Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An excessively rare inter-war M.M. group of four awarded to Warrant Officer G. H. Lewis, Royal Air Force, who was decorated for his bravery as a gunner in H.M. Armoured Car “Avenger” during an action with Kurds at Qara Anjir in May 1924 - one of only 11 M.Ms awarded to the R.A.F. between the Wars

Military Medal, G.V.R. (351286 Cpl. G. H. Lewis, 6-Arm. C. Coy. R.A.F.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Iraq, King Feisal’s War Medal, generally good very fine (4) £3000-3500

M.M. London Gazette 20 October 1925:

‘For bravery in the Field, in connection with operations in Kurdistan, in May 1924.’

George Henry Lewis enlisted in the Royal Air Force in February 1922, having earlier served in the Welsh Regiment from December 1915 to October 1917, in which latter month, as a member of the 4th (Reserve) Battalion, he was honourably discharged and awarded the Silver War Badge - his MIC entry confirms that he was never issued with any campaign medals, so presumably he was discharged through sickness after service on the home establishment.

Posted to No. 6 Armoured Car Company in Kurdistan, Lewis was advanced to Corporal in April 1924 and won his M.M. for gallantry in action against the Kurds at Qara Anjir on 7 May, an action best described by Flying Officer G. A. Elliot, who was in command of His Majesty’s Armoured Car (H.M.A.C.) “Avenger” - a car of the Rolls-Royce variety rather than a Lancia:

‘I have the honour to submit the following report. I arrived at the Assyrian Camp at about 1830 hours with H.M.A.C. “Avenger” and H.M.A.C. “Explorer”. At about 1845 hours Captain Fry of the 2nd Battalion, Iraq Levies, returned from visiting his picquets and reported that a party of 15 Arabs were advancing to attack one of the picquets, having just fired on one of their Camp Arabansh Drivers. There was a track leading to the hills where the Arabs were, and I took two cars, and Captain Fry, as guide, proceeding along this track. A piece of embankment gave way and the leading car (H.M.A.C. “Avenger”) got stuck for about three minutes - here we were first fired on. H.M.A.C. “Avenger” was pulled out of the rut by H.M.A.C. “Explorer”, Corporal Ashcroft jumping out of his car and thus exposing himself to the fire of the Arabs, and helping to place a tow rope on to the “Avenger”. We could only proceed a little further owing to the steepness of the hills. I therefore dismounted the “Avenger’s” gun [manned by Lewis] and ran about 100-150 yards up a side valley and up the hill, thus obtaining cross fire. Captain Fry, meanwhile, covered this with his rifle and shot one of the Arabs. Our machine-gun then came into action and replied to the Arabs’ fire, by spraying the top of the hill with short bursts, one burst hitting the Arab already hit by Captain Fry. During this period “Avenger” and “Explorer” had turned round ready for a retreat, and it being very nearly dark, this I decided to do. Captain Fry and myself covered with rifle fire the withdrawal of the machine-gun and then retreated to the cars, which returned car by car in distances of about 200 yards, each car covering the other’s withdrawal by machine-gun fire, and got back to camp about five minutes before dark. No sniping took place that night. This morning a number of Arabs were seen (about 70 believed to include women) on the adjacent hill tops round the camp. Corporal Lewis, who fired the machine-gun, and Aircraftsman Osborne (No. 2 Gunner) both displayed absolute disregard of fear while under fire, not once hesitating to get and maintain their car in action. Both car drivers and gunners of the “Explorer” carried out their duties in a very satisfactory manner, obeying all orders instantly.’

To this report should be added the following comments of Captain O. M. Fry of the 2nd Battalion, Iraq Levies:

‘Advancing a little further the road became too steep and Flying Officer Elliot gave the order for dismounted action. Covered by the fire of only one rifle, Corporal Lewis carried his Vickers gun to a position some 20 feet above the road and quickly getting into action drove the Kurds off, leaving one of them killed within 20 feet of the gun. Sniping continued for some time until silenced by Corporal Lewis. Owing to the initiative of the Armoured Car Commander and the conduct of his crew, the Kurds never again approached within firing distance of the camp and sniping was effectually arrested.’

But there the story does not end, for Lewis was back in action in “Avenger” on the following day, when several parties of Kurds attempted to ambush his armoured car section about two miles from Qara Anjir - Flying Officer Elliot reporting that his guns returned fire over a distance of 2 or 3 miles of track, killing at least three of the enemy and that ‘All members of the car crews behaved very well, while under the heavy fire of the ambush, maintaining their fire on the Kurds all the time.’

Lewis, and Corporal Ashcroft of the “Explorer”, were awarded M.Ms, the former receiving his decoration by post in January 1926, shortly before being discharged, but he was not entitled to the General Service Medal for the earlier operations in Kurdistan in 1923. He was, however, awarded King Feisal’s War Medal, which distinction was sent to him via the Air Ministry in February 1930.

Recalled on the renewal of hostilities, Lewis served in the U.K. and India, was awarded the Defence & War Medals, and was finally discharged as a Warrant Officer in July 1947; sold with a large file of research, including related official reports and entries from No. 6 Armoured Car Company’s war diary, one of the former stating that ‘Sayed Mohammed Jabbari was much incensed at the loss of his mare’, apparently a victim of Lewis’ accurate fire in the action fought on 7 May 1924.

N.B. A single George V M.M. inscribed to ‘Cpl. G. H. Lewis, R.A.F.’ was included in a sale at Glendining & Co., 22 July 1975 (see Lot 245), but was withdrawn from sale on being found to be unofficially named.