Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Acting Sergeant W. F. Freeman, 4th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), who fought with B Company in the Mons Salient on 23 August 1914, and was captured and taken Prisoner of War at Neuve Chapelle on 26 October 1914

1914 Star, with clasp (10640 Pte. W. Freeman. 4/R. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (L-10640 A. Sjt. W. F. Freeman. R. Fus.) good very fine or better (3) £300-£400

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

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William Frederick Freeman attested for the Royal Fusiliers in 1903. Following the outbreak of the Great War he served with B Company of the 4th Battalion as part of the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, II Corps with the original British Expeditionary Force, arriving at Havre, France on 13 August 1914. Ordered to advance forward towards Mons with the rest of the expeditionary force, the battalion reached the Mons-Condé Canal on 22 August where B (or X) and C (or Y) Companies were positioned at a broad loop in the canal as it skirted around Mons, thus creating a salient which was far from ideal to defend. Here also were two bridges, a rail bridge and a road bridge, which, if captured by the Germans, would necessitate a withdrawal of the entire British front line for fear of being surrounded. Positioned then at the critical point, the following morning, 23 August 1914, they were the first British unit to face an infantry attack in the Great War as the Germans launched their assault at 9am, flinging four battalions at the railway bridge.

F. Gaunt describes the scene facing the 4th Royal Fusiliers in the Mons Salient in his first hand account, The Immortal First:
‘Then came the sound of trumpets from the enemy’s lines, which was the order to advance, and they came on in vast numbers, ten to our one, and ten machine guns to a battalion to our two to a battalion. Each one of our men was equal to three of the enemy as regards shooting, the Germans firing from the hip, therefore causing the shot to go high. They were met by a very deadly fire from our two machine guns which were on the railway bridge...’

Despite the tremendous gallantry shown by the Battalion’s machine-gunners, especially Lieutenant M. J. Dease and Private S. F. Godley, casualties mounted steadily, and shortly after 1pm the orders came for the Battalion to withdraw from their dangerous position across 250 yards of exposed open ground swept by shrapnel and machine-gun fire. Private Godley alone remained at his gun, maintaining a covering fire until all the Battalion had been successfully evacuated with minimal additional casualties. For their supreme valour both Dease and Godley were subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross- the first V.C.s awarded during the Great War. Taking part in the retreat from Mons, the battalion then held reserve positions at Le Cateau and fought at the Marne and the Aisne in September 1914.

Acting Sergeant Freeman was captured on 26 October 1914 at Neuve Chapelle during the Battle of La Bassée. The war diary for this date describes a failed night attack by the battalion which incurred high casualties. The very heavy losses in this period are also mentioned by Gaunt, ‘We had suffered very heavily during the Battle of La Bassée from 19th to the 25th. When the Roll was called we had a total of 345 men and 5 officers left out of 975, which was the total strength before going into the battle.’ (ibid)
Freeman was held prisoner of war at Munster, Germany and arrived in Holland as an internee on 15 March 1918, finally being repatriated to London on 24 October 1918. He was then immediately admitted to 1 London General Hospital, Camberwell where he was described as wounded.

Note: Freeman’s 1914 Star medal roll entry and Medal Index Card state that he was captured on 23 August 1914 at Mons but his Prisoner of War Records state his place and date of capture to be Neuve Chapelle, 26 October 1914.

Sold together with two postcards sent by Freeman to his wife at 9 Nash Street, Abercynon, Glamorgan:
The first, postmarked Isle of Wight, 13 August 1914, confirms his unit to be B Company, 4th Battalion and describes how everyone is ‘proper sunburnt’ from drill marching order parades but also in ‘the best of health and spirits’ and ‘shall be glad to get away from these barracks. we’ve had enough of Parkhurst.’
The second describes getting ashore at Havre and admits ‘we don’t know where we are for yet’.