Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Military Academy, Pollock Medal, 3rd type, by B. Wyon, obverse: bust of Major-General Sir George Pollock facing left, in uniform, wearing the star of the Knight Grand Cross of the Bath and the Cabul Medal 1842, with the circumscription, ‘Pollock Cabul 1842’; reverse: ‘Royal Military Academy Pollock Prize, Presented by the British inhabitants of Calcutta and awarded by the Court of Directors of the East India Company to the Most Distinguished Cadet of the Season’ (John Beaumont Corry, 26th February 1894), gold 45mm., 64.24g., slight contact marks, good very fine £600-800

John Beaumont Corry was born in Croydon on 21 August 1874. He was educated at St. Paul’s School, Kensington and from there passed to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich where he was a Pollock medallist. He was gazetted into the Royal Engineers in 1894 and joined the Bombay Sappers & Miners, becoming a Lieutenant in 1897. In 1897/98 he served on the N.W. frontier of India taking part in the operations on the Samana and the relief of Gulistan and in the Tirah campaign including the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, operations in the Waran and Bazar Valleys and other engagements. For his services he received the I.G.S. Medal with two clasps. In 1901 he took part in the Mekran Expedition, and led the attack and the capture of Nodiz Fort, where he was severely wounded. For his services he received a clasp to the I.G.S. medal, was mentioned in despatches and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 2 September 1902). He was promoted Captain in 1904 and served with the 3rd Sappers & Miners until 1913. He received the Delhi Durbar Medal of 1903. Later he was sent to Somaliland to assist in strengthening the defences at Berbera, and in 1912/13 was employed in building roads and bridges in Mishmi country. In 1914, in which year he gained his Majority, he was appointed to the Military Works, Bannu, North Western Province. Receiving orders to proceed to the front in August 1914, he was delayed at Karachi and at the base. He rejoined the 3rd Sappers & Miners at the front near Sailly-sur-la-Lys, France on 2 November. Two days later he was killed by a shell explosion. He was buried in the Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard in Laventie, France.