Description

Offered is a Military Medal to Private George Lutz, an American, who enlisted and served with the 52nd Manitoba Regiment C.E.F. and apart from winning his M.M. for attacking a German ‘bombing’ party during the German ‘Spring Offensive’ of 1918, was twice wounded in action.

Military Medal (G.V.) impressed named 690106 PTE G.J. LUTZ. 52/MAN.R. Comes with copies of service papers, London Gazette, M.M citation and WW2 American draft registration card.

London Gazette Military Medal: 12/6/1918.

George Jacob Lutz was born on 12/6/1897 in Rahway, New Jersey, U.S.A. His records list his occupation as ‘tailor’ and some as a ‘sailor’ (most likely a tailor) enlisting at Hamilton on the 3/2/1916 (1915 on the same document describing him as a sailor!) with the 173rd Battalion. He embarked on 13/11/1916, landing England on 20/11/1916. Promoted to Lance Corporal 1/12/1916 but dusted down to Pte 1/1/1917 for ‘conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline’. Transferred to the 52nd Battalion (Manitoba Regiment) on the 5/1/1917 landing in France the next day. On 29/6/1917, Lutz suffered a gunshot wound to the neck (Ypres).

Military Medal citation 23rd March 1918

‘For conspicuous gallantry during a hostile raid March 23rd 1918. An enemy raiding party entered our trenches and proceeded to bomb up the front lines towards a post of 4 men under L/Cpl Cawston (awarded the D.C.M for this action) who had observed them and had his post ready. By vigorous rifle fire in which this man was most conspicuous by the skill and coolness with which he engaged an enemy, greatly superior in numbers, the enemy was held, and then with two others this man advanced along the parados (outside the trench in the open) firing as he did so, and the enemy evidently thinking they were being attacked by a larger force, ran leaving their leader dead in the trenches and two prisoners in the hands of the post to which this man belonged. They were pursued to a point outside our wire, when our patrol hearing the firing came on the scene and took up the pursuit back as far as the enemy trenches’.

He was badly wounded in the arm and back with gunshot wounds on 18/8/1918 and subsequently evacuated back to England and eventual repatriation to Canada for discharge medically unfit 29/5/1919. Lutz returned to America and the 1942 draft registration shows him residing at Massillon, Ohio working for Canton Drop Forging & Mfg, Co. He died on 22 June 1971 at Phoenix, Arizona.