Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely well-documented Great War campaign group of five awarded to Company Quarter Master Sergeant C. H. Lewis, 10th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, who was wounded in action in Gallipoli, 25 August 1915

1914-15 Star (6690 Sjt. C. H. Lewis. Hamps: R.); British War and Victory Medals (6690 W.O. Cl. 2. C. H. Lewis. Hamps. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (5485038 C.Q.M. Sjt C. H. Lewis. Hamps. R.) regiment double-struck in places; France, Third Republic, Medal of Honour, silver, with crossed swords and wreath suspension, reverse engraved ‘6690 C.Q.M.S. C. H. Lewis Hamps Regt’, mounted for wear, with related miniature awards, light contact marks, generally very fine (lot) £300-£400

France, Medal of Honour London Gazette 17 March 1920.

Charles Henry Lewis was born in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey in November 1888, and attested for the 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment as a Drummer aged 14 in December 1902. He served with Battalion in Malta, Bermuda, South Africa and Mauritius prior to the Great War. Having advanced to Sergeant, Lewis served during the Great War with 10th (Service) Battalion in the Gallipoli theatre of war from 5 August 1915. He received a gun shot wound to the shoulder, 25 August 1915, before returning to serve in Salonika later that year. Lewis advanced to Company Quarter Master Sergeant, and was employed as Permanent Staff Instructor to the 8th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment from November 1924. He was subsequently employed for 12 years as Officer’s Mess Steward and Caretaker at Fort Tregantle, Musketry Camp, Cornwall.

Sold with the following documents and items relating to C. H. Lewis: Prize Medal for Athletics, reverse engraved ‘C. Lewis R.C.C. 1914’; 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, Silver Tea Spoon, hallmarks for Birmingham 1925, reverse of handle engraved ‘C.Q.M.S. C. Lewis. 1926’, in original box; another Tea Spoon, silver-plate, handle engraved ‘C.Q.M.S. C. Lewis. 2nd Bn. Hampshire Regt. Rifle Marksman 1925’, in original box; Bestowal Document for Medal of Honour, dated 17 April 1920; Regular Army Certificate of Service; Soldier’s Service and Pay Book; Account Book; Soldier’s Small Book; Soldier’s Own Diary, covering the period 2 January 1916 - 26 December 1916; Bible, leather bound, inside cover inscribed with dedication to recipient dated 1902; Pocket Autograph Book, inside cover ‘To Charlie with all best wishes and happy birthday’, filled with annotated photographs of various stages of recipient’s pre-war service career and family photographs; another filled with ‘ditties’ from contemporary servicemen; with a file of letters and testimonials, education certificates, a number of other photographs and ephemera.