Three: Shoeing Smith W. H. Saward, 9th (The Queen’s Royal) Lancers, who died of wounds at Longueval on the Western Front on 29 September 1914

1914 Star (4157 S. Sth: W. Saward. 9/Lrs.) in flattened named card box of issue; British War and Victory Medals (L-4157 Pte. W. H. Saward. 9-Lrs.) both in flattened named card boxes of issue; Memorial Place (William Henry Saward) in card envelope and outer envelope addressed to ‘Mr. W. H. Saward. 5 Ingleside Place, Safron Weldon, Essex.’, extremely fine (4) £200-£240

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

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William Henry Saward was born in 1894 at Plumstead, Kent and attested for the 9th Lancers at Hertford in 1912, serving with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 15 August 1914. In the early weeks of the war, his regiment were present at the battles of Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne and the Aisne and were also involved in a number of notable minor engagements. Captain Francis Grenfell and a party of the 9th Lancers saved the guns of 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery on 24 August 1914 near Doubon. For this action, and the charging of the unbroken line of infantry at Audregnies, Belgium on the same day, Captain Grenfell was awarded one of the first Victoria Crosses of the Great War. The regiment also participated in the final ‘lance against lance’ action involving British cavalry of the Great War on 7 September 1914 at Moncel during the Battle of the Marne in which Lieutenant Colonel David Campbell led a charge of two troops of B Squadron and overthrew a squadron of the Prussian Dragoons of the Guard.

Shoeing Smith Saward died of wounds on 29 September 1914. On this date a German coal box shell landed amongst two troops of the regiment as they dispersed from stables at Longeuval causing many casualties:
‘It was dinner time and we were dispersing from stables when one of their coal boxes dropped right in the middle of the yard and put out nearly two troops of us. Up to then we had nothing but a couple of spare shells, and you get so used to them you take little notice. These big ones, coal boxes as we call them, come whistling along and you get about a second’s notice, so that if you are lucky you have time to duck. But that is pure luck. I heard the whistle and dived between two horses. Then came the explosion, and when I realised where I was afterwards I felt as if a horse had kicked me in the back. When I looked round I saw 13 of our men killed and 11 wounded, two so badly that they died afterwards. About twenty horses were killed, but my old horse stood there grazing as quietly as if nothing happened. The sergeant at one side of me was knocked out, and the man on the other was killed as clean as whistle. After that they shelled the cemetery where we were burying our dead, and that brought our casualties up to 45.’ (letter written by an unidentified Private of the 9th Lancers from Aberdeen, printed in the Lincolnshire Echo, 9 October 1914.)

Saward was the son of William Henry and Alice Lewis Saward of 5 Ingleside Place, High St., Saffron Walden, Essex. Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, France.

Sold with two newspaper cuttings relating to Captain F. Grenfell’s V.C. action in August 1914.