Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Private G. Hitchen, East Lancashire Regiment, killed in action, 14 March 1915

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 (6704 Pte., E. Lanc. Regt.); 1914 Star (6261 Pte., 2/E. Lan. R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (6261 Pte., E. Lan. R.); Clitheroe Tribute Medal 1899-1901, obverse: castle with three towers, reverse inscribed (name engraved) ‘Presented by the Mayor & Corporation of Clitheroe to Pte. George Hitchens, South Africa 1899-1901’, silver; together with an erased Victory Medal 1914-19, good very fine, rare (5) £480-520

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Boer War Tribute Medals formed by the late George Williams.

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Ref: Hibbard A8.

Hibbard knew of only 2-4 examples of this tribute medal.

George Hitchin was born in Waddington, Lancashire. Serving in the East Lancashire Regiment during the Boer War, he was awarded the Queen’s medal with three clasps and the tribute medal from the town of Clitheroe, Lancashire. He served with the 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment during the Great War and entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 20 October 1914. With the same battalion he was killed in action on 14 March 1915, aged 36 years. He was buried in the Vieille-Chapelle New Military Cemetery, Lacouture. George Hitchen was the son of George and Eliza Hitchen of Clitheroe and husband of May Alice Hitchen of 8 Whalley Road, Clitheroe.