Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private F. J. Hardcastle, 1st Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), who was killed in action at Villers Guislain, near Epehy, on 21 September 1918

British War and Victory Medals (G-29717 Pte. F. J. Hardcastle. The Queen’s R.); Memorial Plaque (Fred John Hardcastle) extremely fine (3) £120-£160

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

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Frederick John Hardcastle was born in 1899 at Northampton and attested for the Northamptonshire Regiment on 10 March 1915. He was discharged on 14 August 1915, without having served abroad, due to having made a mis-statement as to his age on enlistment - he had been 16 years and 242 days old.

Hardcastle later attested for the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment and served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front. He was killed in action on 21 September 1918 shortly after the Battle of Epehy at a time when his battalion was near Villers Guislain, southeast of Gouzeaucourt.

The following are accounts by men of the battalion who took part in the fighting on that day:
‘On Sept. 21st we had casualties from snipers bullets at Villers Guislain S. E. of Gouzeacourt.’

‘On Sept. 21st three platoons went over on a night bombing raid to the German lines. It was unsuccessful and we had to retire. Our Colonel ordered another raid in daylight. We went over at 3pm next day and found the Germans prepared for us, and many were mown down.’

‘On Sept. 21st we went over and attacked in front of Epehy at Devil’s Post near Viller Guislain but did not get our objective, because of the enemy machine gun fire, and because the wire was not cut. We attacked in the morning, and had to come back in the afternoon. We got to the wire before we found out it was not cut, and many of our men were killed and wounded in front of it. We ultimately took our objective.’

He was the son of George Hardcastle, of 58, Cambridge St., Semilong, Northampton and is buried in Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, Epehy, France.

Sold together with a portrait photograph of the recipient as a 16 year old in the uniform of the Northamptonshire Regiment; another portrait photograph of the recipient in uniform, approximately 18 years of age; photograph of the recipient’s father; recipient’s identity disc; Belgian 10 centimes coin; letter to the recipient’s father from British Red Cross and Order of St. John dated 19 March 1920 regretting their failure to provide any information about the circumstances of the recipient’s death; Imperial War Graves Commission receipt for payment personal inscription on headstone; one page typed report on the activities of the 1st Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment between 17 - 28 September 1918; Programme of E Company 12th (T.W.) Battn. Bedford Regt. Grand Evening Concert, 6 April 1918 (2 copies); and a small amount of other ephemera.