Jack Russell MBE, former England wicket-keeper and Stroud native, is set to auction off his treasured collection of 135 military medals, with estimates reaching around £100,000. The sale will take place at Noonans Mayfair on April 15.
Among the standout pieces is a Military Cross awarded to Graham Bromhead Bosanquet of the Gloucestershire Regiment, who was tragically killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Bosanquet’s gallantry, including wounds sustained at Festubert and Aubers Ridge, is preserved in a group of five medals expected to fetch between £5,000 and £7,000.
Russell’s deep connection to military history grew alongside his cricket career, which began in 1981 with Gloucestershire’s county club. Revered as one of the world’s finest wicket-keepers, he represented England at Lord’s in 1988 and starred in the Ashes series in 1989. Recognized for his services to cricket, he received an MBE in 1996.
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An artist as well as a sportsman, Russell shared in the auction catalogue foreword his profound respect for the men behind the medals. “On cricket tours abroad, I would always visit nearby battlefields and military graves,” he said. “The experiences of these men have always held the greatest fascination for me.”
His collecting journey, spanning three decades, began broadly but soon focused on the Gloucestershire Regiment, aiming to represent all battalions and campaigns. Now, feeling he has reached a natural conclusion in this pursuit, Russell is keen to pass these historic medals into the hands of new guardians.
Auctioneer Oliver Pepys praised the collection not only as a testament to the Gloucestershire Regiment’s storied history but also as a tribute to the individual bravery of its soldiers. “It is by their deeds that they are known,” he said.