Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Coventry Blitz George Medal group of six awarded to Lance-Sergeant J. H. Hinton, 68 Bomb Disposal Section, 9 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers, for removing and disposing of an unexploded bomb from the Triumph Engineering Works, 14-17 October 1941; his officer, 2nd Lieutenant A. F. Campbell, was awarded the G.C. for the same incident but was tragically killed on the next day

George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (No. 2021663. L/Sergt. John Henry Hinton, R.E.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Efficiency Medal, Territorial, G.VI.R., 1st issue, with two additional service bars (2021663. Cpl. J. H. Hinton. R.E.) edge bruising, contact marks and polished, otherwise good fine or better (6) £3000-3500

G.M. London Gazette 22 January 1941: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner.’

The recommendation states:

‘2021663 Lance Sergeant John Henry Hinton, 68 Bomb Disposal Section, 9 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers.

Lance Sergeant Hinton was engaged with his officer Second Lieutenant A. F. Campbell, in removing a 250 kilo-gram unexploded bomb at the Triumph Engineering Co’s Works, Coventry, for two days prior to the following incident.

The bomb was found to be fitted with a delayed action fuse which could not be removed. It was decided that the bomb must be removed at once to a safe place for detonation and Sergeant Hinton volunteered to drive the lorry to the selected site, a mile away, knowing full well the immense risk he was running. This he did, with his officer, and the bomb was safely disposed of.’

On 14 October 1940, at Chapel Street, Coventry, Lieutenant Campbell and his team, including Lance-Sergeant Hinton, were tasked to deal with a 250kg unexploded bomb. The sappers spent almost four days uncovering the bomb which was found to contain a very damaged delayed-action fuse mechanism which could not be removed in situ. Though any electrical charge within the fuse was thought to have dissipated, Campbell still applied a discharge tool.

On 17 October 1940, Campbell, believing the bomb to be inert, ordered it to be moved. It was loaded onto a lorry and driven by Lance-Sergeant Hinton to Whitley Common where it could be detonated safely. Campbell positioned himself next to the bomb on this journey listening for any timer mechanism that might have been activated by the bomb’s removal. The bomb was remotely detonated.

On 18 October 1940, Campbell and his squad, Hinton not being present on this occasion, were attempting to complete an identical procedure on another bomb. However, after arriving at Whitley Common, the bomb exploded during unloading, killing the entire bomb squad. Following a funeral service at Coventry Cathedral on 25 October 1940, the squad were buried in a collective grave in Coventry's London Road Cemetery.

Campbell’s posthumous George Cross was announced in the same gazette as Hinton’s George Medal, the recommendation stating: ‘For most conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner, to 2nd Lieutenant A. F. Campbell, R.E. (since deceased). Second Lieutenant Campbell was called upon to deal with an unexploded bomb in the Triumph Engineering Company's works in Coventry. This bomb had halted war production in two factories involving over 1,000 workers and evacuation of local residents. He found it to be fitted with a delayed action fuse which was impossible to remove. He decided to remove the bomb to a safe place. This was done by lorry with Second Lieutenant Campbell lying alongside the bomb to enable him to hear if it started ticking so he could warn the driver to escape. Having got it to a safe place he successfully disposed of it. Unfortunately, he was killed the next day whilst dealing with another unexploded bomb.’ Campbell’s G.C. is on display in the Royal Engineers Museum.

Sold with one original and three copied photographs of Hinton whilst serving with M.E.F. in 1941-42.