Auction Catalogue

25 September 2008

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

Lot

№ 541

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25 September 2008

Hammer Price:
£160

British War Medal 1914-20 (6) (207608 Pte. H. Cledhill, Rif. Brig.; S-3412 Pte. W. H. Atkins, Rif. Brig.; S-12785 Pte. C. O. Buckley, Rif. Brig.; B-3365 Pte. G. Lawton, Rif Brig.; B-3033 L. Cpl. H. Wroe, Rif. Brig.; 56611 Pte. J. Bonifacio, Rif. Brif.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (2) (B-2812 Pte. W. Guest, Rif. Brig.; S-25475 Pte. E. P. Le Masurier), the fourth with contact marks, the sixth lacking suspension, the seventh with modern suspension ring and the last with edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine or better (8) £100-120

William Henry Atkins, who was born in Manchester, was killed in action on the Somme on 10 July 1916, while serving in the 13th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Given just 15 minutes warning to launch an attack, the relevant order was cancelled when the Battalion was 200 yards out in to No Man’s Land - in the event, the enemy’s third line was penetrated and 200 prisoners taken, but at a cost of some 400 casualties to the 13th. Atkins has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Charles Oldroyd Buckley, who was born in Salford, Manchester, was killed in action on the Somme on 15 September 1916, while serving in the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, on which date his unit launched an attack against Delville Wood and suffered a total of 267 casualties. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

George Lawton, who was born in Salford, Manchester, but a resident of Crewe, Cheshire on his enlistment, was killed in action at Hooge on 2 July 1915, while serving in the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

Henry Wroe, who was born in Manchester, died of wounds in France on 3 December 1917, while serving in the 10th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He was 21 years of age, the son of Henry and Margaret Wroe of Holland Street, Oldham Road, Miles Plating, Manchester, and is buried in the Caudry British Cemetery.

William Guest, who was born in Leigh, Lancashire, was killed in action in Belgium on 9 August 1915, while serving in the 9th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.