Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant F. Fooks, 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (5741 Sjt: F. Fooks. 5/Lrs:); 1914 Star (5741 Cpl. F. Fooks. 5/Lrs.); British War and Victory Medals (5L-5741 Sjt. F. Fooks. 5-Lrs.) mounted court-style, light pitting from Star, otherwise good very fine, rare to unit (4) £700-£900

M.M. London Gazette 11 October 1916.

Frank Fooks attested for the 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 15 August 1914. On 21 January 1916, the Regimental Diary reports, ‘A quiet night. Sergeants Goodfellow and Fooks volunteered to go out and bury some dead of the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment, who were killed in the attack on 18 October. This was successfully done. Intermittent shelling. No casualties.’

Fooks awarded his Military Medal as part of a batch awarded for operations on the Somme, mainly during the period 1 July to mid-August 1916, and received the riband to his Military Medal on a Brigade Parade from Divisional Commander, Major-General Sir P. W. Chetwode, Bart., C.B., D.S.O. on 29 October, 1916.