Orders, Decorations and Medals

A scarce Norway M.M. awarded to Corporal J. J. Binns, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who was subsequently killed in action on the Anzio beachhead in May 1944

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4687417 A/L/Cpl. J. J. Binns, K.O.Y.L.I.) together with five photographs, letter of congratulations on the award of the M.M. from the Chief of the General Staff, official notification of his death in action, letters of condolence from his commanding officer and the regimental Chaplain, various other documents and several news cuttings, extremely fine £600-800

M.M. London Gazette 6 August 1940. One of three awards to the K.O.Y.L.I. for Norway. The following recommendation was taken from official records: ‘Private (acting Lance Corporal) John James Binns, 1 K.O.Y.L.I., Sickle Force, 5th Corps. During an enemy attack this non commissioned officer took a light machine gun and going out by himself worked round the flank of an enemy machine gun detachment that was enfilading his platoon’s position. He shot down the enemy at close range and silenced the machine gun. He was absolutely fearless in action, setting a splendid example to his men and causing heavy casualties to the enemy.’

John Binns was born in Everton and was educated at Our Lady Immaculate R.C. School in Liverpool. He joined the Army when he was 16 and served in India for seven years, being welter-weight champion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He was killed in action on 8 May, 1944, whilst serving with the Central Mediterranean Forces. In a letter to his widow the Rev. W. J. Hill wrote, ‘He was in many ways the most remarkable soldier in this very fine battalion. He had so many daring exploits to his credit that his comrades had come to think of him as bearing a charmed life and his death came as a profound shock. He was at the time acting as a sniper and watching for an enemy sniper that had been causing a lot of trouble. The position was the hottest spot on the Anzio beach head, a section known as the “Fortress area”. There is some uncertainty as to just how he was killed, it may have been a burst of machine-gun fire from the sniper he was trying to liquidate, or it may have been a splinter from a mortar bomb, the area was under fire at the time.’