Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private H. Trussell, 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), who was captured and taken prisoner of war when his battalion was overwhelmed by superior numbers at Ennetières during the Battle of Armentières on 20 October 1914

1914 Star, with clasp (8727 Pte. H. Trussell. 2/Notts: & Derby: R.); British War and Victory Medals (8727 Pte. H. Trussell. Notts. & Derby. R.); together with a Sherwood Foresters cap badge, good very fine (3) £200-£240

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

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Harry Trussell was born in 1886 at Ilkeston, Derbyshire and attested for the Sherwood Foresters in 1903. He served with “C” Company in the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 19 September 1914, joining his battalion shortly after the fighting on the Aisne. The battalion entrained for St. Omer on 9 October and moved into the Vieux Bergin area three days later. Crossing the Lys, they cleared the enemy from Sailly and continuing to advance, relieved the 2nd Durham Light Infantry at Ennetières on 18 October. The enemy, which German sources estimate to have been one entire Division plus one Brigade, then attacked the battalion who were ordered to fall back to the high ground at La Vallée. The retiring troops became surrounded during the retreat and were forced to surrender. A small group of survivors from the battalion, 2 officers and 49 other ranks managed to hold a ridge near the La Vallée Windmill and drove off the Germans last attack at 7.30pm before retiring to Fetus.

Brigadier-General W. N. Congreve, V.C. (O.C. 18th Brigade) afterwards wrote to the Colonel of the Sherwood Foresters describing how his 2nd Battalion had held their line at Ennetières under constant attack for 48 hours and on 20 October were, ‘just worn out and overwhelmed by superior numbers.’

Approximate casualty numbers for the 2nd Sherwood Foresters during the period 18-20 October were: Officers - 3 killed, 3 wounded and 10 captured; Other ranks - 710 either killed, wounded or captured. Private Trussell was among those captured at Ennetières on 20 October 1914, and was held prisoner of war for the remainder of the conflict at Münster, Germany.