Military Cross

[Spitfire]

pic 10

[Spitfire]

The inscription to the recipient reads as "2' LIEUT JOHN MORRISON R.E."

Al

[Adam H]

Al,

I like what I see. To me this looks like an original cross. However, I am worried as I have not yet been able to find a Second Lieutenant John Morrison as having been awarded a MC. I did find one on the British National Archives Database (the R.E. on the engraving signifies Royal Engineers, and thus British, vs Canadian). Having said that the engraving does look okay from the pics...this is a tough call without the medal in hand but I have seen this style on WWI medals before.

The obvious question also is...are there any other medals with the MC or just this alone? Might be worth asking the shop owner just in case there's a chance their whereabouts are known even if he doesn't have them!

Cheers,

Adam

[Chris Boonzaier]

Looks nice.
The engraving looks OK to, if someone is going to put some phony engraving on it then it would not be RE but one of the Sexy units.

Here is my MC and bar group..

[Chris Boonzaier]

For the wider market you need the offically attributed medals to back up the privatley engraved ones.

[yellow]

I can confirm Temp. Lt J. Morrison is entitled to the MC and Bar.

There is no reason for me to doubt this is not his orginal award. Everything I can see looks legit.

Commissioned from the ranks as Sapper 164762. There being only one John Morrison who served with the Royal Engineers as an officer.

If you decide you want to shift it on be sure to drop me a PM with the price you want.

Steve.

[Chris Boonzaier]

He got both MC and bar in 1918 for river crossings under fire.

Best Chris

[yellow]

I forgot to add......please do not under any circumstances clean that medal. You wouldnt want it looking like a fake laser copy.

Lovely group that one Chris, is it from your cavalry collection?

Heres another to my county regiment ...



Steve.

[Adam H]

I couldn't get the bloody London Gazette search to come up with anything...it can be so frustrating. Nice to know it's confirmed though. Any chance of a link to the citations? Would love to read them.

Cheers,

Adam

[yellow]

As others have already said, we do have to put this medal into perspective

What if another collector out there has the trio and decides he has the orginal MC? i.e he puts another with the trio? There then no way to prove who has the orginal MC.

Ive had this arguement on many occasions myself and the guy with the officially named gongs usually wins.

Steve.

[McCulloh]

Wow!! I don't look in Britain for a week and look what pops up! Nice one Spitfire.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I forgot to add......please do not under any circumstances clean that medal. You wouldnt want it looking like a fake laser copy.

Lovely group that one Chris, is it from your cavalry collection?

Heres another to my county regiment ...



Steve.

Yup indeed, It is an officer from the 3rd Dragoon guards, the bar is actally for a cavalry charge where they killed about 100 Germans with the sword !!!

Type Vincent into the forum search and you will find it.

Best
chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

I couldn't get the bloody London Gazette search to come up with anything...it can be so frustrating. Nice to know it's confirmed though. Any chance of a link to the citations? Would love to read them.

Cheers,

Adam

Hi Adam,
I just typed in his name without rank, both are from 1918 and for arranging river crossings under fire. For the bar crossing he took out a machine gun post with a rifle grenade.

Best
Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

As others have already said, we do have to put this medal into perspective

What if another collector out there has the trio and decides he has the orginal MC? i.e he puts another with the trio? There then no way to prove who has the orginal MC.

Ive had this arguement on many occasions myself and the guy with the officially named gongs usually wins.

Steve.

Depend on your point of view.

1) If a faker wants to name an MC... why the hell to a RE officer? Even if it were not "Out of the woodwork" I would not have a problem with it.
2) How many pairs are out there to Lt John Morrison? dozens.
If you married a pair up to an unnamed MC and put it next to this.... Iwould not bother with the officially named group.
Give me a star with a unit on it and I would agree.
3) Many a collector would say this is worth no more than the sum of its parts, but I am sure there are a number of us here that think it is worth more tahn that.

I would not value it as high as it it were with a trio, but would value it higher than if someone had an unnamed MC with a pair to Lt John Morrison (obviously with no unit). And definately more than an unattributed MC and bar. The naming may not be official, but to a believer it is enough.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Steve...

Another to a mounted unit... South Africas best decorated Australian ;.)
QSA has a Defence of Mafeking bar