Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lieutenant-Colonel G. H. Soames, 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, late Lancashire Fusiliers, who was shot by a sniper at night in No-Man’s-Land in January 1917

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State (Lieut. G. H. Soames, Lanc: Fus:); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lt. G. H. Soames. Lanc. Fus.); 1914-15 Star (Capt: G. H. Soames. W. York R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Col. G. H. Soames.) together with Bronze Memorial Plaque (Gilbert Horsman Soames) all mounted on a display board with four regimental badges, contact marks to the first two, nearly very fine, otherwise extremely fine (6) £500-£600

M.I.D. London Gazette 4 January 1917.

Gilbert Horsman Soames was the younger son of Arthur W. Soames, Liberal Member of Parliament for South Norfolk. He was born on 8 April 1879, and educated at Bilton Grange and Charterhouse. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers on 4 April 1900, becoming Lieutenant on 20 October the same year. He was promoted to Captain on 20 May 1905, and transferred as Captain to the West Yorkshire Regiment on 20 May 1908.

He served in the South African war 1899-1902, attached to the Army Service Corps from 24 July 1901. Took part in the operations in the Transvaal in May and June 1900. In the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 November 1900. Again in the Transvaal, January 1901 to January 1902, and April to May 1902. During the operations in Orange River Colony, January 1902 to April 1902 (Queen’s medal with 3 clasps, King’s medal with 2 clasps).

In 1914 he was Adjutant of the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment and went to France with that unit on 28 June 1915. After being invalided home, he rejoined his old regiment, the 1st West Yorkshires, in France as acting Lieutenant-Colonel. He was killed in action on 9 January 1917, shot by a sniper at night in No-Man’s-Land near La Basse, and is buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension, Pas de Calais, France. His elder brother Major Maurice Gordon Soames, R.F.A., was also killed in action on 24 September 1916.