A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars

Three: Second Lieutenant J. G. Mellish, Wiltshire Regiment, severely wounded during the attempted Relief of Kut, and killed in action the following year in Mesopotamia, 10 March 1917

1914-15 Star (2. Lieut., Wilts. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut.) extremely fine (3) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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John George Mellish was born in 1897 and educated at Ilminster Grammar school, and West Buckland School, Devon. He was killed in action in Mesopotamia on 10 March 1917, whilst serving with the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq.

The following is extracted from his obituary notice published in The Chard and Ilminster News, 24 March 1917: ‘On 23 September 1915 he set sail from Devonport for a destination then unknown to him, but which proved to be the Near East. From this time onwards his life was crammed with experiences such as it is perhaps no exaggeration to say few veterans have known. He was in the evacuations from Suvla Bay and Helles; from there he was sent to Mesopotamia, and took part in the attempted relief of Kut; he was very seriously wounded in April 1916, and was taken to India; returning on his recovery, he is believed to have been with the forces constantly from that time, although wounded on two occasions later - in January and February of this year.’

His obituary notice in The West Buckland School Register further states: ‘... Went first to Gallipoli, and afterwards to Mesopotamia, where he was badly wounded in the operations before Kut. On his recovery, he joined up once more, and although suffering from a damaged heel struggled on in the hopes of entering Bagdad with his regiment, but he was hit by a Turkish bomb-thrower and was killed instantaneously.’