Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private M. Roche, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, wounded on the Aisne on 8 October 1915 and died at home, 19 October 1916

1914 Star (5252 Pte. M. Roche. 2/K.R. Rif: C.); British War and Victory Medals (5252 Pte. M. Roche. 2/K. R. Rif. C.) good very fine (3) £100-140

Martin Roche was born in Smallthorne, Burslem, Staffordshire, in 1884, and attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 29 December 1902. He transferred to the Army Reserve in 1905, and on the outbreak of the Great War was re-mobilised on 5 August 1914. He served with the 2nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps during the Great War on the Western Front from 13 August 1914, and was wounded in action during the Battle of the Aisne (Lucy de Blanc). He had received a gunshot wound to the right arm (fractured) on 8 October 1914, returned to England on 13 December 1914 and was discharged on 22 October 1915 on account of his wounds. He died after discharge on 19 October 1916 and is buried in Stoke-on-Trent (Smallthorne) Cemetery.