Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Somme’ M.M. group of four awarded to Private J. P. Hannaford, 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, who was killed in action in September 1916

Military Medal, G.V.R. (15493 Pte. J. P. Hannaford. 2/Devon: R.); 1914-15 Star (15493 Pte. J. P. Hannaford. Devon: R.); British War and Victory Medals (15493 Pte. J. P. Hannaford. Devon. R.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque (John Parker Hannaford) and Memorial Scroll (L.Cpl. John Parker Hannaford, M.M., 2 Devon Regt.) good very fine (5) £400-£500

M.M. London Gazette 1 September 1916.

According to correspondence with his elderly sister which accompanies the lot, ‘Jack’ was a Lewis Gunner who, under heavy fighting, brought the gun back after the rest of the team were killed or wounded. There is no direct reference to him in the War Diary but the entry for 1 July 1916, First Day of the battle of the Somme quotes:

‘Two Lewis Guns were lost, the remaining six were brought in during daylight under heavy fire, two of these by Privates who were the only men left of their teams.’

After the initial action of the battle of the Somme, the 2nd Devons were moved from sector to sector, from Cuinchy to the Hohenzollern, then to the Quarries, and finally to Hulluch in the Loos area, where on 16 September 1916, he was killed when a shell burst over his trench.

John Parker Hannaford, known as ‘Jack’, was born on 2 October 1895, at Southpool, near Kingsbridge, Devon, but shortly afterwards the family moved to East Portlemouth, near Salcombe. He enlisted into the Devonshire Regiment at Exeter on 25 January 1915, arrived in France on 25 May 1915, and was killed in action on 16 September 1916. He is buried in Vermelles British Cemetery, and has a memorial in St Winalloe Church, East Portlemouth.

Sold with research including a copied photograph of Hannaford, several others of his grave and memorial, and two Devons badges.