THE MILITARY CROSS AND GREEK WAR CROSS WW1 AND WW2 CAMPAIGN GROUP TO CAPTAIN SAMUEL SPEDDING JOHN, 9TH BATTALION CHESHIRE REGIMENT AND CONTROL OFFICER, ALLIED POLICE COMMISSION (OCCUPATION OF TURKEY), WHO ALSO SAW SERVICE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR WITH AFRICAN COLONIAL FORCES, AND WHO, PRIOR TO THE OUTBREAK OF WW1, WAS A PRACTICING BARRISTER IN IRELAND, HIS DECORATIONS AND MEDALS BEING A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF DECORATIONS AND MEDALS TO THE CHESHIRE REGIMENT. Seven: Military Cross, George V (unnamed, as issued), 1914-15 Star (officially named, impressed: LIEUT. S.S. JOHN. CHES. R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf on Victory Medal (both officially named, impressed: CAPT. S.S. JOHN.); 1939-45 Defence and War Medals (both unnamed, as issued); Greek War Cross, 3rd class (reverse of cross with maker's mark of A.A. Rivaud). Group mounted "court style" for display, silver medals attractively toned, generally Extremely Fine.
Captain John was awarded the Military Cross for going out repeatedly into no-man's land on his own, under fire, and rescuing, in succession, an officer and 20 men from another regiment (the 9th Battalion Welch Regiment). A remarkable act of sustained gallantry, leading to an outstanding recommendation, which no doubt led to his being selected by his battalion for the additional award of the Greek War Cross, his Greek War Cross also being awarded for “gallantry and distinguished service”.
The regimental history records a total of 5 Greek War Crosses to the Cheshire Regiment for the First World War, 2 officers and 3 other ranks, Captain John being the only recipient of the Greek War Cross also awarded the Military Cross.
Group accompanied by biographical details, extract 1911 census, 20 pages of documents and correspondence from Captain John's Officers Papers file, extracts London Gazettes of the period, copied extracts 9th Cheshires War Diary for the period 19th July-31st October 1915, along with some copied research.
Samuel Spedding John (1891-1977) was born on 30/1/1891 at 15 Mount Pleasant Square, Dublin, Ireland, the son of Abraham Spedding and Kathleen Mortimer John. He is recorded in the 1911 census as a 20 year old undergraduate then studying at Trinity College Dublin, resident in Bray, Co. Wicklow, with his parents, brother and sister. John graduated from Trinity College (B.A., 1913) and was called to the bar (Ireland) in June 1914. John's career as a barrister was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War (a copy of a group photograph of barristers called to the bar in Dublin in June 1914 taken from the Irish Independent of 11/6/1914, which includes Samuel Spedding John, accompanies the group), John was subsequently commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 9th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, 13/11/1914, Captain John's medal index card records him as having first seen active service during WW1 in France, entering that theater of operations on 30/6/1915. He was promoted Lieutenant, 12/8/1915, and Captain, 29/8/1917 and relinquished his commission following the end of WW1 on 31/1/1920.
Following the end of WW1, John resumed his legal career, initially in Ireland and subsequently in Nigeria. John re-enlisted into the army following the outbreak of WW2, being commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, seniority 3/9/1939 (the announcement in the London Gazette of 3/10/1941 with regard to John's having been commissioned records him as being at that time an Officer holding a Governor's Commission, African Colonial Forces), John seeing service in Nigeria during the Second World War (awarded 1939-45 Defence and War Medals).
After the Second World War, Samuel Spedding John continued his distinguished career in the legal profession, latterly as a judge in the Special Courts in both Nigeria and Cyprus.
War diary confirms that Captain John was the Grenadier Officer for the 9th Cheshires, in charge of instructing officers and men in the use of hand grenades.
