Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

An exceptional ‘Festubert 1914’ M.C. group of four awarded to Captain C. J. Cockburn, 6th Jat Light Infantry, killed in action at the Battle of Shaikh Sa’ad, during the First Attempt to Relieve Kut, 7 January 1916

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lieut., 6/Jats) second initial given as ‘L’ on this medal; British War and Victory Medals (Capt.) mounted on a fitted black velvet covered display board, extremely fine (4) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Fine Collection of Medals to Officers Who Died During The Two World Wars.

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M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1915.

The following information relating to the award of his M.C., is extracted from the regimental history, in a chapter dealing with the action at Festubert on 23/24 November 1914 ‘The Jats, too, had suffered severely. Captain Dudley was killed by a sniper at about ten yards distance, when standing by the side of Colonel Roche. Major Dundas and Captain Moore were severely wounded. Lieutenant Cockburn, since killed in Mesopotamia, showed great gallantry in leading his men to the assault, and afterwards in heading bombing parties of Gurkhas, with whom he drove the Germans from traverse to traverse, capturing some prisoners in doing so. For his bravery he received the Military Cross.’

Charles James Cockburn was born at Malta on 27 March 1891, and educated at Wellington College. He was killed in action on 7 January 1916, in the succesful action at Shaikh Sa’ad, during General Aylmer’s first attempt to relieve Kut. His name is commemorated on Basra Memorial, Iraq.