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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 343

The 1940 Dunkirk M.C. group of four awarded to Major L. A. F. P. Gould-Marks, Royal Army Service Corps, late Royal Tank Regiment

Military Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated '1940' and additionally inscribed 'Capt. L. A. F. P. Gould-Marks. Dunkirk'; 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn by Spink & Son, 5 King Street, London, good very fine (4)

M.C. London Gazette 20 December 1940, the original recommendation states:

'When most of the Divisional R.A.S.C. had embarked this officer organised his ammunition section as the Divisional R.A.S.C. and he fed the 1st Division and several other divisions from 29th May to 2nd June. This well nigh on impossible task was carried out under continuous air bombardment and shell fire. It was intirely due to his initiative, re-sourcefulness and devotion to duty that all ranks of the Division received rations. His example was worthy of the best traditions of the R.A.S.C..'

Langton Alfred Francis Gould-Marks was born in June 1910 at Streatham, London and had been commissioned into the Royal Army Service Corps from the Supplementary Reserve of Officers, Royal Tank Regiment in June 1939. Further detail into his award is extracted from 1 Div A+Q records (TNA WO167/192 refers), written at Hondschoote:

'D.A.Q. found Captain Marks, R.A.S.C., who still had his section of lorries intact, but was short of a few drivers. Four volunteers were obtained from 2 Hampshires and so there were drivers for all the vehicles. Captain Marks was then told to scavenge everywhere and collect all the supplies he could find and establish a Supply Depot at Bray Dunes.

Captain Marks with his loyal band of NCO's and drivers performed the impossible. He found supplies here, there and everywhere and brought them all into Bray Dunes. A half-unloaded Belgian supply train, a beached lighter, discarded lorries all along the front, were all searched and supplies of every description poured into the little supply depot. About four divisions passed through Bray Dunes during the next four days, and they were all given some rations, all which time Captain Marks continued to supply 1 Division and all troops under command. Four lorry loads of rum also proved invaluable.'

An active member of the film industry, he was involved in producing the Central Office of Information short film Britain Can Make it, No. 14, which had Geoffrey Sumner starring. His three Campaign Medals were issued to him in August 1948, before going out to Sydney with his wife in May 1949 to produce more titles and died in Camden, London in October 1997; sold together with photocopies of the Invitation to Investiture, dated 20 August 1940, which was retained by the family upon the original sale of these Medals.

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Estimate
£800 to £1,200

Starting price
£650