Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1916 M.M. group of four awarded to Private S. J. Horne, Worcestershire Regiment, who was thrice wounded in action during the Great War, before being killed in action, 4 December 1917

Military Medal, G.V.R. (9060 Pte. S. J. Horne. 2/Worc: R:); 1914-15 Star (9060 Pte. S. J. Horne. Worc: R.); British War and Victory Medals (9060 Pte. S. J. Horne. Worc. R.) generally very fine or better (4) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Worcestershire Regiment formed by Group Captain J. E. Barker.

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Provenance: Sotheby’s, March 1988 (M.M. sold as a single).

M.M. London Gazette 10 August 1916.

Stephen James Horne was born in Birmingham, in July 1894. He attested for the 5th (Special Reserve) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, at the city of his birth, in February 1914. Horne transferred to the 2nd Battalion with the outbreak of the Great War, and served with them in the French theatre of war from 24 November 1914.

The 2nd Battalion took part in a successful raid on Auchy, 1 - 2 July 1916, during which Horne received a gunshot wound to the eye and was hospitalised. He returned to active duty on 11 July 1916, to discover that in XI Army Corps Routine Orders of 10 July he had been awarded an Immediate Military Medal, his being one of 9 listed to the 2nd Battalion presumably all for gallant conduct during the raid.

After a period of leave in the UK, Horne returned to the Battalion and was wounded in action again - this time at Croisilles, 23 May 1917. He suffered another shrapnel wound, 27 September 1917, and was hospitalised for several weeks. Horne rejoined the Battalion in November, as they were in trenches east of Passchendaele. The 2nd Battalion were withdrawn back to a support position near Seine Farm, and Horne was killed in action on 4 December 1917. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

Sold with a file of copied research.