A Scarce WWII Dunkirk ‘Light Cars’ MM Group of 3 awarded to Sergeant John Alexander Cross, Guards Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals -whilst serving with the 11th Light Car Section attached to the 1st Head Quarters Battalion, he was awarded the MM for courage and devotion to duty in surviving an encounter with a German tank on the 26th of May, 1940, where he was wounded and his driver killed, but nevertheless made his escape and successfully delivered his despatches, comprising: Military Medal, G VI R (783320 Sgln. J. A. Cross. R. Signals.), 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45; the first officially impressed, the remainder unnamed as issued, group loose. Old cabinet tone, the first with two edge bruises and light obverse scratch, very fine. (3) MM London Gazette 22.10.1940 Sergeant John Alexander Cross was born in 1908, the son of Alexander and Mary Cross of Govan, Scotland, andwas awarded the MM during the Battle of Cassel: “For courage and devotion to duty. On 26 May 1940 he was in a light car with despatches near Cassel. He met an enemy tank on the road which opened fire killing the driver and wounding Cross. He took the despatches from the car, crawled some distance along a ditch, being machine gunned at intervals from the tank. When he got clear he met a column of French transport, warned them of the presence of the tank, and diverted them to another road. He obtained a lift on a passing vehicle, delivered his despatches and returned to the unit with other messages before he had his wound dressed. He refused to be evacuated and carried on until embarkation on 28 May.” We can only speculate as to the specific nature of the despatches in question, but given that the 26th of June was the day before the announcement of the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk, it may have been very sensitive information. He married one Margaret Cross, of Auldern, Nairn, Scotland, and died between the 26th and 28th of May 1942 at Cucklington Camp, Somerset, at the age of 34, most likely as a result of wounds received during the retreat at Dunkirk. He is buried in Glasgow (Cardonald) Cemetery.
A Scarce WWII Dunkirk ‘Light Cars’ MM Group of 3 awarded to Sergeant John Alexander Cross, Guards Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals -whilst serving with the 11th Light Car Section attached to the 1st Head Quarters Battalion, he was awarded the MM for courage and devotion to duty in surviving an encounter with a German tank on the 26th of May, 1940, where he was wounded and his driver killed, but nevertheless made his escape and successfully delivered his despatches, comprising: Military Medal, G VI R (783320 Sgln. J. A. Cross. R. Signals.), 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45; the first officially impressed, the remainder unnamed as issued, group loose. Old cabinet tone, the first with two edge bruises and light obverse scratch, very fine. (3) MM London Gazette 22.10.1940 Sergeant John Alexander Cross was born in 1908, the son of Alexander and Mary Cross of Govan, Scotland, andwas awarded the MM during the Battle of Cassel: “For courage and devotion to duty. On 26 May 1940 he was in a light car with despatches near Cassel. He met an enemy tank on the road which opened fire killing the driver and wounding Cross. He took the despatches from the car, crawled some distance along a ditch, being machine gunned at intervals from the tank. When he got clear he met a column of French transport, warned them of the presence of the tank, and diverted them to another road. He obtained a lift on a passing vehicle, delivered his despatches and returned to the unit with other messages before he had his wound dressed. He refused to be evacuated and carried on until embarkation on 28 May.” We can only speculate as to the specific nature of the despatches in question, but given that the 26th of June was the day before the announcement of the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk, it may have been very sensitive information. He married one Margaret Cross, of Auldern, Nairn, Scotland, and died between the 26th and 28th of May 1942 at Cucklington Camp, Somerset, at the age of 34, most likely as a result of wounds received during the retreat at Dunkirk. He is buried in Glasgow (Cardonald) Cemetery.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
