Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private R. G. Pateman, Bedfordshire Regiment, killed in action, 9 November 1914

1914 Star, with clasp, this loose (7931 Pte. R. G. Pateman. 1/Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (7931 Pte. R. G. Pateman. Bedf. R.), all in individual name card boxes of issue, with Cap Badge, extremely fine (lot) £220-260

Richard George Pateman was born in Wootton, Bedfordshire, and was the son of Mr and Mrs F. Pateman. He served during the Great War with the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in the French theatre of war from 16 August 1914. He fought with the Battalion in the early actions of the war, before being killed in action, 9 November 1914. Pateman was his village’s first casualty of the Great War, and a newspaper cutting from the local paper gives the following:

‘Private H. Steele, of the 1st Bedfordshire Regiment, has written a letter to Mr and Mrs Pateman, of Wootton, sympathising with them in the loss they have sustained by the death of their son, who was killed on action. In the letter Steele writes:- “I now sit in my trench and write a few lines to you, hoping they will find you all quite well, as it leaves me pretty well, thank God. I am writing to you to join with you both in your sad bereavement in losing poor Dick. I am sure all the boys that knew him feel it very much indeed, also all the boys from Wootton, and especially me, being my pal all along. I can hardly express my sorrow. I hope you won’t mind me writing; I thought it my duty to do so. He was killed on the 10th [sic] November and buried on the 11th. I assure you he died like a British soldier, and we did all we possibly could for him, but it was all in vain.” ‘

Patemen is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Sold with the following related documents: Transmittal Slip for 1914 Star, addressed to recipient’s father at ‘Church Row, Wootton, Bedford’, and dated 1 September 1919; newspaper cutting regarding recipient’s death, including image of recipient in uniform.