Medals 27-28 June 2012

GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY SOLD BY ORDER OF THE FAMILY

1198

The exceptional Great War ‘Western Front’ M.C. and two bars group of four awarded to Captain R. R. Rawson, 19th Divisional Signal Company, Royal Engineers, who won an Olympic Gold Medal for heavyweight boxing in the 1920 Olympic Games, having already been crowned the Amateur Boxing Association Champion earlier that year, a title which he retained in 1921 - none of his three fights in the 1920 Olympics went beyond the second round and he won the final against his Danish opponent by a knock out

MILITARY CROSS, G.V.R., with Second and Third Award Bars, reverse of M.C. inscribed ‘Captain R. R. Rawson, New Years’ Honours, January 1917’, reverse of Second Award Bar inscribed ‘Battle of Arras 9th April 1917’; Third Award Bar, uninscribed as issued, 1914-15 STAR (2. Lieut., R.E.); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (Capt.); together with recipient’s Olympic ‘Gold’ Prize Medal and eleven other sporting prize medals as listed below, nearly extremely fine (16)

£15000-20000 M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917.

Bar to M.C. London Gazette 26 July 1917 ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He maintained communication throughout the day under heavy fire. Although the whole of his party had become casualties, and he himself was slightly gassed, he continued his work for the remainder of the day.’ Awarded for an action at Arras on 9 April 1917 when serving with 9th Divisional Signal Company.

Second Bar to M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1919. Just four officers of the Royal Engineers were awarded a Military Cross and two bars during the Great War.

Ronald Rawson Rawson was born in Surrey on 17 June 1892. He was educated at West Downs School, Westminster and Cambridge University and prior to the outbreak of the Great War served in the University of Cambridge School Corps for three years. He applied for his commission in the regular army on 21 August 1914 and was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Signal Squadron, Royal Engineers on 5 September 1914. He embarked for France the following May and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in August 1915 and Captain in July 1917. Rawson was invested with his Military Cross at Buckingham Palace on 17 February 1917, and returned there in June 1919 to be invested with both his first and second award bars. He was demobilized in May 1919 and died in March 1952, aged 60.

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