Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Private G. Bains, 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (6828 Pte. G. Bains, 16/Manch. R.); 1914-15 Star (6828 Pte. G. Baines, Manch. R.); British War and Victory Medals (6828 Pte. G. Bains, Manch. R.) note variation in surname, good very fine (4) £800-850

M.M. London Gazette 23 August 1916.

George Bains, a ‘Warehouse’ member of Messrs. Simpson & Godlee Ltd., enlisted on 1 September 1914 and is shown in the Manchester Battalions Book of Honour as being a member of XI Platoon, ‘C’ Company, 16th (Service) Battalion Manchester Regiment. Private Bains entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 9 November 1915. Awarded the Military Medal for the 16th ‘Manchester Pals’ attack on Montauben, 1 July 1916 - one of the first Military Medals awarded to the battalion. The War Diary for 1/2 July 1916 reports, ‘Captured two guns and 16th Manchester Regt. written on them, also names of the men who captured them and about a hundred prisoners’. It is possible that Bains was one of the two men responsible. Later wounded and invalided to the U.K., he was then transferred to the Welsh Regiment and posted to their 52nd (Graduated) Battalion. He was discharged from the Army on 28 October 1918 and was awarded the Silver War Badge (not with lot).

With a quantity of copied research, including m.i.c., gazette, roll and war diary extracts.