The Collection of Medals to the Monmouthshire Regiment formed by Lt. Col. P. A. Blagojevic, O. St. J., T.D.

A fine Great War M.C. group of four awarded to Captain J. T. George, Monmouthshire Regiment, who was wounded at Ypres in May 1915, when an enemy bullet struck his cap badge, embedding part of it in his forehead, and again at Sailly-Saillisel in February 1917, when ‘he was blown up by a shell’ - he had meanwhile won his M.C. for gallantry at La Transloy

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Capt. J. T. George, 2nd Monmouthshire Regt., 12.3.17’; 1914 Star, with clasp, naming erased; British War and Victory Medals (Capt.), very fine and better (4) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to the Monmouthshire Regiment formed by Lt. Col. P. A. Blagojevic, O. St. J., T.D..

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It is worth noting that the recipient’s MIC entry clearly shows that he was issued with his British War & Victory Medals in August 1921, but that no such annotation or despatch date appears alongside the 1914 or 1914-15 Star column. In lieu of what appears to be a genuine error and omission made by the issuing authorities, the above 1914 Star and clasp has been added for display purposes.

M.C. London Gazette 14 March 1917:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He rapidly got his men to work under fire and thereby prevented a number of casualties. He has at all times set a fine example of courage and determination.’

John Trevor George, the son of the Rev. and Mrs. J. George of Penygarn, was educated at Clifton College and St. John’s College, Cambridge. A ‘first class rifle shot’, who had represented Clifton in the Ashburton Shield competition at Bisley, he was commissioned into the Monmouthshire Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant in August 1914 and went out to France with the 2nd Battalion that November, where, no doubt, he witnessed incidents of the famous “Christmas Truce”. In the following year, however, during an action fought by his unit in the Ypres salient on 16 May, he was wounded in the head, a subsequent medical report noting that ‘he was struck by a rifle bullet which passed through his cap badge before striking him ... a portion of the badge was carried with it’, while another report, dated 18 June 1915, additionally reveals that he was ‘buried in a dug-out after being wounded and is suffering from nervous symptoms, the result of shock.’

George, having recuperated at several hospitals, was advanced to Captain in June 1916, about which time it would appear he returned to active employment in France in the 2nd Battalion. Certainly he was heavily engaged at Le Transloy in January of the following year, where he won his M.C. for leading ‘C’ Company under a heavy bombardment. In the Battalion’s history, a fellow officer, Lieutenant H. L. Hughes, recalled seeing him in action:

‘A few moments after the bombardment began, Captain George came dashing over the top, crouching and leaping from shell-hole to shell-hole. He was dressed in a funny short leather coat he had bought in Amiens, and as he ran he shouted “Tripe! Tripe! Tripe!” I feared the worst had happened to him, but I learned later that the code word asking for artillery retaliation that night was “Tripe”, and he was rushing back through the bombardment to get to the telephone in a forward post to send the message. In this he was successful. Colonel Bowen, who had been with ‘B’ Company, had seen our plight, and came over fearing we had been wiped out. He was relieved to find the Company still working on the trench, which was dug to a depth of six feet before we left.’

In the following month, however, during an action at Sailly-Saillisel, George was wounded for a second time. Once again, the incident is recounted by a fellow officer, Lieutenant R. T. Saunders, in the Battalion’s history:

‘Captain George and myself were the officers accompanying ‘C’ Company, and we set out from the dug-outs at Combles, arriving about 7 p.m. at a quarry where advanced Brigade Headquarters were. Here we were met by Colonel Bowen who had been in consultation with the Brigadier, and final orders were issued. The Colonel decided to go ahead with George to tape out the work: I was to bring the men along in an hour’s time. Colonel Bowen seemed to have a premonition that he would not get through that night, for he said to me: “Well, Saunders, I’m afraid it’s going to be a sticky night, so I will write out detailed orders for you.” He wrote out the order with his accustomed clarity, and then he left with George and a small covering party ... At about 8 p.m., I led the Company up and, finding no guide awaiting me, I went along the front line where I met a Newfoundland officer, who told me that Colonel Bowen had been killed and Captain George wounded. I went forward to the covering party and withdrew them, not finding any tape. After consultation with the Newfoundland officer, I set the men to work in the front line and proceeded to the headquarters of his battalion. Here I found George, who had been blown up by a shell. Despite the fact he was badly shaken, he gave me the exact location of Colonel Bowen’s body and details of what had happened. I returned to the Company, found the Colonel, and had his body carried down. he had been shot through the left arm, the bullet penetrating his heart.’

No doubt as a result of his wounds and / or shell-shock, George was latterly employed at the Ministry of Pensions in London. He was the recipient of the Silver War Badge.