Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Private B. Currell, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, wounded in action, 10 March 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (56072 Pte., 13/R.W. Fus.) edge bruising, nearly very fine £240-280

M.M. London Gazette 28 September 1917.

Bertram Currell was born in 1893 and lived at 16 Edward Street, Fenton, one of the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. By occupation, a Wine Merchant’s Assistant, he enlisted into the Army at Lichfield on 6 June 1916, aged 23 years, 1 month. On his enlistment papers he applied to join the Royal Garrison Artillery but was instead posted to the Leicestershire Regiment. The posting was obviously not to his liking and on 18 September 1916 he deserted.

On 16 January 1917 he “Rejoined from Desertion” and was Court-Martialled on 22 January 1917. His sentence was detention for six months and the loss of 70 days pay. However, on 26 February 1917 the “Unexpired portion of his detention was remitted” and he was posted to the 13th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

The 13th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, part of 113 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division had initially been the 1st (North Wales) Battalion, recruited locally in Rhyl. They had suffered severe casualties on the Battle of the Somme where their Commanding Officer had been killed in the attack on Mametz Wood. Private Bertram Currell was a reinforcement.

In 1917 the Battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres around Passchendaele, including the battle of Pilkem Ridge 31 July 1917, where Haig recorded in his War Diary “The Welsh met and broke a German Guards Division”. For his gallantry at that time, Private Bertram Currell was awarded the Military Medal.

On 10 March 1918, Bertram Currell was wounded by gunshot in the chest and right calf and was evacuated to England. He was in hospital in the Southern General Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham and convalescent until 22 October 1918 when he was discharged because of his disability. He was given a pension of 13 shillings and 9 pence a week for thirty-two weeks, which was to be reviewed after 32 weeks, plus the Silver War Badge No F/97512. He went back to live with his father, Harry Currell, in 16, Edward Street, Fenton. With copied research.