Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Corporal A. Bayston, 10th Hussars, killed in action on the first day of the Second Battle of Ypres, 13 May 1915

1914 Star (296 Cpl. A. Bayston. 10/Hrs.); British War and Victory Medals (396 Cpl. A. Bayston. 10-Hrs.), note different number on Star, good very fine (3) £160-200

Alfred Bayston was born in 1888 in Lelley, Yorkshire, and enlisted in the 3rd Militia Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment in February 1907, transferring to 18th Hussars in April 1907. By 1911 Alfred was a Lance Corporal with the 10th Hussars in India, and made Corporal prior to the Great War. He served with the 10th Hussars during the Great War on the Western Front from India on 6 October 1914. On 13 May 1915, the first day of the Second Battle of Ypres, Corporal Alfred Bayston was killed in action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. He and 87 other fallen are also commemorated on the Hessle War Memorial. The 10th Hussars suffered approximately 199 fatal casualties during the Great War, of which 41 (over 20%) were sustained on 13 May 1915.

The 10th (P.W.O.) Royal Hussars and the Essex Yeomanry during the European War, 1914-1918 refers:
“During the night before the memorable 13th of May, the whole town (Ypres) was in flames and shelled continuously…” The Germans attacked in the morning and a counter-attack was planned for 2:30pm with the Essex Yeomanry joining the 10th Hussars in readiness, bayonets fixed…”At this moment a group of Germans fled from the positions they were holding, and someone holloaed, " Tally ho ! Yonder they go." As a response to the view holloa the whole line, the Essex on the right and the 10th Hussars on the left, rose as one and rushed the hill. The going was deep, but no one halted until the trench was reached as were also a series of holes which the line degenerated into on the right. Very heavy losses suffered in both regiments. Lieut.-Colonel Shearman, 10th Hussars, was killed, also his Adjutant, Capt. Stewart; Lieut.-Colonel Deacon, Essex Yeomanry, was missing, and Capt. Steele, his Adjutant, was wounded. The objective, however, was gained, and held under very trying conditions. A large amount of German equipment was found in the line, as was also coffee and sausages. Some prisoners were taken. The line now held was at once consolidated. Captain E. A. Ruggles-Brise and Lieut. R. A. Thomson, with very few men, put up a splendid resistance and held on to some ruins just on the right and in front of our line. Major Buxton, who was now in command of the Essex Yeomanry, despatched a man with a message to get in touch with the Royal Horse Guards on the right, but this messenger was instantly killed. Any movement on the part of anybody on the right of this line was impossible, and many were killed or wounded in attempting to take ground in any direction. A very heavy bombardment with great accuracy was, by this time, concentrated on to the line now held, and a large body of the enemy moved forward from the Verlorenhoek hill. A small dark red flag was placed in a trench by the enemy about 150 yards in advance of our line; this was doubtless a signal for the enemies' artillery to ascertain the position of their front line. The rain fell heavily, and the mud was indescribable, rendering rifles unserviceable in a very short time; in fact, these had by now become almost completely ineffective. After about 2 hours a message came through from the 10th Hussars to the effect that they were retiring behind the crest and filing out of the left end of the trench. Capt. E. A. Ruggles-Brise and Lieut. R. A. Thomson were still gallantly holding on with their small group of men at and about the ruined cottages, and communication with them was impossible. Their only hope of falling back was to wait till after dark. Two of their officers were killed, Lieut. C. P. N. Reid and Lieut. A. G. Swire. A general retirement behind the crest was then undertaken…”.

Sold together with a photographic image of the recipient.