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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 461

A poignant Somme Trench Raid 1916 M.M. group of five awarded to Private J. Danskin, Northumberland Fusiliers, who was killed in action on 25 September 1916 shortly after having won his gallantry award; it was promulgated shortly after his death

Military Medal, G.V.R. (19706 Pte. J. Danskin. 10/Nth'd Fus:); 1914-15 Star (19706 Pte. J. Danskin. North'd Fus:); British War and Victory Medals (19706 Pte. J. Danskin. North'd Fus.); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (James Danskin), in its card envelope of issue, nearly extremely fine (5)

M.M. London Gazette 16 November 1916 (Somme).

James Danskin was born at Newcastle and enlisted there. He served in France with the 10th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers from 25 August 1915.

He was duly decorated for his part in a daring moonlit Trench Raid on 30-31 August 1916 on the Somme, under 2nd Lieutenants E. Lawrence and J. P. Lorrains. The two parties were to make a charge over some 30 yards of No-Man's-Land after a heavy artillery and gas bombardment. With the shells having ceased the parties, Danskin being present, crawled their way through the wire to make the raid, getting a good number of their bombs off. The enemy were found to still have their gas masks on but met them with rifles and bombed them back with grenades. The Fusiliers kept up the attack and continued the fight, with the sounds of '...cries and groans' of the enemy audible in the air. Lawrence was wounded but the party under Lorrains followed up, going in with the bayonet and forcing entry. Raid complete, they withdrew. Danskin was specially noted for having '...showed great gallantry and devotion to duty both in the assault and in bringing in the wounded afterwards.'

With his award being promulgated, he would be killed in action on 25 September 1916, when his unit attacked the trenches at Martinpuich. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated upon the Thiepval Memorial. His M.M. would appear in print just a few weeks later; sold together with copied research and an original slide of the bombing parties attacking German dugouts.

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Sold for
£950

Starting price
£600