Ex-England wicketkeeper Jack Russell to sell regiment medal collection
The Jack Russell collection of 135 medals focuses on the Gloucestershire Regiment
Former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell is to sell his collection of Gloucestershire Regiment medals.
The Jack Russell collection of 135 medals, which focuses on the Gloucestershire Regiment, is expected to fetch in the region of £100,000.
Among the medals going under the hammer is the Military Cross awarded to Graham Bromhead Bosanquet who was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on July 1 1916.
Russell, who was nicknamed Jack throughout his career, was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire in 1963, and made his debut for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in 1981.
By 1988 he was playing for England, and soon cemented his place in the team the following summer with his performances in the Ashes.
Russell’s collection of medals will go under the hammer at Noonans Mayfair on April 15.
“From an early age, I have always had an interest in history, and in particular military history,” Russell said.
“Being a Gloucestershire boy, I naturally took a strong interest in my own county regiment.
“The passion intensified during my teenage years when my driving instructor, Sergeant Henry Pegler, would tell me stories of his involvement at the Battle of Imjin River where the regiment fought its famous action, and where he himself was badly wounded and taken prisoner of war.
“When abroad on tour with the England cricket team I would always try to spend as much time as I could visiting the nearest battlefield or military site and, whenever possible, pay my respects to any military graves that I could find.
“I always found this very poignant as it is the experiences of the men themselves that hold the greatest fascination for me.
“What were their experiences like? What was it like to be in the heat of battle? If I hadn’t been fortunate enough to play cricket and paint pictures for a living, there is no doubt I would have ended up being a soldier.”
Russell added: “I started collecting medals around 30 years ago.
“I feel that I have got as close to the regiment and its fighting men as I possibly could, and it is now the time to hand them on to other collectors to take guardianship and look after these extraordinary men’s medals for the next stage of their journey.
“In which direction will my collecting go now? I’m not entirely sure.
“However, I am certain that my passion for military history will continue to grow – with me it is an addiction.
“Finally, a message to the new custodians of the medals in this collection: I hope you enjoy their company as much as I have.”
Russell was appointed an MBE in the 1996 Birthday Honours’ List, and he played the last of his 54 Test matches for England in the Caribbean in 1998.
Oliver Pepys, auctioneer and medal specialist at Noonans, said: “Cricket aside, Jack is today equally famous as an artist, with his own gallery in Chipping Sodbury.
“He has a wide portfolio of subjects that include the buildings and countryside of Gloucestershire, sporting and military personalities, and of course, the cricket grounds of England.
“What he is less well known for, until now, is his interest in military history, particularly the history of his own county regiment, the Gloucestershire Regiment.
“His collection of medals to the Gloucestershire Regiment tells the story not only of this fine old infantry regiment and its major actions, but also, and perhaps more fittingly, the individual stories of some of the men of the Glorious Glosters.
“It is by their deeds that they are known.”