Noonan’s Great War

The Orders, Decoration, Medals and Militaria auction from Noonans kicks off at 10am on 18 January and has a number of WWI medals consigned already. Let’s start with a most unusual Great War DCM group of seven awarded to Sergeant WA Taylor, Border Regiment, late Hampshire Regiment, who, hearing that the officers and senior NCOs of his company had become casualties, immediately took command of the company during a heavy barrage. Later, during lulls in the action, he produced a piccolo and cheered the men up by playing popular airs. Afterwards he joined the Royal Air Force and received one of only eight Army Long Service and Good Conduct medals named to that unit. The lot includes Distinguished Conduct Medal; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, with clasps ‘Cape Colony’, ‘Paardeberg’, ‘Transvaal’; King’s South Africa 1901-02 with clasps ‘South Africa 1901’, ‘South Africa 1902’; 1914 Star; British War and Victory Medals; Army Long Service and Good Conduct medals. Estimate is £2,000-£4,000.

Next month we are featuring the final German Spring Offensive of 1918, and here’s a related DCM group of three to Acting Corporal AO Porter, 51st Company, Machine Gun Corps, for gallantry at Vélu 23 March 1918, in which action he was also killed. The medals include Distinguished Conduct Medal; British War and Victory Medals with Memorial Plaque (Arthur Osgood Porter). Estimate is £1,000-£1,400.

Moving on, here we have a scarce ‘Korea’ Fleet Air Arm

Firefly Observer’s DSC group of eight awarded to Lieutenant Commander JGC Harvey, Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy, who having served in Swordfish with 813 Squadron in North Africa during WWII went on to distinguish himself with 812 Squadron off Korea on many operational sorties carried out from the carrier HMS Glory. The lot includes Distinguished Service Cross; 193945 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star with clasp ‘North Africa 1942-43’; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Korea 1950-53; UN Korea 195054. Estimate is £3,000-£4,000.

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