Great War Western Front Military Cross and later German Spring Offensive Prisoner of War group awarded to Second Lieutenant, later Captain J.F. Menzies, 3rd Battalion, later 1st Battalion, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment who saw service on the Western Front from May 1915 and who would be awarded the Military Cross in the London Gazette of 1st January 1917 and would later be taken Prisoner of War on 27th May 1918 during the fighting on the Aisne, along with 7 others officers, all of whom would be repatriated in December 1918.
Group of 4: Military Cross, GVR, the reverse engraved ‘J.F.M. Jan. 1917’; 1914-1915 Star; (2. LIEUT. J.F. MENZIES. NOTTS. & DERBY. R.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CAPT. J.F. MENZIES.) Mounted loose for wear.
Condition: mounted loose for wear, Good Very Fine
John Ferguson Menzies was born in Buston and would go on to be educated at Dunston College, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire between 1910-1914, being a prefect of the school during 1914, and also a member of the Officer’s Training Corps. He would go on to serve on the Western Front from May 1915 initially as a Second Lieutenant and finally a Captain with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, initially serving with the 3rd Battalion, he would re-join the 1st Battalion after the fighting at Rouge Bancs. At the end of 1915 he is noted as serving on the Staff of the 1st Battalion, and by April 1916 is noted as being a Special Reserve Lewis Gun officer.
Menzies would be awarded the Military Cross in the London Gazette of 1st January 1917 and would later go on to be posted as missing on action on 27th May 1918 during the fighting on the Aisne, along with 7 officers, all of whom would be repatriated in December 1918. Captain Menzies was held at Stalsmund in Germany.
After the Great War Menzies was employed as Assistant Secretary at H. Wilson & Sons, Wine Merchants in Hull, East Yorkshire. He would see Second World War service as a Captain with the Royal Artillery before he died on 19th August 1940, he was subsequently buried in West Norwood Cemetery, London.
