Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.M. group of five awarded to Acting Warrant Officer Class 2 W. J. Borrie, Canadian Engineers, who also received the Russian St. George Medal for Bravery prior to being wounded on the Somme in September 1916

Military Medal, G.V.R., naming erased and edge impressed ‘(Replacement)’; 1914-15 Star (45049 L. Cpl. W. J. Borrie, Can. Eng.); British War and Victory Medals (45049 A.W.O. Cl. 2 W. J. Borrie, C.E.); Russia, St. George Medal for Bravery, 3rd Class, silver, reverse impressed, ‘No. 6619’, on ‘St. George’ ribbon, some contact marks, very fine and better (5)
£300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Canadian Expeditonary Force 1914-1918.

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M.M. London Gazette 23 August 1916.

Wilfird John Borrie, who was born at New Westminster, British Columbia, in April 1895, enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in November 1914.

Embarked for France in early 1915, where he joined 3rd Field Company, Canadian Engineers, he was admitted to hospital that September, shortly after having been awarded the Russian St. George Medal for Bravery, 3rd Class (London Gazette 25 August 1915 refers).

Advanced to Corporal in January 1916, he returned to France with the 7th Field Company that April, adding the M.M. to his accolades on the Somme in July before being severely wounded by a bullet in the chest in September and invalided to the U.K.

He does not appear to have returned to active service and was advanced to Acting Company Sergeant-Major in October 1918. Borrie was discharged at Vancouver in February 1919; sold with copied service record.