Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria including the collection to Naval Artificers formed by JH Deacon

Three: Private J. Stonebridge, East Surrey Regiment, late Middlesex Regiment, who was thrice wounded and thrice deserted prior to being killed in action in January 1918

1914-15 Star (6901 Pte., Middx. R.); British War and Victory Medals (6901 Pte., Middx. R.), good very fine and better (3) £180-220

James Stonebridge was born in Hornsey, Middlesex, one of ten children of Lewis Stonebridge and his second wife, Mary. The family afterwards moved to Holloway and James found employment at George Kemp Ltd., the cake and biscuit manufacturers, prior to enlisting in the Middlesex Regiment.

Posted to the 5th Battalion, which was mobilised at Mill Hill on 8 August 1914, Stonebridge deserted shortly afterwards, but was quickly recaptured and put before a District Court-Martial on the 29th of the month. Punished with 21 days detention, he rejoined his Battalion and arrived in France in late December, but again ran into trouble when charged with quitting his post on sentry duty. The outcome of this offence remains unknown, but he was wounded in action by a gunshot to the chest on 14 May 1915 and sent home via a Canadian Field Dressing Station.

Gradually regaining his health after several months in hospital, Stonebridge was sent to Fort Horsted Camp at Chatham in readiness for returning to his unit in France. But on 26 October 1915, he again absconded and was on the run for a couple of months before being apprehended by a P.C. Francis Huskey of ‘Y’ Division, Metropolitan Police, and detained at Clerkenwell and King’s Cross police stations. In due course a Sergeant of the 24th London Regiment was sent to pick him up and escort him back to Chatham, but Stonebridge gave his guard the slip, the Sergeant later stating:

‘I beg to report that at 5.15 p.m. on 10 January 1916, I was Sergeant in charge of an escort conducting prisoners from King’s Cross police station to the Central London Recruiting Depot, when the above named broke away and made his escape. I gave chase, but was unable to catch him, or find any trace of him.’

Recaptured later that month, Stonebridge was charged by another District Court-Martial with desertion, and for escaping when in confinement. Sentenced to nine months detention and stoppages of pay to meet the cost of his lost uniform and greatcoat, he was released early in July 1916 and was returned to his unit, as a result, no doubt, of the horrendous losses on the Somme. But the Middlesex elected not to have him returned to their strength, and instead Stonebridge was posted to the 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment. Wounded with the latter unit on 3 May 1917, and hospitalized for over two months, Stonebridge returned to the front and was killed in action on 18 January 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium.

Sold with Queen Mary’s Christmas 1914 tin; assorted buttons and postcards; Imperial War Graves Commission literature; and a quantity of recent research - his MIC entry has the statement ‘Deserted 9.2.16’ struck out and replaced by ‘K. in A. 8.1.18’.