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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 515

A Great War M.M. group of three awarded to Corpoal T. Dowbekin, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who not only captured a German machine gun post but immediately repositioned the gun and turned it upon the enemy

Military Medal, G.V.R. (242139 Cpl T. Dowbekin. 1/5 L.N.Lanc:R. - T.F.); British War and Victory Medals (4587 Cpl. T. Dowbekin. L. N. Lan. R.), mounted as worn, contact marks, edge bruise, nearly very fine (3)

M.M. London Gazette 14 January 1918.

Thomas Dowbekin was born in Bolton on 23 November 1893 the son of Thomas and Emma Lavinia Dowbekin. Educated at Ridgway's Endowed School, The Haulgh, he lived at 25 Princess St until 1906 when they moved to 71 Hopkins Street. He was working at Musgrave's No. 8 Mill as a piecer by 1911 and living at 3 Shipton Street. Enlisting with 1/5th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and was noted in the Bolton Evening News on 14 May 1915 as one of 24 men who had enlisted at some stage that month. Having joined the war in France in 1915 he was present for the Battle of Menin Road Ridge with the 1/5th Battalion, serving as part of 166th Brigade. Dowbekin won his M.M. here when the reserve battalions, including 1/5 Battalion, followed up on attacks towards Hill 37. Here he succeeded not only in capturing a German machine gun but also turning it upon the enemy.

Later in the year at the Battle of Cambrai the 1/5th Battalion were holding a section of the line around Honnecourt when they faced a massive enemy assault. Dowbekin was captured near the town of Epehy during an engagement which resulted in 18 Officers and 384 other ranks killed, wounded or missing. Having been made a prisoner of war he was held in Il Munster camp and listed as 'B' Company 1/5th Battalion although his date of birth was listed as 23 November 1894 at Manchester [SIC]. Transferring to Altdamm, Pomerania in February 1918 as Prisoner No. 35 and listed as a member of 'C' Company. He was released in November 1918, returned to Britain, and was awarded his M.M. by Lord Leverhulme, Mayor of Bolton in December 1918. The Bolton Journal & Guardian on 3 January 1919 ran a piece stating:

'Corpl T. Dowbekin 1-5th L.N.L. Regt. won the Military Medal on 20th September 1917 at Ypres for the capture of a German machine gun, which he immediately turned upon the enemy. He went out to France in 1916, and had been in engagements on the Somme, Ypres and Cambrai. He was taken prisoner on 30th November 1917, at the last-mentioned battle and interned at Altdamm in Germany for 12 months.'

Dowbekin married Elizabeth Greenhalgh at St. Peters Church on 19 April 1919 and by the time of the Second World War was working as a cotton spinner. He is remembered on the Roll of Honour of Ridgway Endowed School; sold together with copied research including newspaper clippings, a London Gazette entry and census information.

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Sold for
£420

Starting price
£190