A MAGNIFICENT "SALONICA" MILITARY MEDAL & 1914-15 Trio
(M.I.D.) with Territorial Force Efficiency Medal. 1/1 Derby Yeo.
& French Silver Medal of Honour with Swords.
(**Only 390 silver awards to the British army during WW1)

To:
1178 Sgt J.H.D. WRIGHT. 1/1 DERBY YEOMANRY. TERRITORIAL FORCE.

[THE MEDALS]



Military Medal:75031 SJT: J.H.D. WRIGHT. 1/1 DERBY YEO:-T.F.
(London Gazette 14th January 1918)

1914-15 Star: 1178 L-CPL. J.H.D. WRIGHT. DERBY. YEO.

Pair: 1178 SJT. J.H.D. WRIGHT. DERBY. YEO.

M.I.D: London Gazette 28th November 1917

T.F.E.M: 75031 SGT: J.H.D. WRIGHT. DERBY: YEO:

French Silver Medal of Honour: Unnamed as issued.
Paris,8th January 1919.

[BIOGRAPHY]
John Henry Doxey Wright was born in Ballidon, Ashbourne, Derbyshire in 1891 and enlisted in the army on 19th September 1908 aged 17.
He is seen arriving in Egypt (Alexandria) on 27th April 1915 where he served until 13th August 1915. He was then shipped to Gallipoli from 17th August 1915 until 27th October 1915. He served in Salonica 5th February 1916 until 12th February 1919

He was diagnosed with "Malaria" due exposure in summer 1916.

[THE 1/1st DERBYSHIRE YEOMANRY]
The regiment mobilised in August 1914 as part of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade and moved to Diss (Norfolk), the brigade coming under orders of 1st Mounted Division. In September 1914 the brigade transferred to 2nd Mounted Division and by the end of the month it had moved to South Stoke and in November went on to Holt.

It remained in England until April 1915, when it sailed from Avonmouth to Egypt with the 7th Mounted Brigade, 2nd Mounted Division.

The Derby Yeomanry first saw action in Suvla Bay in August 1915, part of the final British attempt to break the stalemate of Gallipoli, and were involved in capturing Chocolate Hill from the Turks and fought in the Battle of Scimitar Hill where they served as dismounted infantry, and took heavy losses. It withdrew to Egypt and in December 1915 the regiment was employed with the Western Frontier Force in the Senussi Campaign, before being pulled back and moved to Salonika to fight against the pro-Germany Bulgars, landing there on the 7 February 1916.

"D" squadron served with the 27th Division from March to June 1916, whilst the regiment remained until the end of the war as GHQ troops in Macedonia when brigade retuned to Egypt.

[BATTLES OF SCIMITAR & CHOCOLATE HILL, GALLIPOLI]
The Battle of Scimitar Hill (Yusufçuk Tepe (Dragonfly Hill)) was the last offensive mounted by the British at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. It was also the largest single-day attack ever mounted by the Allies at Gallipoli, involving three divisions. The purpose of the attack was to remove the immediate Ottoman threat from the exposed Suvla landing and to link with the ANZAC sectors to the south. Launched on August 21, 1915, to coincide with the simultaneous attack on Hill 60, it was a massively costly failure, in which the Turks were forced to use all their reserves in "severe and bloody fighting" far into the night, with some Turkish trenches lost and retaken twice. In one day of fighting the British suffered 5,300 casualties out of the 14,300 soldiers who participated. The only two Victoria Crosses awarded at Suvla were made for rescuing of wounded at Scimitar Hill, one on 9 August by Captain Percy Hansen and the other following the 21 August battle by Private Frederick Potts.

John was Discharged on 4th April 1919 and was then living at Alsop in le Dale, Nr Ashbourne, Derby.

Complete with the original Mentioned In Dispatches Certificate & a VERY rare surviving scroll for the French Silver Medal of Honour.

A VERY RARE award of the Military Medal for the Salonica campaign in 1916.

All medals are practically 'Mint State' uncleaned & on original ribbons. Group comes with relevant London Gazette papers confirming all awards & MID. Extensive research papers included with colour MIC.

A fabulous group.
£2995 with part-exchanges welcome.