Bidspirit auction | Great War Victoria Cross Lt

Great War Victoria Cross Lt Colonel Sir John Reginald Graham VC signed piece and biography. John Reginald Noble Graham (1892-1980) was born at 1 Alipore Lane, Calcutta, India on 17th September 1892, the eldest of three sons of Sir John Frederick Noble Graham, 2nd Baronet of Larbert and Dunipace in the County of Stirling and an East India merchant, and his wife, Irene Maud (nee Campbell). ”Reggie” as he was known, was educated at Cheam School, Eton, and Trinity College, Cambridge, and steered the Trial Eights boat race at Eton (1910) and Cambridge (1911). The young man joined the 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Dumbarton Castle on 15th January 1915 as a Second Lieutenant and was seconded to the Machine Gun Corps on 22nd June 1916. He was soon promoted to Captain on 13th July. After serving with the 9th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at home for nearly two years, he set off for Mesopotamia in September 1916 and remained there until 22nd April 1917. He was in command of a section of the 136th Machine Gun Company, which was operating with the 56th Rifles (Frontier Force), Indian Army. On 22nd April 1917 at Istabulat, Mesopotamia, Lieutenant Graham was in command of a machine-gun section which came under very heavy fire. When his men became casualties he insisted on carrying the ammunition and although twice wounded, he continued in control and with one gun opened accurate fire on the enemy. This gun was put out of action and he was again wounded and forced to retire, but before doing so he disabled his gun and then brought a Lewis gun into action with excellent effect until all the ammunition was expended. He was wounded yet again and was again forced to retire. Good condition Est.