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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 182

A tragic family group of two

A Third Battle of the Hook, Killed-in-Action group of two to Private J. Hawthorn, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, who met his demise on 28 May 1953

Korea 1950-53 (22659591 Pte. J. Hawthorn. D.W.R.), number and rank officially corrected; U.N. Korea 1950-54, very fine (2)

Three: Private J. Hawthorn, Scottish Rifles who was wounded in action prior to the Battle of the Somme

1914-15 Star (16421 Pte. J. Hawthorn. Sco. Rif.); British War and Victory Medals (16421 Pte. J. Hamilton. Sco. Rif.), heavy contact mark to obverse of second, overall very fine (3)

John Hawthorn, known as 'Jack', was born on 5 March 1934 at Gateshead, Durham. Hawthorn's mother, Rose Battey, had married William Robson Hawthorn in 1914. The younger Hawthorn was in the M.M.G. Platoon of 'D' Company and was thus in the most forward position of the battalion which was overrun by Chinese infantry and the occupants killed by hand grenades and 'Burp' machine-gun fire. He was one of the 17 soldiers of the Battalion who died in action that night and his grave is in the U.N. Cemetery, Pusan; sold together with a photograph of the recipient's gravestone and a copy of the autopsy report giving details of his wound.

John Hawthorn was grand-uncle to John Hawthorn, killed on the Hook. He was born in Newton Hamilton, County Armagh in 1871 and married Margaret Sleith in the Mount Norris Presbyterian Church, Armagh, in April 1892. Posted to the 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), he landed in France on 12 May 1915 as part of 28th Brigade, 9 Scottish Division and on 24 April and was wounded in actions leading up to the Battle of the Somme. He was then transferred to the 43rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, number 101048 and then to the Labour Corps, number 417823; sold together with copied research including M.I.C., medal roll and service details.

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Sold for
£550

Starting price
£240