Three: Private W. Storer, Royal Irish Regiment, taken prisoner at Le Pilly, La Bassee, 20 October 1914

1914 Star (6711 Pte. W. Storer. R. Ir: Regt.); British War and Victory Medals (6711 Pte. W. Storer, R. Ir. Regt.) nearly extremely fine (3) £180-220

William Storer was born at Cadeby, Leicestershire, in 1873 and attested for the Leicestershire Regiment at Leicester on 15 July 1892. He passed the stretcher bearing exam in 1898 and served with the 1st Battalion in South Africa from 24 January 1900 to 14 July 1900 and from 4 September 1901 to 9 September 1902, being awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasp Natal (77 on roll) and the King’s South Africa Medal with the usual two clasps. He transferred to the Army Reserve on 5 May 1903 and was discharged on 14 July 1908.

On the outbreak of the Great War he re-enlisted on 14 September 1914 at Merthyr, and was posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment on 19 September 1914. He arrived in France on 7 October 1914 to serve with ‘B’ Company and was reported as prisoner of war on 20 October 1914 after the battalion’s ‘last stand’ at Le Pilly (Battle of La Bassee): ‘Another Allied attack was planned for 19 October. The only success during this attack would lead to tragedy. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish captured Le Pilly, a village on Aubers Ridge, but the rest of the advance failed. The Royal Irish were dangerously isolated, but before the order to retreat could reach them they were surrounded by the Germans. Of nearly 900 men only 300 survived to surrender to the Germans’ The Germans took 302 prisoners at Le Pilly, most of whom were wounded. Storer was held in the German prisoner of war camp at Mannheim, returned home on 18 November 1918, and was discharged on 21 March 1919. He died in September 1944.