Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private T. J. Curtis, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment, who was killed in action near La Bassée on 4 November 1914

1914 Star, with copy clasp (6459 Pte. T. J. Curtis. 1/Norf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (6459 Pte. T. J. Curtis. Norf. R.) nearly extremely fine (3) £200-£240

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals.

View
Collection

Thomas James Curtis was born in 1882 in East Runton, Norfolk and attested for the Norfolk Regiment at North Walsham on 27 January 1903. Recalled from the Reserve on the outbreak of the Great War, he served with the 1st Battalion on the Western Front from 22 August 1914 and would have been with the first reinforcement group under Lieutenant A. C. O’Connor which joined the Battalion at Tournans, 20 miles south east of Paris, on 5 September. Ending its retreat, the 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment fought at the Marne and the Aisne - suffering over 100 casualties in the attack on the Chivy Spur at the latter - and moved north in October to the La Bassée front.

Private Curtis was killed in action on 4 November 1914 during a period in which the 15th Brigade had been holding a line just east of Festubert and Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée under heavy bombardments and infantry attacks. He was the husband of Hannah Curtis and having no known grave is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France.