Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War 1917 M.M. awarded to Private G. P. Rawson, 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (Territorial Force), who when attacked and wounded by a patrol of six Germans, at once fired at his opponents, killed two, and charged at the others with his bayonet causing them to flee

Military Medal G.V.R. (241626 Pte. G. P. Rawson. 1/5 Linc: R. – T.F.) nearly extremely fine £260-£300

M.M. London Gazette 18 July 1917.

George P. Rawson enlisted in the 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (Territorial Force) in March 1916 and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front. He was decorated for gallantry on 17 May 1917 at a time when his battalion was occupying trenches in the left Lievin sector, a line of trenches between the Grenay-Lens railway and the Lievin-Lens road. The incident which led to the award of his M.M. was described in the Regimental History and also in the History of the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment by T. E. Sandall (1922):
‘Another identification was also obtained on the same night by Private G. P. Rawson, who accompanied by another man, was visiting our advanced posts as a connecting patrol. The two men were attacked with bombs by a patrol of six Germans and both wounded, but Private Rawson at once fired at his opponents, killed two, and charged at the others with his bayonet. The enemy fled, and Private Rawson was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous gallantry in attacking an enemy party, when himself wounded, and with odds against him. The two men killed proved to belong to the 35th Regiment.’