DORSET.- The medal group of a WW2 tank commander photographed with Winston Churchill has been purchased by The Tank Museum, with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.

The group of eight medals belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Inglis Howard-Jones from the Royal Tank Regiment, who served in Normandy and commanded a battalion at the Crossing of the Rhine.

Joining the army as a Private in 1933 to indulge his love of sports, Howard-Jones’ earned his commission in 1938 and quickly established teams in 8th Battalion, Royal Tank Corps.

His actions in Normandy 1944 earned him a Military Cross, where he “led his Squadron with such skill and daring that they were able to destroy three Panther tanks, one Tiger and one MKIV German tanks, without hardly losing a man.” The recommendation goes on to detail his “personal courage in every attack” which “undoubtedly led to the success of many of these brilliant actions.”

The medal group also contains his Distinguished Service Order for successfully ferrying troops across the Rhine without losing a single vehicle, “regardless of heavy enemy shell and mortar fire”.

His actions enabled the success of the infantry’s assault, and ensured they could make quick contact with airborne forces dropped ahead of them.

The same month, Churchill was carried across the river in one of Howard-Jones’ vehicles, along with other tank greats Field-Marshal Montgomery and Major-General Hobart.

Later in the war, Howard-Jones was one of the first Allied soldiers to enter Belson Concentration Camp.

Howard-Jones stayed with the RTR after WWII, continuing his sporting career, and retired in 1961.

The Dorset charity tells the story of tanks and the people who served in them, and houses the best collection of armoured vehicles in the world. The medal group, as well as a larger collection from Howard-Jones, was purchased at auction with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund.

“Thanks to purchase grants and public donations, our Museum is able to grow our collection and widen the stories we tell,” says Collections Manager, Marjolijn Verbrugge. “With this collection, we will be able to tell his story and through him the story of bravery and dedication of the soldiers of the Royal Armoured Corps' amphibious vehicles.”

The group will be able to be viewed by the public as part of The Tank Museum’s ongoing redisplay of their medal collection.