The Jack Boddington Collection of Life Saving Medals

Old Moor Munitions Company Medal 1914-18, by Fattorini & Sons, Bradford, obv. artillery pierce with shells nearby; rev. inscribed, ‘Presented to F. C. Collins for Services Rendered in the Great War 1914-18’, 32mm., silver and enamel, hallmarks for Birmingham 1919, ring suspension, attempted erasure of naming, very fine £40-60

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Boddington Collection of Life Saving Medals.

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Low Moor Munitions Factory, near Bradford, was the scene of one of the largest munition factory explosions of the entire war. On 21 August 1916 a massive explosion occured, raining chunks of debris around and causing the nearby Gasholder No.1 to deflate like a balloon. There were 99 casualties, 39 of which were fatal. Many acts of heroism took place in the aftermath of the explosion. Because the dissemination of what was considered ‘war sensitive’ information could have been advantageous to the enemy, the disaster was played down. Local papers of the time barely mentioned the tragic event. It was not until after the war that the Low Moor Munitions Company caused medals to be struck and issued to war workers of the factory.