DIX NOONAN WEBB WELCOMES JIM CARVER TO THEIR MEDALS TEAM

International Medal Auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb will be welcoming James Carver to their cataloguing team from April 2022. He will also be working with Christopher Mellor-Hill, who is responsible for client liaison.

Jim’s interest in medals began at a young age when he was first shown his Grandfather’s WW1 medals and certificate of service. After initially collecting to the Great War period, Jim’s interest changed towards the more forgotten campaigns of service and sacrifice by our West African and Caribbean soldiers of the Victorian and Edwardian era as well as the African theatre of WW1.

Jim served as a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands from 2014 for five years, where his seat on the Foreign Affairs committee enabled him to pursue his special interest in Africa and the Middle East. Jim did not seek re-election in 2019, instead returning to running his family bespoke umbrella business before joining DNW.

In 2020, after purchasing a Great War memorial plaque on a hunch, his research led him to uncover the story of the late Lieutenant Euan Lucie-Smith, which challenged the traditional historical narrative when he identified him as the first black officer believed to have both served and be killed in WW1. The plaque was subsequently sold in DNW's rooms achieving a then world record price for a non-VC Great War memorial plaque.

In his younger days, as well as being a keen rugby player, Jim also served in the reserve forces. His greatest achievement so far, was completing the 2012 London Marathon. A member of the OMRS, he lives in Worcester with his wife Anne.

He commented: "I'm delighted be joining the team at DNW who I've frequently dealt with over many years whilst in pursuit of my hobby. Joining our most dynamic and successful medal auctioneers is an opportunity that excites me far more than even when I was elected to the European Parliament back in 2014."