Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Rifleman T. W. Donald, 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), who was killed in action at Porte Egal Farm during the Battle of Armentières on 23 October 1914

1914 Star, with copy clasp (5088 Pte. T. Donald, 3/Rif: Brig.); British War and Victory Medals (5088 Pte. T. W. Donald. Rif. Brig.) 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 William Donald was born in 1894 at Bow, Middlesex and resided at Clerkenwell. He attested for the Rifle Brigade at Stratford, Essex in 1913 and served with the 3rd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 10 September 1914. Soon into action at the Aisne, his battalion relieved the 1st Royal Berkshires in trenches 2 miles north of Soupir on 21 September. The following month, on 18 October, they took part in the attack on Pérenchies outside Armentières, followed by a withdrawal, three days later, to a new line near Porte Egal Farm. Here an enemy attack was repelled with large numbers of Germans killed on 22 October.

Another German attack the following day caused heavy casualties among the 3rd Rifle Brigade however, particularly among C Company. The battalion losses that day were Lieutenant D. B. Landale killed, 17 other ranks killed and 43 wounded. Rifleman Donald was among those killed. The son of Caroline Sarah Donald of 64 Shaftsbury Road, Brighton, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium.