Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Private F. Collings, King’s Royal Rifle Corps

Military Medal, G.V.R. (R-10408 Pte., 11/K.R. Rif. C.) good very fine £200-240

M.M. London Gazette 14 May 1919.

The 11th Battalion K.R.R.C. were formed at Winchester on 14 September 1914 and landed in Boulogne on 21 July 1915. Frank Collings, who came from Dalston, Hackney, may have been on the Advance Party as he landed in France on 23 June 1915.

The Battalion formed part of the 59th Brigade, 20th (Light) Division and remained within these two formations until the Battalion disbanded in November 1918. In this time the 20th (Light) Division suffered 35,470 casualties.

In 1915 the Battalion took part in the Loos Battle and in particular the Battle of Mont Sorrel. In 1916 they took part in the Battle of the Somme; they moved from the Ypres Salient on 25 July and, until the second week in October when they were relieved, took part in numerous attacks in particular the assault on Guillemont. (The Memorial to the 20th (Light) Division is located at Guillemont).
The Battalion then took part in the Battles of Messines, Third Battle of Ypres and Cambrai, and it was in this period that Private Frank Collings earned his Military Medal. Also entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals. With some copied research.