Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private W. Bickle, 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment, who was killed in action on the Western Front on 27 December 1915, aged just 16

1914-15 Star (3479, Pte. W. Bickle. 20-Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (3479 Pte. W. Bickle. 20-Lond. R.); Memorial Plaque (William Bickle) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure; together with the recipient’s card identity disc ‘Bickle W. 3479. 20 Ldn. CE’, extremely fine (4) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties.

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Provenance: Acquired by the vendor directly from the recipient’s family.

William Bickle was born in Lee, London, on 19 June 1899 and attested for the 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment, at Blackheath, underage, serving with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 10 November 1915. He was killed in action when the enemy detonated a mine and blew out the front line section of ‘Kink’ trench near the Hohenzollern Redoubt at Loos on 27 December 1916.

Bickle was just 16 years old at the time of his death. A newspaper cutting states:
‘Private William Bickle joined the 20th London in April last, when he was 15 years and 10 months old. He was a particulary tall boy and, being keen to serve, succeeded in getting in. Before he went to the front in October his mother threatened to inform the authorities as to his correct age, with a view to preventing him from going abroad. “If you do”, he said, “I shall join another Regiment in another name and then you will not know where to find me.” He was determined to get to France. His parents visited him at the training camp a week before he left and found after six months of soldiering he was keener than ever.
From the front he sent home cheerful letters, but these ceased about a month ago. Last week his parents’ apprehensions were confirmed by the receipt of an official notice stating that Private Bickle was killed in action on 27 December. In his last letter home, which reached them that day, he informed them he was going back to the trenches.’

Bickle has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France.

Sold with a religious charm; a bracelet with two photographs of the recipient encapsulate, one of the recipient as a young child, and the other of him in his military uniform; and copied research, including a newspaper cutting which contains a photograph of the recipient.