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Auction: 24002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 82

The poignant General Service Medal awarded to Sapper J. Walton, 3rd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers who was killed by an IRA booby trap at Carrickgallogly, County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1974

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (24085205 Spr. J. Walton RE.), in named box of issue with the Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Army) condolence slip in the name of '24085205 Spr J Walton RE', extremely fine

John Walton, a native of Birchencliffe, was educated at King James's Grammar school in Almondbury. After leaving school he became an apprentice at a Huddersfield engineering firm for a brief period before enlisting in the Royal Engineers in 1966. He served in Germany and Hong Kong and in 1973 he volunteered to take a convoy of land rovers to West Africa on a drought relief mission.

On his second tour of duty whilst serving with 3rd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers he was killed by an IRA booby trap device left in a deserted house he was searching at Carrickgallogly on 2 July 1974. Sapper Walton was standing on the top of a lorry and went into the house through an upstairs window. The building was demolished when the bomb exploded seriously injuring two other soldiers in the explosion.

Walton's mother had been widowed two years earlier when her husband was killed in a road accident. She said of her only son:

'...he cared a lot about people. Nine months earlier he went as a volunteer with an army unit which joined a Christian Aid mercy mission to West Africa bringing supplies to a drought affected region.' His mother was awarded £2,000.00 compensation.

He was cremated after a private service at Huddersfield Crematorium and is further commemorated upon the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.


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Sold for
£3,200

Starting price
£1000