Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The unique Great War M.C., 1914 D.C.M. and dated Bar group of six awarded to Captain J. J. Dawkins, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (77 S. Mjr. J. J. Dawkins, 2/R. War. R.) with Second Award Bar, dated ‘25-26th September 1915’, this loose on ribbon as issued; 1914 Star, with clasp (loose), (77 C.Q.M. Sjt., 1/R. War. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); Russian Medal of St George, 1st Class, gold, the reverse officially numbered ‘No. 1123’ and impressed on the edge (77 Sgt. Maj., 2/R. War. R.) mounted in reverse order, probably as worn by his widow, generally good very fine and extremely rare
£10000-15000

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1918; ‘Regimental Sergeant-Major John James Dawkins, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.’

D.C.M. London Gazette 30 June 1915; ‘Sergeant-Major, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. For conspicuous gallantry, on 18th December 1914, at Rouges Bancs, where he on three occasions took messages under heavy fire. He also collected and brought in the wounded under difficult circumstances.’

Bar to D.C.M. London Gazette 11 March 1916; ‘Sergeant-Major, 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. For conspicuous gallantry when in charge of a small detachment. He became seperated from any other troops on his flanks, and after several Battalions had fallen back he showed himself extremely capable, fearless and energetic in dealing with a highly critical situation.’ Awarded for an action near Hulloch on 25-26th September 1915, during the battle of Loos. Private Arthur Vickers, of the same Battalion, won the Victoria Cross for his part in the action of 25 September 1915, ‘during operations before Hulloch’.

Russian Medal of St George, 1st class London Gazette 25 August 1915.

John James Dawkins was born on 9 November 1884 and joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in about 1904. He served as part of the International Brigade at Scutari during the Balkan conflict in 1912-13, and was stationed at Malta prior to the outbreak of war in 1914. He disembarked with his battalion at Antwerp on 4 October 1914 and fought at Mons, initially as Company Quarter-Master Sergeant, later becoming Regimental Sergeant-Major, in which rank he won all four of his gallantry decorations. As a further reward he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant ‘for service in the Field’ on 5 April 1918 (London Gazette 6 May 1918). He served at the Senior Officer’s School at Aldershot, January-March 1919, was promoted to Lieutenant on 5 October 1919, and retired with the rank of Captain on 13 July 1920.