Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Omdurman D.C.M. group of three awarded to Sergeant Master Cook J. M. Brooke, Grenadier Guards

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (3810 Serjt. J. M. Brooke, 1st Gren. Gds.), officially impressed naming; Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (3810 Serjt. J. M. Brooke, 1/Gren. Gds.), officially engraved naming; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Khartoum (3810 Serjt. J. M. Brooke, Gren. Gds.), officially engraved naming, all official duplicate issues, probably of Edwardian / Great War vintage, good very fine or better (3) £700-900

D.C.M. awarded for the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September 1898. Recommendation submitted to the Queen 9 November 1898 (London Gazette 15 November 1898; Army Order 125 of 1899).

John Miles Brooke was born in the Parish of St. Michaels, Gloucestershire, and enlisted in the Grenadier Guards at Bristol in July 1892. He was discharged after completion of his first period of service in July 1913, re-enlisted for a second period and was finally discharged in November 1919.

In addition to the above described Honours and Awards, he was also entitled to the Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) for services as a member of The Queen’s Company of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, since the death of Queen Victoria - he was one of the bearer party at the Queen’s funeral and received his Medal from King Edward VII in the garden of Marlborough House on 18 March 1901; a Bar to his Royal Victorian Medal (Silver) for services at the funeral of King Edward VII on 7 June 1910 - one of only four specially struck silver bars awarded to members of the Grenadier Guards; the Army L.S. & G.C. Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue; and the M.S.M. awarded to him on 10 February 1945; see Dix Noonan Webb, 4 July 2001 (Lot 1038) for Brooke’s original set of awards.

He died at Halstead, Essex, on 11 July 1952.