Great War Western Front Battle of the Hundred Days September to November 1918 single Military Medal awarded to Private W. Nixon, 23rd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, formerly Durham Light Infantry and Labour Corps, who transferring during the turmoil caused by the German Spring Offensive to the short lived 23rd Battalion, which was formed out at the front as the 4th Provisional Garrison Battalion in May 1918, and was listed as the 23rd Battalion from July 1918, serving within the 176th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. Nixon is one of only 13 men from the 23rd Lancashire Fusiliers to win the Military Medal, his award being announced in the London Gazette for 20th August 1919, which indicates an award earned over a period of time in late 1918, as this gazette consists of awards made to those who had performed consistently well, on the whole, between 1st September and 11th November 1918.
Military Medal, GVR 1st type bust; (60679 PTE. W. NIXON. 23/LAN: FUS:)
Condition: edge bruise to rim at 5 o’clock on obverse, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine.
William Nixon came from West Hartlepool, County Durham, and saw service during the Great War initially as a Private (No.31465) with the Durham Light Infantry, and then as a Private (No.409063) with the Labour Corps before transferring during the turmoil caused by the German Spring Offensive to became a Private (No.60679) with the 23rd Service Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, when present out on the Western Front where his battalion was formed in May 1918 as the 4th Provisional Garrison Battalion and coming under orders of 176th Brigade, 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. Later that same month it was retitled as the 23rd Service Battalion, and on 19th June 1918 transferred to the 121st Brigade in the 40th Division before becoming the 23rd Battalion - the ‘Service’ title having being dropped, in July 1918.
Nixon was one of only a very small number of men from his short lived battalion, thirteen men in all, to be awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field, his award being published in the London Gazette for 20th August 1919, which indicates an award earned over a period of time in late 1918, as this gazette consists of awards made to those who had performed consistently well, on the whole, between 1st September and 11th November 1918 in a period known as the Battle of the Hundred Days.
