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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Pte. James Henry "Rolling Jim" Spencer MM.
British Army 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment
from:Deptford
Jim Spencer was my great uncle. Like my grandfather (George - QVR) he was an Infantryman in WW1. Both survived. The much-told family story was that Jim had won the MM for rescuing a wounded Canadian officer from No Mans Land, but that he had sold the medal after the war to put the money on a horse. Jim was badly affected by his experiences and although his family emigrated to Canada, he chose to stay around South London, where he became a tramp, walking huge distances and appearing at my grandparents house on the coast, filthy dirty, but full of beans and usually singing a song whose chorus was Rolling, rolling, rolling....
He died in about 1972, then living at one of the Carrington House hostels. I took my grandfather to see him there for the last time. Jim's daughter, Win, discovered from army records that he never had received his MM. She claimed it about 15 years ago and donated it to the Northamptonshire Regiment museum. I have a copy of the London Gazette for 23.7.19, which gazettes the award and a copy of the citation dated 27.2.19 and signed Rawlinson. We have no connection with Northamptonshire but Jim seems to have enrolled there while visiting a friend in Peterborough. Updated
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