Great War Italian Front group together with a confirmed gazetted Italian War Cross with its original exceptionally rare to survive handwritten citation, as awarded to Acting Warrant Officer 1st Class G.E. Newton, Royal Engineers, who was present out on the Italian Front, and was awarded the Italian War Cross in the London Gazette for 17th May 1919. The original handwritten citation survives which reads: ‘has done conspicuous good work which has been of great assistance in the recent operations.’ This is the first occasion that we have come across one of these hand written citations for the War Cross.
Group of 3: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (37587 A-W.O.CL.1. G.E. NEWTON. R.E.); Italy - Kingdom of: War Cross. First two with original lengths of ribbon and paper protective envelopes, and the individual named card boxes of issue, both with individual forwarding envelopes addressed to: ‘Mr. G.E. Newton, 5 Cadagan Place, Preston, Lancs’, last with the base of the card box of issue - this rare, and accompanied by the even rarer original hand written citation for the same, this folded and inserted into the bottom of the box - this is the first time we have seen one of these to a British soldier.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
George Ernest Newton saw service during the Great War as a Corporal and Acting Staff Sergeant (No.37587) with the Royal Engineers. Present out on the Italian Front, he was awarded the Italian War Cross in the London Gazette for 17th May 1919, and fortuitously the original handwritten citation survives which reads: ‘has done conspicuous good work which has been of great assistance in the recent operations.’ Newton ended up as an Acting Warrant Officer 1st Class. The presence of the original hand written citation for the Italian War Cross, is the first occasion that we have come across one of these.