A rare Great War D.C.M., Russian Medal of St. George group of five awarded to Corporal G. H. Hubbard, Northamptonshire Regiment, who was killed in action at Ypres on 31 July 1917

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (9620 L. Cpl. G. H. Hubbard, 1/North’n R.); 1914 Star, with clasp (9620 Pte., 1/North’n R.); British War and Victory Medals (9620 Cpl., North’n R.); Russia, Medal of St. George, 4th class, the edge officially impressed ‘9620 Pte. G. H. Hubbard, 1/North’n R.’ and the reverse officially numbered ‘165133’, with related Memorial Plaque (George Henry Hubbard), extremely fine and a unique combination of gallantry awards to the regiment (6) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties formed by Tim Parsons.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 11 March 1916:

‘For conspicuous gallantry in twice crawling out from his trench under heavy fire in order to pass orders to other companies.’

Russian Medal of St. George London Gazette 25 August 1915.

George Henry Hubbard was born at Alconbury, Huntingdonshire and enlisted at Peterborough, Northamptonshire. His parents came from Stamford, Lincolnshire and he left a widow, Mrs. Lucy French (formerly Hubbard) of Stantonbury, Wolverton, Buckinghamshire.

Hubbard is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.

The Third Battle of Ypres, which commenced on 31 July 1917, is commonly referred to simply as a 'Passchendaele', and is often cited today as an example (along with the July 1916 Battle of the Somme ) of British Commander-in-Chief Sir Douglas Haig's enormously costly attritional war strategy. In heavy rain and glutinous mud predominantly British troops eventually succeeded in capturing the small village of Passchendaele in the autumn of 1917.