Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. pair awarded to Sergeant J. C. Randall, Postal Section, Royal Engineers, late 24th Middlesex (Post Office) Rifle Volunteers and City of London Imperial Volunteers

Military Medal, G.V.R. (27935 Sjt: J. C. Randall. R.E.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Diamond Hill (548 Pt. J. C. Randall. C.I.V.) with replacement retaining rod; mounted for display purposes along with a 1914-15 [sic] Star (27935 Pte. J. C. Randall. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (27935 Sjt. J. C. Randall R.E.) the Great War campaign medals all modern copies, nearly extremely fine (5) £400-£500

Provenance: Jack Webb Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, August 2020.

M.M. London Gazette 29 March 1919.

John Charles Randall was born in Upper Holloway, London on 20 January 1875. A Post Office sorter, he enlisted into the 24th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers on 23 January 1895 and served as one of their 7 man detachment in South Africa during the Boer War in the Infantry Battalion of the City Imperial Volunteers. He further served in the South African War with the Army Post Office Corps, additionally qualifying for the King’s South Africa Medal with clasps for 1901 and 1902.

Following the outbreak of the Great War, Randall served as a Sapper with the Postal Section, Royal Engineers, on the Western Front from 26 September 1914 (entitled to a 1914 Star without clasp, not the 1914-15 Star, with his rank shown as ‘Spr.’, not ‘Pte.’). Advanced to Sergeant, for his gallantry he was awarded the Military Medal. He died in Worthing, Sussex in 1954.