Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four to Private J. H. Robson, Heavy Brigade Machine Gun Corps (Tank Corps), late Yorkshire Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (76008 Pte., ‘A’ Bn. H.B. M.G.C.); 1914-15 Star (8055 L. Cpl., York. R.); British War and Victory Medals (8055 Pte., York. R.); Memorial Plaque (John Henry Robson) extremely fine; together with the Great War pair and Defence Medal awarded to his brother (252517 Dvr., R.A.) these very fine and better (11) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards).

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M.M. London Gazette 28 July 1917.

John Henry Robson was born in 1892, the son of Joseph and Mary Jane Robson of Rockcliffe Raod, Middlesborough. He enlisted into the Yorkshire Regiment at Middlesborough and entered into the France/Flanders theatre of war on 30 September 1915. He was later transferred to the Heavy Brigade Machine Gun Corps (Tank Corps). With them he won the Military Medal, his citation taken from the Tank Corps Book of Honour 1914-19 reads:

‘On June 7, 1917, near Wytschaeate, he was wounded in the knee whilst firing at an enemy machine-gun. But, although nearly fainting, he carried on and eventually put the machine-gun out of action, and also killed or wounded about twenty of the enemy who were near the gun’.

Private Robson died of pneumonia on 26 June 1918, aged 26 years and was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery.

Sold with a letter (and envelope) to Mrs J. Robson of 20 Rockcliffe Road, Linthorpe, Middlesborough, dated 9 June 1917, from the recipient’s 2nd Lieutenant, ‘I am sorry that I have to inform you that your son was slightly wounded whilst in action me on the 7th inst. Fortunately the wound is very slight & we expect he will be back with us very shortly. His conduct in action both before & after his wound was most excellent. He carried on with his gun all the time, & accounted for a good number of Germans. I am recommending him for the Military Medal & I am sure he thoroughly deserves it’.

Sold with a second letter to the recipient’s sister, from Matron Willoughby, R.R.C., No. 7 Canadian General Hospital, dated 27 June 1918, ‘I regret very much to have to tell you that your brother Pte. J. H. Robson 76008 died in this hospital at 5.10 p.m. June 26th. All that medical skill could do was to no avail. He had every care and attention and was made comfortable. He will be laid to rest in Etaples Military Cemetery. Assuring you of our heartfelt sympathy in your sorrow’. Also with a slip concerning his burial, a photograph of the recipient and copied research. His brother’s medals sold with copied m.i.c. and with ‘Loyal Service’ and A.R.P. Badges and cloth ‘Warden’ shoulder flash.