Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Warrant Officer Class 2 E. A. Roper, Rifle Brigade

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast (5329 Cpl., Rifle Brigade); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (5329 Corpl., Rifle Brigade), single initial ‘E.’; 1914 Star (5329 C.S. Mjr., 2/Rif. Brig.), single initial ‘E.’; British War Medal 1914-20 (5329 W.O. Cl. II, Rif. Brig.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (5329 W.O. Cl. 2, Rif. Brig.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (5329 C.S. Mjr., Rif. Brig.), contact marks, generally very fine (6) £300-350

Ernest A. Roper first entered the French theatre of war in early November 1914, as a Company Sergeant-Major in the 2nd Battalion, the Rifle Brigade. Moving up to the front shortly afterwards, his unit suffered under atrocious conditions in water-filled trenches, 44 men being sent to a Field Ambulance with frostbite in a single day, many of them with their boots frozen to their feet - a week later the men were issued with sheepskin coats and white sheets for patrol work in the snow.

Roper later transferred to the Labour Corps.