Castle in late May 1916 and arrived at Kilindini a few days later. His subsequent services with the 9th South African Horse, South African Expeditionary Force, were brief but distinguished and he was 'taken prisoner by the chance of War' on 1.1.1917 (S.A.E.F. MIC entry refers). Presumably he escaped his captors since he appears to have 'Rejoined' and been briefly attached to the Nigeria Regiment in October 1917, prior to returning to Durban that December in a Naval Transport. Well worthy of further research.