Second World War Medal Group - Private John Morgan, Royal Army Medical Corps
General Service Medal, 'Palestine' clasp - 7260295 PTE. J. MORGAN. R.A.M.C.
1939-45 Star - unnamed as issued
Africa Star - unnamed as issued
Italy Star - unnamed as issued
Defence Medal - unnamed as issued
British War Medal - unnamed as issued
RAMC Boxing Medal - J. MORGAN. WINNER. INDIVIDUAL BANTAMS 1932
Comes with some original box addressed to "Mr J. Morgan, 8 Lodge Rd, Scunthorpe, Lincs", medal ribbon bar, and slip of issue
John Morgan enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1930, being allocated the service number 7260295. His early years with the Corps saw service during the Arab Revolt in Palestine, where he earned the General Service Medal with Palestine clasp (1936–39), awarded for operations in the region while maintaining British military hospitals and field medical support.
By the outbreak of the Second World War, Morgan was a seasoned RAMC man. According to a post-war newspaper article, he landed in France on 3 September 1939 – the very day war was declared – serving with the British Expeditionary Force. Following the evacuation from France, he continued his wartime service in a succession of campaigns, later serving in Italy, Germany and Palestine.
After 13 years in the RAMC, John Morgan returned to civilian life and took up nursing, joining the staff of Scunthorpe War Memorial Hospital. His dedication to healthcare continued after the war, and on 27 September 1946 he was formally registered as a State Registered Nurse with the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, giving his address as 8 Lodge Road, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. By 1948 he was listed in the national Nursing Registers and began a long career in industrial medicine.
From 1946 onwards, he worked as a male nurse at the Lysaghts Scunthorpe Works medical centre, dealing with workplace accidents and emergencies at one of Lincolnshire’s major steel plants. A feature in the local newspaper described him as a familiar figure at the works, respected for his calm professionalism and long service.
The article also gives a glimpse into his personal life. Morgan was married to Elsie, and the couple lived together on Lodge Road for 25 years. During his Army service, he had also been known as a champion bantamweight boxer, as well as a footballer and referee. The couple had two children: Michael, who became a chemist at the steelworks after playing violin for the National Youth Orchestra, and Annette, who worked as a shop assistant.
Private John Morgan’s story reflects a life of continuous service – first to the Army as a medical orderly through the Palestine campaign and the Second World War, and later to the community of Scunthorpe as a skilled nurse and first-aider. From the battlefields of France and Italy to the factory floors of post-war Britain, his quiet professionalism and lifelong commitment to helping others stand as fitting testament to the men of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
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AJMS Medals