Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private H. F. Royle, Border Regiment, late Bedfordshire Regiment, who died of wounds in June 1916

1914 Star (8695 Pte. H. F. Royle, 2/Bedf. R.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (8695 Pte. H. F. Royle, Bedf. R.), very fine or better (2) £60-80

Henry Frederick Royle was born in Brockley, Kent but was a resident of Wallington, Surrey by the time of his enlistment in the Bedfordshire Regiment in October 1906, aged 22 years. Having then been employed on garrison duty in Gibraltar, Bermuda and South Africa, he joined the 2nd Battalion out in France in early November 1914, where his unit participated in the famous Christmas Truce. Events in 1915 were far less happy for Royle, assorted offences leading to two stints of 28 days field punishment, and another of the much dreaded ‘No. 1’ variety, reduced from 56 to 21 days by the G.O.C., followed by a serious wound in his right arm received in action on 28 September - he was evacuated to the U.K. Transferring to the 2nd Battalion, Border Regiment shortly thereafter, Royle was again embarked for France in January 1916, and died of wounds at No. 21 Casualty Clearing Station on 21 June.