The superb and rare Military Medal and Meritorious Service Medal group to an Irish recipient who emigrated to New Zealand after the war, and served in the NZ Military Forces in WW2.

 

Robert Armstrong served during WW1 with 11th (Donegal and Fermanagh) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, entering the French theatre of war in October 1915. On 20 November 1917 near Havrincourt he earned the Military Medal for his bravery in maintaining communications under fire and for killing and capturing a party of the enemy he encountered (see original citation document). He was subsequently also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his devotion to duty under fire as acting Signalling Officer. Armstrong was subsequently commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in November 1918.

 

Armstrong emigrated to New Zealand immediately after the war, settling in Linwood, Christchurch. During WW2 he served as an officer in the Home Guard.

 

This is a remarkable group of medals and ephemera to one man. All medals are correctly impressed, and both the MM and the MSM come with their original citations - an exceptionally rare occurence as most British MMs and almost all MSMs have no recorded citation. In addition to the medals and citations are Armstrong's whistle, comissioning document, photographs of himself and assorted others taken during the war, red cross armband, button and ribbon bar, his WW2 map of the Pacific Rd/Beach Rd area of Christchurch is Home Guard unit was responsible for in its embossed North Linwood Home Guard case.

 

Irish groups are keenly collected, and this one stands out as an excellent and desirable example not least due to the presence of both medal citations.