Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Second World War D-Day D.S.M. group of five awarded to Marine G. Earnshaw, Royal Marines, who was wounded bringing in a landing craft in the first wave to land on “Juno” Beach

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Mne. G. Earnshaw, R.M., PO/X. 108034); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £2000-2500

D.S.M. London Gazette 4 November 1944:

‘For gallantry, skill, determination and undaunted devotion to duty off the coast of Normandy.’

George Earnshaw was serving the 556th L.C.A. Flotilla at the time of winning his D.S.M., which unit arrived off Normandy on D-Day care of the liner Monowai. And the deeds behind Earnshaw’s award of D.S.M. are to be found in The War of the Landing Craft, by Paul Lund and Harry Ludlow:

‘Our signaller, Marine George Earnshaw, having taken over our craft when his Coxswain was wounded, successfully got to the beach and landed his troops, but his craft blew up attempting to get out into deep water through the beach obstacles. Earnshaw received a slight shrapnel wound which was not discovered until later and he was the subject of some ribaldry, but he well deserved his D.S.M.’