Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: 2nd Lieutenant J. F. Walton, 12th (Bermondsey) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment

British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut.) nearly extremely fine (2) £150-200

Joseph Frank Walton was commissioned into the 12th (Bermondsey) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment on 22 June 1915, having previously served in the South African Campaign. Proceeding to France in May 1916, he was wounded in the action near Ploegsteert Wood in the following month. Then on the night of 11 November 1916, having rejoined his unit, he was mortally wounded in a patrol near Dead Dog Farm. An account of the events leading up to his death is given in The History of the 12th (Bermondsey ) Battalion East Surrey Regiment by Aston & Duggan:

‘The 11th of November, 1916, marks a tragedy in the history of the Battalion. The day had been quiet and everyone had prepared for a restful night, when suddenly the stillness was disturbed by bombing and machine-gun fire ... Some time later Sergt. C. Turner of B Company entered the H.Q. dugout and gave a report of what had happened ... Acting Capt. C. O. Slack, O.C. B Company ... had taken out a patrol consisting of 2nd Lieut. J. F. Walton and four others to reconnoitre the enemy wire on the left of No. 1 Crater. On arriving at the wire the patrol was heavily bombed and fired on with machine-guns, as a result of which one man was wounded. Stretcher-bearers were sent for, and on their arrival the party was again fired on by machine-guns, sustaining more casualties and being dispersed. In consequence, Capt. Slacke was missing, believed wounded, 2nd Lieut. Walton was wounded and missing, and four other ranks including Ptes. Budd and Brenton, stretcher-bearers, were missing ... From an account of one of the survivors, it appears that when 2nd Lieut. Walton was wounded, Sergt. T. G. Mackenzie, who was with the patrol, got the assistance of Lce.-Cpl. A. Kitchen and Pte. T. J. Young in order to bring him in. It was then discovered that Capt. Slacke was also wounded. This little party endeavoured to get both officers back but it was found that 2nd Lieut. Walton was again wounded (this time mortally) and that Capt. Slacke had disappeared. Two of the men were known to have been killed. The firing became such that Mackenzie and his gallant assistants had to get back to the trench ... For their services Sergt. Mackenzie, Lce.-Cpl. Kitchen and Pte. Young were subsequently awarded the Military Medal’.

Having no known grave, Walton is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.