Pair: Private W. J. Grinham, 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment), who was killed in action near Kruiseecke, during the First Battle of Ypres, in October 1914

1914 Star (10111 Pte. W. J. Grinham. 2/York: R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (10111 Pte. W. J. Grinham. York. R.) good very fine (2) £120-£160

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals.

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William James Grinham was born in London and attested for the Yorkshire Regiment on 8 January 1913. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he was stationed with them in the Channel Islands at time of the outbreak of the Great War and returned with his battalion to Southampton on 28 August. The battalion joined the 21st Brigade, 7th Division at Lyndhurst in September and arrived at Zeebrugge on 5 October.

The 2nd Green Howards reached Ypres on 14 October 1914 and advanced to positions on the crossroads at Nieuwe Kruiseecke where, from 19 to 27 October, they held the line under heavy shellfire and continuous enemy attack. The War Diary of the 7th Division entry for the 23 October states ‘The tenacity of the battalion [2nd Green Howards] during this and the following days of heavy fighting was worthy of all praise. Though subjected to violent shell fire and continued infantry attacks, they fought steadily on. When blown out of one trench, they moved on to the next, and never wavered.’

The battalion was relieved temporarily by the Coldstream Guards on 27 October but A and C Companies were sent forward again on the 29th to support the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers near Zandvoorde along the Kruiseecke Ridge. Here, a breakthrough by the enemy prompted Colonel King to lead a counter attack in which former positions were reclaimed and an additional 200 yards gained. A withdrawal to positions near Gheluvelt then took place after 30 October.

17 year old Private Grinham was killed in action during this period of fighting. The Register of Soldiers’ Effects describes his death as being ‘near Ypres between 22 and 30 October 1914’; the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states his date of death to be 30 October 1914. He was the brother of Mr. Charles Grinham of 102 Cornwall Rd., Lambeth, London and having no known grave is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.