Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War 1917 ‘Mesopotamia’ M.C. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant M. R. K. Jerram, 2/2nd Goorkha Rifles, Indian Army, later Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, for his gallantry and repeated bravery in command of the Battalion Scouts at Kut and in the advance on Baghdad, during which he was wounded; he subsequently served during the Second World War with the Naval Intelligence Division at the Admiralty

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. M. R. K. Jerram, 2/2/Goorkhas.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Lieut. M. R. K. Jerram.); Victory Medal 1914-19, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. M. R. K. Jerram.) officially re-impressed; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted court-style for wear, polished and lacquered, good very fine (8) £1,000-£1,400

Glendining’s, September 1993.

M.C. London Gazette 25 August 1917.

Martyn Ralph Knight Jerram was born in Talland, Cornwall, in 1884 and joined the Indian Forest Service in November 1905, serving in the Punjab throughout his career in India. He was commissioned Lieutenant in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers on 5 March 1915, and served with the 2/2nd Goorkha Rifles during the Great War in Mesopotamia, being wounded in action on 28 January 1917, and awarded the Military Cross. The regimental history shows his citation as ‘This officer has been in charge of the Battalion Scouts, and has done excellent service on many occasions when he penetrated Turkish trenches at great risk and often under fire, bringing back most useful information’. There are numerous references to him in the Regimental history, with the following being an example: ‘Some useful scouting work was done from this section by Lieutenants Jerram and Baker, notably one evening with 15 Scouts they reached a point some 400 yards from where the enemy’’s trench was supposed to be. Jerram then went on with three scouts, the rest remaining to support him. They entered The hostile trench, and were proceeding along it when a sentry challenged them 30 paces off and fired, and two piquets at once opened fire on our little party, who by great luck got away unharmed, though nearly all had narrow escapes, with bullets through clothes and head-dresses. Lieutenant Jerram's information brought back regarding the enemy's trenches and their position proved most useful.’

Following the Great War, Jerram returned to the Punjab, but retired from the Indian Forest Service due to ill health in 1922, and was subsequently appointed a Lecturer in the Department of Forestry, University College of North Wales, during which he published his celebrated work Elementary Forest Mensuration. He saw further service during the Second World War as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Special Branch). The Navy Lists for the period have numerous entries for him, including being posted to the Naval Intelligence Division at the Admiralty. He also served in H.M.S. Breeze from 26 January 1943, and later in H.M.S. Prodigal from 6 May 1943. He relinquished his commission on 19 February 1944, and died on 9 May 1945, the day after VE-Day, aged 61.

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