Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Victory Medal 1914-19 (10) (3336 Pte. E. Chadwick. Lan. Fus.; 202568 Cpl. H. Birks. Lan. Fus.; 47811 Pte. J. R. Clampett. Lan. Fus.; 19372 A.Cpl. A. Fletcher. Lan. Fus.; 204013 Cpl. W. Jenkinson. Lan. Fus.; 26097 Pte. S. Valensky. Lan. Fus.; 10823 Pte. H. Gemmell. Lan. Fus.; 30277 Pte. J. W. Crabtree. Lanc. Fus.; 63910 Pte. H. L. Brown. Lan. Fus.; 29356 Pte. S. Eckersall. Lan. Fus.) very fine or better (10) £120-160

Edmund Chadwick, a native of Heywood, Lancashire, served on the Western Front with the 2/7th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 18 August 1918 whilst attached to the 8th (Service) Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). At the time, the battalion was involved in fighting around ‘Lonely Trench’ after it had attacked it on 16 August. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

Harry Birks, a native of Bury, Lancashire served on the Western Front with the 2/7th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 21 March 1918 at Templeux-le-Guérard, Somme, France:
‘On the opening day of the German Spring Offensive (21 March 1918), two and a half companies of the 2/7th Lancashire Fusiliers and two companies of the divisional pioneer battalion (1/5th Border Regiment) were defending a heavily fortified quarry outside the village of Templeux-le-Guérard. This strongpoint was quickly surrounded and bypassed by the attackers, who began a furious attack on the rest of the brigade in Templeux-le-Guérard. At 3.00 p.m. the Germans brought up some heavy Minenwerfers, which destroyed the positions in the quarry, and at the same time they entered the quarry tunnels. Of 450 men in the quarry garrison only approximately 60 were left on their feet when they surrendered two hours later.’
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France.

Joseph R Clampett served on the Western Front with the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. He was killed in action on the 30 November 1917 during the battalion’s action at the Battle of Cambrai. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, France.

Arthur Fletcher was born in Liverpool and served on the Western Front with the 10th (Service) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers; landing in France on 16 October 1915. He was killed in action at ‘The Bluff’, Ypres on the 15 February 1916. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.

Walter Jenkinson, a native of Blackburn, served on the Western Front with the 2/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers and was awarded the Military Medal (London Gazette 4 October 1918). Awards listed in this gazette cover the period from April to the first week of June 1918.

Samuel Valensky originally served on the Western Front with the 9th (Service) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers before being posted to the 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford). He was later transferred to the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Henry Gemmell served on the Western Front with the 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford) Lancashire Fusiliers. He was admitted to hospital in October 1917 due to sickness.

John William Crabtree originally served with the Lancashire Fusiliers before transferring to the Labour Corps.

Henry Lawrence Brown served on the Western Front with the 18th (Service) Battalion (2nd South East Lancashire) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, which was formed as a Bantam unit.

Samuel Eckersall served on the Western Front with the 10th (Service) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers.