Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private A. H. Twort, Wiltshire Regiment, who was killed in action on the Somme in July 1916

1914-15 Star (17817 Pte. A. H. Twort, Wilts. R.); British War and Victory Medals (17817 Pte. A. H. Twort, Wilts. R.), extremely fine (3) £140-180

Arthur Henry Twort was born at Fair View Villa in the village of Eccles, Kent, in August 1890, and was working at the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers, where his father was a foreman cooper, on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Travelling to London from his home village of Burham, Kent, in order to enlist, he was originally drafted to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry but, a few weeks later, was ordered to join the newly raised 6th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment.

And it was in this capacity that he first went out to France in July 1915, where, following service in trenches before Laventie and Festubert, the Battalion participated in the battle of Loos, at a cost over 28 killed and 90 wounded. But far worse was to follow on the Somme in July 1916, when Twort and his comrades were ordered to attack the German lines just south of La Boisselle on the second day of the battle. Advancing in the face of murderous machine-gun fire, the Battalion managed to capture two lines of enemy trenches, but at great cost - namely 316 men killed or wounded, the former including Twort.

In an obituary notice published in the Kent Messenger in August 1916, a letter received by his parents from one of his officers was quoted:

‘He died bravely in a hard-fought battle and was a credit to his battalion. I always expected great things from his well-known courage and indifference to all danger and up to the time of his death he did splendidly and fulfilled all expectations. I feel his loss very much - men of his indomitable stamp are scarce - and I can only join very sincerely in your sorrow at his death.’

Twort was 25 years of age, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial; sold with research.