Auction Catalogue

30 June 1998

Starting at 12:00 PM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Arts Club  40 Dover St  London  W1S 4NP

Lot

№ 482

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30 June 1998

Hammer Price:
£200

An interesting Great War pair to Private A. V. Strout, Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry, together with his inscribed Bible, this returned to his sister in 1938 by the German officer who had removed it from Strout’s body in 1918
British War and Victory Medal (2985 Pte., D. of Corn. L. I.) with boxes and Registered packets of issue; Holy Bible, published 1915, inscribed ‘240660 Pioneer A. V. Strout, 1/5 Cornwall’s - Best wishes for a very happy Xmas from your sister Belle’; two copies of the British Legion Journal, one containing an advert from the German Officer looking for relatives of Strout, the other reporting the successful return of the bible to Strout’s sister; several newspaper cuttings concerning the same matter and related Second War Defence and War Medals in box of issue, extremely fine (4) £70-90

Private Albert Victor Strout was reported as missing on 11 April 1918, his death was presumed and ‘Soldiers Died’ simply records him as died France and Flanders 11 April 1918 . His family however had no definite confirmation of his death until the receipt of the bible, at which time the finder, Colonel Daischik, reported ‘I found the bible which I send you from your dead heroic brother 10th or 12th April, near Calonne. Your brother lay in a corn field, he was dead.’