Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family group:

Three: Private G. R. White, Royal Fusiliers, who was killed in action at Miraumont during the operations on the Ancre on 17 February 1917
1914-15 Star (7042 Pte. G. R. White. R. Fus:); British War and Victory Medals (GS-7042 Pte. G. R. White. R. Fus.); Memorial Plaque (George Richard White) in card envelope; Memorial Scroll (Pte. George Richard White, Royal Fusiliers), the scroll torn evenly into two pieces across the coat of arms - having been previously folded, otherwise good very fine

Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Harry White) very fine £160-£200

George Richard White, a native of West Molesey, Surrey, served with the 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers during the Great War on the Western Front from 26 July 1915 and subsequently with the Machine Gun Section, D Company at the Battle of Trones Wood, July 1916, subsequent to which the men of his section wrote a 7 stanza poem regarding their grievances at the press adulation of the Royal West Kent Regiment for their stand at Trones Wood on 13 July 1916.

The poem, entitled ‘The Press Heroes of Trones Wood’ claims that the Royal West Kents ‘stopped as if they’d seen a ghost’ when confronted by the Germans and were found by the Middlesex with their ‘heads stuck in the ground’ before ‘running like hell the other way’. In fact, the poem claims, it was the ‘Middlesex drove Fritz away’ and the Northants and Middlesex who ‘held on like grim death’ with close behind them the ‘good old Fusiliers’:

And so the fight continued
The Germans did their best
And many a poor fellow
There entered his long rest
For six long days and nights boys
(It is no idle boast)
The Mids, Northants and Fusiliers
Stuck Stubborn to their post.

Of that six days of torture
No written word can tell
To those who took part in it
T’was absolutely hell
Yet while they stood and suffered
It was their lot to read
Big headlines in the papers
Of the West Kent’s gallant deeds.

The papers tell us nothing
Of what those heroes did
Their doings and their sufferings
By “Royal West Kents” is hid
But still they want no limelight
And their reward is won
In the quiet satisfaction
Of duty nobly done.

White was killed in action on 17 February 1917 at a time when his Battalion was engaged at Miraumont during the Operations on the Ancre. He is buried at Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, France.

Sold together with two Royal Fusiliers cap badges; identity tag stamped ‘G. R. White II. RF 7042 C.E.’; a photo of the recipient standing in uniform with another Royal Fusilier, captioned to the reverse ‘Uncle Tiny on left’; an empty Princess Mary Christmas 1914 Tin; and a hand written poem regarding the battle of Trones Wood, July 1916, written by the men of the Machine Gun Section, D Company, 11th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.


Harry White, older brother of the above, served as a Special Constable in the Metropolitan Police District from 15 November 1915 until 19 July 1919.

Sold together with a Metropolitan Police Certification of Service named to ‘Harry White’; Metropolitan Police Whistle by J. Hudson & Co. 244 Barr Street, Birmingham and chain, the whistle inscribed ‘09021’; Metropolitan Special Constabulary cap badge, bronze.