Auction Catalogue

1 December 2004

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 1118

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1 December 2004

Hammer Price:
£500

Three: Private W. Tester, Rifle Brigade

1914-15 Star (S-12012 Pte., Rif. Brig.); British War and Victory Medals (S-12012 Pte., Rif. Brig.); Memorial Plaque (William Tester), extremely fine (4) £180-220

Sold with a 9th Lancers badge and two photographs of the recipient in uniform, in glass fronted case.

William Tester, son of Mr and Mrs J. Tester of Battle Road, Hollington, St. Leonards-on-Sea, was servin with the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade when he died or was killed on 22 January 1919, aged 21 years. His name is commemorated on the Haidar Pasha Memorial, Istanbul, Turkey.

On 16 December 1918 the 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade sailed from the Balkans to Batum and thence to Tiflis in Georgia, arriving there on 1 January 1919. On 21 January parts of the Battalion proceeded to Kars where they were employed in guarding the railway track between Kars and Alexandropol and also large munition dumps in the area.

The Haida Pasha Memorial commemorated over 30 servicemen of the Great War who died fighting in South Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, whose graves are not known. It also commemorates over 170 names of servicemen who died and were buried in Russia, whose graves can no longer be maintained by the War Graves Commission.