Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Q.S.A. awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel W. C. C. Ash [D.S.O.], Middlesex Regiment, who was wounded in action whilst serving during the first day of the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915, and having been awarded the D.S.O., Ash died of wounds received whilst Commanding the 23rd (Service) Battalion (2nd Football) at Flers, 29 September 1916

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (Capt & Adjt: W. C. C. Ash. Midd.x Rgt:) mounted for wear, very fine £280-£320

D.S.O. London Gazette 14 January 1916.

William Claudius Casson Ash was born in Marylebone, in 1870, resided at 13 St. John’s Wood Road, and was educated at Haberdashers and Westminster School. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment in September 1892, advanced to Lieutenant in July 1895, and to Captain in March 1900. Ash served as Adjutant with the 5th (Special Reserve) Battalion from 13 January 1902.

Ash played cricket whilst serving in the Army, and also played for Old Westminsters, Free Foresters, the Butterflies and Berkshire County Cricket Club. He was a member of the MCC from 1896, and served on the Committee of Middlesex County Cricket Club. Ash advanced to Major in April 1909, and served during the Great War with the 2nd Battalion in the French theatre of war from 7 November 1914.

Ash was wounded in action at Loos, 25 September 1915, and advanced to Temporary Lieutenant Colonel the following month. He was invalided back to the UK, and upon recovery was posted to command the 23rd (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (2nd Football), and served with them on the Western Front from 3 May 1916.

At 11pm on the night of 14 September 1916 Ash’s Battalion moved forward from the village of Montauban to assembly trenches in Carlton and Savoy Trenches for an attack on the village of Flers. By 1am on the 15th they were in position and at 6.20am the leading units went into the assault, led by tanks which were being used for the first time in the history of warfare. The Middlesex men moved off at 10am; as they went forward they had to shelter from enemy shelling on a number of occasions. At midday they were ordered to take up positions at Scimitar Trench and they again moved forward under fire, with the battalion split either side of the Flers Road. By this time Flers itself had been taken but the situation in the northern part of the village was obscure. The battalion resumed the attack and at 5pm they lost their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Claudius Casson Ash, who fell mortally wounded, having led the attack.

Lieutenant Colonel Ash died of wounds which he had received in action at Flers, aged 46, 29 September 1916. He is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, and is commemorated on the Mill Hill War Memorial and on the MCC Great War Honours Board at Lords. One of his daughter’s designed a stained glass window in his memory, and it was installed at All Saints Church, Old Heathfield, Sussex. Ash’s wife placed a different In Memoriam notice to commemorate his death in The Times every year between 1916-1954, the latter year being the last before her death.