Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.M. and Bar group of five awarded to Sergeant John Wayburn, 8th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (8886 L. Cpl. J. Wayburn. 8/Devon: R.); 1914 Star (8886 Pte. J. Wayburm. 2/Devon: R.) note spelling of surname; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (8886 Sjt. J. Wayburn. Devon. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (5608733 Pte. J. Wayburn (M.M.) Devon. R.) very fine or better (5) £600-£800

Provenance: Glendining’s, September 1993.

M.M. London Gazette 28 January 1918.

M.M. Second Award Bar London Gazette 17 June 1919.

M.I.D. London Gazette 6 January 1919 (General Cavan, Italy).

The North Devon Journal for November 15, 1917, carried the following announcement:
‘Lance-Corporal J. Wayburn, son of Mr and Mrs Wayburn, of Park Gardens, Lynton, has again been wounded, this for the third time. His many friends will be pleased to hear that he has been awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery in the field during October. He has been in France since the outbreak of the War.’

John Wayburn was born in the Parish of Lynton, near Barnstaple, Devon, and enlisted into the Devon Regiment at Exeter on 5 January 1909, aged 18 years 9 months, a butcher by trade. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion in September 1910 and served with that battalion in Egypt from 5 August to 24 September, 1914, and in France from 6 November 1914 until 14 April 1917, when he was posted to the 8th Battalion and with whom he continued to serve in France and Italy. He re-enlisted into the 2nd Battalion on 22 January 1919, and served with the battalion in India where, at Quetta on 27 May 1920, he was presented with the Bar to his M.M. at a parade by Major-General Sir David Campbell, K.C.B., Commanding 4th (Quetta) Division. He was awarded the L.S. & G.C. medal with gratuity in Army Order 357 of 1927, and was discharged at Exeter on 4 January 1930. He died suddenly at Tidenham on 24 December 1930.