Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4705    Session 14 (4.30pm Thursday)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $200
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $500

PAIR: 1914-15 Star; Victory Medal 1914-19. J.Coakley. A.B. on first medal, 398 Cpl. J.Coakley. 3 Pnr. Bn. A.I.F. on second medal. Both medals impressed. Very fine - good very fine.

Entitled to MM: LG 24/1/1919, p1250, posn 89; CAG 23/5/1919, p897, posn 53.

Recommendation: On the morning of the 8th August, 1918, No.398 J. Coakley, was in charge of works - repairing roads in the long valley about 3,000 yards south west of Cerisy, about Q.13 - which were necessary to be in a fit state for artillery and other transport at an early hour, in order that the advance might be carried on to its final objective. Owing greatly to the way in which Corporal Coakley handled his men under hostile machine gun and artillery fire, and the rapidity with which he got his men onto their works, the successful completion of the work was finally due. Throughout the whole operations he showed a splendid example of keenness and devotion to duty which is essential for the carrying out of urgent works of this nature.

John Coakley, seaman, age 36, born at Queenstown, Ireland, residing at Sydney, NSW; service of 7 months with Naval and Military Expeditionary Force; Enl.12Jan1916 at Liverpool, NSW, in AIF; next of kin shown as brother, Cornelius Coakley, Portsmouth, near Boston, USA; Emb.06Jun1916; to France 24Nov1916; attached to Divisional HQs, Yukon Pack as instructor in the field, 15May1917; rejoined unit 23May1917; 15Sep1918 awarded MM for devotion to duty and sterling courage under shell and machine gun fire; RTA 01Jul1919; Disch.09Apr1920 Medically Unfit with Malaria.

Records state that Pte Coakley was awarded 1914-15 Star for service with ANM&EF and the British War Medal 1914-18 and Victory Medal 1914-19 for service with AIF. In 1936 a request was made on behalf of Mrs Coakley to Army Base Records for replacement medals for the Military Medal and the British War Medal of her husband John Coakley as they had been stolen by someone during his funeral after he died of TB in Randwick Hospital. The theft was reported to the Police but no trace of the missing medals could be found. The Army replied on 18 Feb 1936 and advised that Regulations prohibited the replacement of medals of a deceased soldier.

With copy of service file.