Captain John was mentioned in despatches, London Gazette, 1/1/1916 and 30/1/1919. His Military Cross was announced in the London Gazette of 18/11/1915 and was awarded for an act of gallantry on 25/9/1915 (First Day, Battle of Loos, the 9th Cheshires baptism of fire):
"Temporary Second Lieutenant Samuel Spedding John, 9th Battalion The Cheshire Regiment. For conspicuous gallantry during the fighting near Festubert on 25th September, 1915. After a retirement to the trenches had been ordered Second Lieutenant John crawled out under heavy fire and assisted to bring in, in succession a wounded Officer and about twenty men of another regiment, thus saving many lives. He continued this gallant work throughout the day till he was utterly exhausted. This is not the first time that Second Lieutenant John has shown conspicuous courage.”
The regimental history of the Cheshire Regiment records that the Commanding Officer of the 9th Battalion The Welch Regiment subsequently wrote to the Commanding Officer of the 9th Cheshires to thank the 9th Cheshires for bringing in his officer and men from no-man's land.
"My dear Colonel Dauntesey, I much regret that I have not found an opportunity of personally thanking the gallant lads of your Battalion who brought in a lot of our wounded with such bravery on the 25th September. Where acts of heroism were so frequently performed on that day, it is now difficult to particularise, but Captain Mackenzie mentioned 2nd/Lieut. John, Privates Callf and Johnson. I shall be much obliged if you will convey to them this poor appreciation of their gallant conduct."
Captain John was seriously wounded on 23/11/1915, two months after he performed the act of gallantry for which he was awarded the Military Cross. On the day that John was wounded, the then 2nd Lieutenant John was attached to 58th Brigade Staff as a Grenadier Instructor, and was in charge of a party which was practicing throwing live grenades into a trench full of water. According to a subsequent report in John's Officers Papers file, "a man who had been given a Cricket Ball Bomb to light and throw, lit the bomb but fumbled in the act of throwing, so dropping the bomb near 2/Lt. John, who had not time to get away before the explosion occurred." The explosion killed the man who dropped the grenade, 16676 Private Powells of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and in addition to John, wounded eleven men from the 9th Welch Regiment, 6th Wiltshires and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. John was wounded in the right foot, head, both hands, left knee, chest and right loin, two operations subsequently being performed to remove shrapnel to his foot and loin.
Captain John's Greek War Cross (3rd class) was announced in the London Gazette of 7/10/1919, his service papers recording it as having been awarded "For gallantry and distinguished service".
Following the cessation of hostilities in Europe John was appointed Control Officer, Allied Police Commission (Constanipole, Turkey) 6/6/1919 and continued in that position to 31/1/1920, relinquishing his commission on completion of service on 31/1/1920, and granted the rank of Captain. At the time of discharge John's home address was Roseville House, Bray, Co. Dublin (now Co. Wicklow).
Captain John was held in high regard by his contemporaries, both the officers he served alongside and the men he led. A report in his Officers Papers file notes that he was "reported as being a very good and efficient officer; a very good disciplinarian and instructor; and an excellent leader; thoroughly reliable; possesses a good knowledge of civil and military law; possesses a slight knowledge of French; and is physically fit."
When news of John having been awarded the Military Cross was announced in his local newspaper, the Wicklow Newsletter, the newspaper also published a letter from one of John's sergeants to his family, which stated that if John "asked of his men for their right hand, they would give it and that they would follow him to certain death if needs be".
The 9th (Service) Battalion Cheshire Regiment was formed at Chester on 13/9/1914 and saw service throughout WW1 with 56th Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The battalion landed in France as a unit on 26/9/1915, but was reduced to a cadre on 17/6/1918, with its personnel being transferred to the 1/6th Battalion Cheshire Regiment, that cadre then subsequently being transferred on 23/6/1918 to the 39th Division and disbanded in France on 3/8/1918. In France the battalion took part in the battle of Loos, 25/9 - 2/10/1915, the battles of the Somme, July-November 1916, the battle of Messines, 7-14 June 1917, and the battles of Ypres, September - November 1917, the battles of the Somme, March 1918, the Lys, April 1918, the Aisne, 6/6/1918 and the final advance to victory, October-November 1918.
The First World War memorial in the Four Courts in Dublin records a total of 25 Irish barristers as having died during WW1, including Lieutenant Thomas (Tom) Kettle, 9th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers and Major William (Willy) Redmond, 6th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, who was 56 years of age when he was killed in action at the battle of Messines.
