Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Victory Medal 1914-19 (2 Lieut. H. H. Bucknell) extremely fine £40-50

Harry Hill Bucknell was born in Cardiff on 25 February 1882 and educated at Higher Grade Schools, Howard Gardens, Cardiff. He was first employed as a Clerk with the Cardiff Gas Company and then as a Cashier with the Swansea Gas Company. Having been in the Glamorgan Yeomanry before the war, he was called up for service on 4 August 1914. He obtained a commission in the 6th (Service) Battalion The Welsh Regiment on 28 September 1915 and served with B.E.F. in France. An account from the regimental history records reads, ‘One night the nose-cap of a shrapnel shell caught Lieutenant Bucknell full in the stomach. Despite the injury, he went about his work for hours, but eventually lost his way. He was a very dark-looking man, and on asking some questions of another regiment he was taken for a German spy. It was quite bad enough to have been hit, but when insult was added to the injury the cup of trouble almost overflowed. Bucknell was one of those quiet individuals who would not say a word about his injury, and he allowed himself to be walked for miles to the 6th Welsh headquarters to satisfy his zealous captors that he was not really a Bosche. His injury was a bad one. He was killed later on’ . Bucknell was killed in action at Ypres on 22 July 1917, aged 35 years, and was buried in Essex Farm Cemetery, Boesinghe, north of Ypres. His Chaplain wrote of him, ‘He was always a ready volunteer for whatever was taking place - fear was an unknown quantity. We have lost a brave comrade, and King and country have lost a gallant officer whom it could ill spare.’ Sold with copied research.