Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A superb Great War Somme July 1916 operations M.M. group of four awarded to Private J. Hoyle, Northumberland Fusiliers, who was killed in action in a trench raid at Ploegsteert on 31 August 1916 and posthumously listed in his C.O.’s subsequent recommendations for gallantry

Military Medal, G.V.R. (10-19716 Pte. J. Hoyle, 10/Nth’ld Fus.); 1914-15 Star (19716 Pte., North’d Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (19716 Pte., North’d Fus.), with related Memorial Plaque (John Hoyle), the first with one or two surface marks, otherwise good very fine or better (5) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties formed by Tim Parsons.

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M.M. London Gazette 23 August 1916.

John Hoyle, who was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne and enlisted at Wallsend-on-Tyne, where pre-war he won a reputation as a boxer, was killed in action in a trench raid at Ploegsteert Wood on the night of 30-31 August 1916, while serving in the 10th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. The official report of this engagement bears testimony to his bravery, the following posthumous recommendation being penned by his C.O., Lieutenant-Colonel Manners:

‘The following N.C.Os and men also showed great gallantry and devotion to duty both in the assault and in bringing in wounded afterwards ...

19716 Private Hoyle, J.: bayoneted a sentry and bombed enemy from parapet. When forced to retire assisted his officer in organising a second attack in which he was wounded. Was last man to leave the trench and was killed on the way back ...’

The attack had been launched in the wake of a British artillery bombardment and gas attack, but only one of our patrols, ‘C’ Company with Hoyle, penetrated the German lines. Not forgetting their stark pre-operational order to ‘kill as many Germans as possible’, ‘C’ Company used its bombs to good effect, ‘causing many casualties.’

The Battalion’s war diary also reveals that Hoyle had earlier been wounded in the Franvillers sector on 28 January 1916, again while serving in ‘C’ Company (‘Slightly, at duty’).

His M.M. had been awarded for earlier gallantry at “Scott’s Redoubt” on the Somme between 6-10 July 1916 and he was presented with the riband of the decoration by Major-General Babington at Franvillers on 22nd of the same month.

Hoyle was interred in the London Rifle Brigade Cemetery, Ploegsteert; photographs of his headstone are included.