THE VICTORIA CROSS AND CAMPAIGN MEDALS AWARDED TO COLONEL JOHN DUNCAN GRANT, 8TH GURKHA RIFLES, HAVE BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION BY MORTON AND EDEN OF LONDON.
2 July 2014


( select to enlarge )
Medal entitlement of Colonel John Duncan Grant,
1st Bn, 8th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army

  • Victoria Cross
  • Companion, Order of the Bath ( CB )
  • Distinguished Service Order ( DSO )
  • Tibet Medal ( 1903-04 )
    • 1 clasps:
    • "Gyantse"
  • 1914-15 Star
  • British War Medal ( 1914-20 )
  • Victory Medal ( 1914-19 ) + MiD Oakleaf
  • India General Service Medal ( 1908-35 )
    • 3 clasps:
    • "Afghanistan NWF 1919"
    • "Waziristan 1919-21" - "Mahsud 1919-20"
  • Defence Medal ( 1939-45 )
  • King George V Silver Jubilee Medal ( 1935 )
  • King George VI Coronation Medal ( 1937 )
  • Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal ( 1953 )

The Victoria Cross, campaign and commemorative medals, awarded to Colonel John Duncan Grant, 8th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army, have been sold at auction by the London auction house of Morton and Eden on the 2nd July 2014. The estimated sale price was between £200,000 and £250,000. The VC group realised a sale hammer price of £340,000. The John Grant Victoria Cross group was purchased by the Michael Ashcroft Trust the holding institution for the Lord Ashcroft VC collection and will go on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.


For the award of the Victoria Cross

[ London Gazette, ], Gyantse Jong, Tibet, 6 July 1904, Lieutenant John Duncan Grant, 1st Bn, 8th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army.

On the occasion of the storming of the Gyantse Jong on 6th July 1904, the storming Company, headed by Lieutenant Grant, on emerging from the cover of the village, had to advance up a bare, almost precipitous, rock-face, with little or no cover available, and under a heavy fire from the curtain, flanking towers on both sides of the curtain, and other buildings higher up the Jong. Showers of rocks and stones were at the time being hurled down the hillside by the enemy from above. One man could only go up at a time, crawling on hands and knees, to the breach in the curtain.

Lieutenant Grant, followed by Havildar Karbir Pun, 8th Gurkha Rifles, at once attempted to scale it, but on reaching near the top he was wounded, and hurled back, as was also the Havildar, who fell down the rock some 30 feet. Regardless of their injuries they again attempted to scale the breach, and, covered by the fire of the men below, were successful in their object, the Havildat shooting one of the enemy on gaining the top.

The successful issue of the assault was very greatly due to the splendid example shown by Lieutenant Grant and Havildar Karbir Pun. The latter has been recommended for the Indian Order of Merit.

John Duncan Grant was invested with his Victoria Cross by King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on the 24 July 1905.


[ London Gazette, 19 December 1922 ], Created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ), Lieutenant Colonel John Duncan Grant VC, 13th Rajputs, Indian Army

For distinguished service rendered in the Field with the Waziristan Force 1920-21.


Colonel Grant died on the 20th February 1967, aged 90, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and was cremated in the town's crematorium.

Acquisition

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Iain Stewart, 4 July 2014