AN IMPORTANT
'From The Ranks' & 'Hand to Hand Combat'
MILITARY CROSS (GV) & PAIR,
(13th RIFLE BRIGADE)
'With Battle Citation'
1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Defence & War Medals
&
Territorial Decoration (1947)
AWARDED WITH 13th RIFLE BRIGADE .
FOR HAVRINCOURT-TRESCAULT. 
A really top class and historically important MILITARY CROSS group of eight (with photos and many comprehensive research papers) to a man who rose from the humble rank of Private in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1916 via a commission in the Rifle Brigade in 1917 to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Signals and ASC in WW2.
Jack Fancourt Thoburn enlisted in H.A.C. on 17th April 1916.
TO FRANCE: 18th NOVEMBER 1916. In action at BUCQOUY, 25th February 1917. Wounded in action with the H.A.C. and hospitalised in March 1917. Commissioned into the RIFLE BRIGADE 26th MARCH 1918.
Took part in the vicious hand to hand fighting in the front line trenches at TRESCAULT which took place in the preparatory period to the assault on the Hindenburgh Line.
CITATION FOR MILITARY CROSS: (L.G. 11th January 1919)
"FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY. WHEN THE ENEMY, IN A DETERMINED COUNTER-ATTACK , GAINED A FOOTING IN OUR TRENCHES, THIS OFFICER LED HIS MEN OVER THE TOP AND ATTACKED THOSE WHO HAD GOT THROUGH THE WIRE, KILLING SEVERAL,DISPERSING THE REMAINDER,AND CAPTURING A MACHINE GUN AND TRENCH MORTAR. THE CONFIDENCE INSPIRED IN HIS MEN BY HIS EXAMPLE RESTORED A CRITICAL SITUATION"
THE FRONT LINE TRENCH AT TRESCAULT
The situation as described by the unit's War Diary of Mid-September 1918 was clearly at a critical stage. The German artillery and machine guns positioned around the area of HAVRINGCOURT WOOD had inflicted heavy casualties. Poison Gas shells were being fired at our troops who were positioned in the Wood. There was a major and successful assault upon the German lines by the 13th Battn, on 12th September which captured all planned objectives. This brought on a major German counter attack at about 5:30 pm on the evening of 13th September. 
JACK THOBURN'S COMPANY (This picture was taken a few hours before the company took its place in the front line and was hand dated " Sept 13 / 18 " on the original negative" ) The enemy then attempted a major 'pincer' movement on the men of the 13th in a trench occupied by Lt Thoburn and his company,who were defending an exposed forward position. The Germans approaching from the right were driven off by a Lewis Gun and rifle fire. But the enemy troops approaching from the left, managed to gain a foothold in the British line with about 15 Germans actually seen coming down the trench toward Lt Thoburn and his men. At this point Thoburn and his lads clearly sprang into action and ejected the enemy. Several being killed by 2/Lt Thoburn himself with his service revolver, with a further number being shot down by other members of the company after they had become entangled in our wire.
This action took place on the first day of Thoburn's front line commisioned service, and starkly sums up the desperate and bloody personal struggle for sheer survival that had constantly taken place on the western front throughout the entire war. On the outbreak of WW2 on 3rd September 1939 he was again commissioned back into the army and served with First Army in Africa reaching the rank of Lt-Colonel. 
Jack pictured in 1975 with his dog. Jack Thoburn died in 1976.
An excellent and important group to a totally dedicated young officer.
SOLD