Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Inter-War 1920 ‘Iraq’ M.M. pair awarded to Private J. H. Howting, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Military Medal, G.V.R. (38980 Pte. J. H. Howting. 1/R. Berks. R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (5328669 Pte. C. J. H. Howting. R. Berks. R.) first digit of number officially corrected on GSM, minor edge bruising, good very fine and rare (2) £1,000-£1,400

Approximately 35 Military Medals awarded for the Iraq campaign, 10 December 1919 to 17 November 1920.

M.M. London Gazette 6 December 1920:
‘For bravery and devotion to duty on the 12th May 1920, between Al Qaim and Nahiyeh, when under heavy fire at very close range he salved the contents of a car which had been put out of action.’

Charles John H. Howting was born in Sheerness, Kent, on 22 July 1894, and attested for the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 26 November 1915. He served with both the 1st and 8th Battalions during the Great War (also entitled to a British War and Victory Medal pair), before being discharged on 24 January 1919. He re-enlisted the following day, and saw further service with the 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment in Iraq and Mesopotamia, being awarded the Regiment’s only Military Medal for the post-War Iraq campaign, 10 December 1919 to 17 November 1920. He was discharged on the reduction of the establishment on 8 December 1922, before re-enlisting in the Army Reserve for four years on 10 May 1923. He died at Sheerness, Kent, on 26 May 1975.