Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1918 M.M. awarded to Private W. S. Delury, 6th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, late Royal Irish Fusiliers

Military Medal G.V.R. (6957 Pte. W. S. Delury. 6/Linc: R.) nearly extremely fine £200-£240

M.M. London Gazette 23 July 1919.

Walter S. Delury was born at Gosport, Hampshire in 1886, the son of Charles and Emily Delury. In 1902, now resident in Belfast, he attested, aged 16 years, for the Royal Irish Rifles, giving his age as 18 years and 2 months. However, just over a year later on 16 October 1903 he was discharged, being described as ‘incorrigible and worthless’. Undeterred, in 1904, he attested for the Lincolnshire Regiment and later served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War from 25 August 1914. Records show that on 29 March 1916 at La Ceche he was sentenced by court martial to 5 years penal servitude as a result of disobedience, insubordination and threatening behaviour. Despite this, he later transferred to the 6th Battalion and was awarded the Military Medal, most likely for gallantry during the Pursuit to the Selle or the Battle of the Sambre in the period October to November 1918. On 11 November 1918 he was admitted to No. 22 General Hospital Dannes Camiers suffering from the effects of a yellow cross gas shell. He died in 1942 in St. Pancras, London.