Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Cigarette Case, 81 x 67mm. (approx.), silver, hallmarks for Chester 1908, inscribed, ‘Lt. A. H. Ball, Royal Sussex Regt., Nov. 25th 1916-April 9th 1918, To his faithful servant, Pte. A. Wells, M.M., in memory of “Dad”, very good condition £100-140

Lieutenant A. H. Ball, 5th Battalion Royal Susex Regiment, was killed on 9 April 1918, aged 29 years and was buried in the Cambrin Military Cemetery. He was the son of Mr W. E. Ball, LL.D. and Mrs M. A. Ball, of Brasted, Kent and husband of Sylvia N. Roe (formerly Ball) of Dudwell House, Burwash, Sussex.

Sold with three original letters from Lieutenant Ball’s widow, at Houndstall House, Mark Cross, Sussex, to Private Wells. Letter dated 14 May [1918], ‘My dear Wells, ... I thank you so much for your sympathy & what the men thought of him. I enclose a last little photo of “Dad” & his family & I shall have a nice big one of him done for you - also ... some special memento such as a cigarette case he always carried with his name & yours engraved on it.... I shall want so much to see you & hear so many things no one else can tell me - what times you had together ...’Letter dated Aug. 7 [1918]. ‘Dear Wells, I am very sorry to hear you have been wounded but it must be nice to be out of it & safe in dear old blighty ...’. Letter dated Oct. 30 [1918]. ‘Dear Wells, Surely by now your wound is healed & you are now on sick leave. .... he told me all about everything & how you got the Military Medal, I am so glad - it came out in Sat. gazette in case you want to know. How pleased “Dad” would have been. .... I want to know what date you first were his servant - as I must get that silver cigarette case (I promised you) engraved ....’