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Auction: 21102 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction 3
Lot: 194

A Great War M.M. awarded to Private J. Kelly, Manchester Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (4590 Pte J. Kelly. 20/Manch: R.), contact marks, very fine

M.M. London Gazette 17 December 1917. His actions as described in the Runcorn Guardian:

'The Medal has been awarded to Private Kelly for bravery under fire whilst acting as a stretcher-bearer to his battalion, which was maintaining a sector of the line for 48 hours under heroic circumstances.'

Joseph Kelly was born at Manchester in 1885. Enlisting with the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment prior to the First World War, Kelly served with them for six years. He re-enlisted on 9 September 1914 with 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment, joining his regiment in France on 27 March 1915 when they were in the trenches around Neuve Chapelle. Over the course of the war Kelly was transferred twice, first to 11th Battalion, Manchester Regiment and again to 20th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. Notably he is listed as having served on four different fronts, being mentioned twice by his commanding officers and having suffered a wound to his foot. He was invalided back to Britain in June 1918 with an attack of nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and it was whilst here that he was awarded the M.M. by Colonel Gemmel at Runcorn Vicarage. This was likely Colonel Archibald Burn Gemmel C.B.E. of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Kelly was discharged on 17 February 1919, returning to his home at Brook Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne; further entitled to a 1914-15 Star Trio and a Silver War Badge (no. B231 327).

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Sold for
£260

Starting price
£110