The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria

The Q.S.A. awarded to Private E. G. Gibson, 21st Middlesex (Finsbury) Rifle Volunteers and City of London Imperial Volunteers, later Imperial Yeomanry, who was awarded the M.M. in 1917, and was killed in action on 11 April 1918 whilst serving with the 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, date clasp unofficially affixed (D24 Pte. E. G. Gibson, C.I.V.) very fine £160-£200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria.

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M.M. London Gazette 21 August 1917.

Ernest George Gibson was born in Shoreditch, London in 1879. Firstly a clerk and then later a printing machinery repairer by occupation, he served in South Africa with the 21st Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (the Finsbury Rifles) detachment in the Infantry Battalion of the City of London Imperial Volunteers. After the disbandment of the C.I.V. he enlisted once more, attesting at Penton Street, London, for the Metropolitan Mounted Rifles, 24th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry on 13 February 1901 and served with them in South Africa from 12 April 1901 until 17 October 1901, thus additionally qualifying for the South Africa 1901 clasp to his Q.S.A. He was discharged at his own request from further service in connection with the war in South Africa on 18 October 1901.

During the Great War, Gibson served initially with the 1/12th (City of London) Battalion (Kensington), London Regiment before transferring to the 13th (Service) Battalion (1st County Down), Royal Irish Rifles. He was promoted Corporal, and was awarded the M.M., the schedule number of which indicates it was undoubtedly for bravery at Messines, 7 -14 June 1917, where his battalion were in action, capturing Wytschaete. Having transferred from the 13th Battalion on 18 February 1918, following their disbandment, he was killed in action on 11 April 1918, with the 12th Royal Irish Rifles at a time when his battalion was again fighting at Messines in the Battle of the Lys, during the German Spring Offensive. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.