Description
1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medal, 7012 Private John Jeremiah Sexton, Irish Guards, a rare trio complete with matching Silver War Badge, Dog Tags and box of issue.
Star officially impressed: “7012 Pte J. Sexton. I. Gds.”
Pair officially impressed: “7012 Pte J.J. Sexton. I. Gds.”
With his original confirmed on the roll Silver War Badge, numbered “201023”, his 2 matching stamped ID tags on cord, as well as surviving labelled card box of issue.
The medals also with original silk ribbons.
John Jeremiah Sexton was born in Victoria, Australia circa 1878.
The son of Terrence Sexton and Mary Agnes nee Lougnane.
His family was a typical Irish Roman Catholic family, who had ventured over to Australia from Ireland (his father from Cavan and his mother from County Tipperary) about 1850.
They came to Australia about 1850, at a time of rising British antagonism and Anti-Catholic sentiments in the country, which led to many Irish to take on the arduous journey as Free Settlers to the British Colony of Australia.
By 1861, Irish Born immigrants accounted for 10% of the population of South Australia, during their time of arrival about 1850, form 1851 to 1861, 14,350 Irish Immigrants arrived in South Australia, they settled in various Irish named settlements in the area.
It was noted in the 1906 obituary of his father in the Ballarat Star, that he was “A very old resident, who was highly respected by a large circle of friends, Mr Terence Sexton, farmer of Lone Star, Gordon, passed away at the ripe age of 88… The deceased, who was a native of County Cavan, Ireland, was a colonist of 52 years, most of which time he spent in this state…”
John later appears, circa WW1 after the death of his parents in Camberwell, London, working as a Tile Layer.
With the outbreak of World War 1, although aged 37 years old he signed up for service with the Irish Guards, a fitting place for a Catholic Australian whose family had not forgotten their deep Irish roots.
He enlisted at Camberwell on 6th March 1915, and joined the 2nd Battalion.
After a few months he was posted for overseas service in France with the regiment, landing there on 16th August 1915.
Only 53 days later, his first trip to France was over, being wounded by a Gunshot Wound and also Shrapnel on 27th September 1915, being admitted to various hospitals in France before he was invalided to England on the Newhaven on 7th October 1915.
During that month the battalion had been in action at Loos, you can read a detailed article about the Irish Guards, forming part of the Guards Brigade on this day during the “Big Push” at the Battle of Loos from the Guards Magazine below:
On this day, Lieut John Kipling, 2nd Irish Guards fell, killed in action, the only son of famous author Rudyard Kipling, who had used his influence to gain his son a Commission even though he had been rejected earlier for poor eyesight. Rudyard maintained a strong interest in the Irish Guards and in his grief became involved in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and to write a book “The Irish Guards in the Great War”, a wartime history of the regiment.
His grave was recently identified, formerly that of an Unknown Soldier, during 1992.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kipling
Following almost a year recovering at home he once again returned to France embarking at Southampton on 27th September 1916, disembarking at Havre on 28th September. He joined 2nd Batallion in the Field, although likely due to his age and previous wounds was then later attached to the “Guards Division Works Battalion” on 2nd December.
He was once again taken into hospital suffering from Nephritis on 29th December 1916, this leading to his invaliding back home on the ship St Andrew from Rouen, on 11th January 1917.
Having been assessed by the Doctors, on 23rd May 1917, he was invalided out of service at Netley Hospital aged 39, unfit for further service, being awarded this Silver War Badge.
His character was stated to be “Very Good” noted as a “Sober and industrious(?) was a Tile Layer previous to enlistment.”
After the war he looks to have returned to his family in Australia, where his mother later died during 1936, dying in his home town of Ballarat, Victoria, circa 1946-7, recorded as a “Farmer” he likely took on the family farm, another record from a 1947 probate notes a “John J Sexton” a Dairy Farmer at Swan Marsh.
