Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Omdurman D.C.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant Master Cook J. M. Brooke, Grenadier Guards

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. ((S:Mr. Cook) J. M. Brooke, Gren. Gds. (2nd Septr. 1898)); Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (3810 Sgt. M. Cook J. M. Brook, 1/Gren. Gds.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (T-2-SR-03553 S.S. Mjr. J. M. Brooke. A.S.C.); Meritorious Service Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (3810 Sjt. J. M. Brooke. (D.C.M.) G. Gds.); The Royal Victorian Medal, V.R., silver (..10 Sgt. M. Cook, 1st ...n Gds.) privately named and worn in parts, with rare Second Award Silver Bar ‘E May 1910 R’; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Khartoum (3810 Serjt. J. M. Brooke, 1 Gren. Gds.) the earlier medals with contact marks, therefore good fine and better, the M.S.M. nearly extremely fine and a very rare group (6) £4000-5000

Ex Norman Brooks Collection; and Dix Noonan Webb, July 2001.

D.C.M. awarded for the battle of Omdurman 2 September 1898. Recommendation submitted to the Queen 9 November 1898; London Gazette 15 November 1898; Army Order 125 of 1899.

The Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) for services as a member of The Queen’s Company of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, since the death of Queen Victoria. Sergeant Brooke was one of the bearer party at the Queen’s funeral and received his medal from King Edward VII in the garden of Marlborough House on 18 March 1901.

Bar to The Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) for services at the funeral of King Edward VII, 7 June 1910. Only four of these specially struck silver bars were awarded, all to members of the Grenadier Guards.

M.S.M. awarded 10 February 1945.

John Miles Brooke was born in the Parish of St Michaels, Gloucestershire, and enlisted for the Grenadier Guards at Bristol in July 1892. He was discharged after completion of his first period of service in July 1913, re-enlisted for a second period and was finally discharged in November 1919. He died in hospital at Halstead, Essex, on 11 July 1952.

A later impressed duplicate D.C.M. and Sudan pair to Brooke is known to exist (see Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006).