Orders, Decorations and Medals

General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (Lieut. G. W. F. H. Downer) nearly extremely fine £70-90

M.M. London Gazette 3 June 1916.

George William Frederick Henry Downer was an Australian, born in Melbourne on 7 June 1886 and was employed as a swimming instructor. He came to England when he was nineteen and joined the Royal Artillery on 19 October 1905 at Stratford. He served in India, 1906-12 and was then based in the U.K. On 26 November 1914 he sailed to France as a Bombardier in 7th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery. The Brigade was part of the 1st Cavalry Division whose task was to advance in front of the Fifth Army towards Lens north of Mons. On 10 March 1915 Downer was promoted Sergeant and in June 1916 was awarded the Military Medal. On 1 September 1916 he was granted a commission and was posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to 109 Brigade R.F.A. and on 1 March 1918 he was promoted to Lieutenant. On 30 November 1918 he was given a commission in the Royal Air Force but relinquished it on 17 May 1919. On 20 May he was posted to Mesopotamia where he was attached to No.1 Armoured Car Company, Tank Corps. In January 1921 Downer embarked at Bahrain for the U.K. He retired on 20 June 1921 with a pension of £200 per annum and went to live at 1, Nightingale Place Woolwich. He died of neoplasm of the lung on 7 April 1924.