NORTHUMBERLAND (‘PALS’) BN, MACHINE GUN & TANK CORPS WW1 OFFICER’S MEDALS LIEUTENANT JAMES DEWING BRITISH ARMY

Medal Group to Second Lieutenant J. R. Dewing, Tank Corps, late Company Quartermaster Sergeant, 16th Northumberland (' Pals') Battalion, Machine Gun Corps & Tank Corps

1914 ? 15 Star, impressed name 16 ? 56 C.Q.M. SJT. J.R. DEWING. NORTH?D FUS., British War and Victory Medals, impressed named 2. LIEUT. J.R.DEWING. Court mounted for display.; Original Commission certificate dated 14/12/17 & postal envelope for certificate and discharge certificate. Comes with copies of: M.I.C., medal rolls, embarkation roll extract, London Gazettes, census records newspaper article and picture.

Lieutenant James Richard Dewing was born on t he 26/4/1891 at Bridlington, Yorkshire. Pre war he was working as an assistant clerk, with the board of trade. He enlisted into the 16^th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers 7/9/1914 at Newcastle. He was given the service number 16 ? 56. (16 prefix for the 16^th Battalion). The 16th was a 'Pals' battalion, raised in Newcastle in September 1914 by the Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce. It was taken over be the War Office in April 1915 and in June 1915, the 16th (Newcastle) Battalion was assigned to the 96th Brigade, 32nd Division at Catterick. On 22 November 1915, it landed at Boulogne.

Probably based on his clerical background, James was the  Company Quartermaster Sergeant by the time he landed in France on the 22/11/1915. He later transferred to C Company (XI platoon). At an unknown date he transferred to the Machine Gun Corp as a Sergeant with the new service number 107075. He was discharged to a commission 21/1/1918 and posted to the Tank Corps as a 2^nd Lieutenant.

The London Gazette 2/1/1920 records that he has resumed his occupation as a clerk and was working for the Board of Trade. Unfortunately he was charged with embezzlement in August 1936 when he was working for the Ministry of Health. He died in June 1968 at Bourne, Lincolnshire.