A Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers

Victory Medal 1914-19 (4) (11419 Pte. C. Deans. S. Wales Bord.; 23627 Pte. A. Hunt. S. Wales Bord.; 6450 Sjt. T. Issac. S. Wales Bord.; 9735 Pte. C. F. Squires. S. Wales Bord.) naming feint on first and last, very fine (2) £80-£120

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers.

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Christopher Deans was born in Builth Wells, Breconshire, in 1896, and attested for the South Wales Borderers as a member of the Special Reserve. Following the outbreak of the Great War he was posted to the 1st Battalion and served on the Western Front from 29 November 1914. He was killed in action at Givenchy on 25 January 1915. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, France.

Alfred Hunt was born in Attercliffe, Yorkshire, and attested for the South Wales Borderers at Newport on 3 May 1915. He served during the Great War with the 12th (3rd Gwent) Battalion, and later served as a Tunneller whilst attached to the 173rd, 178th and 174th Tunnelling Companies. He then transferred to the 9th Entrenching Battalion, and from there to “C” Company, 14th (Severn Valley Pioneers) Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. He was transferred to the Class Z reserve in January 1919 and re-enlisted in May of that year as a Private in the 83rd Labour Company, Labour Corps. He was court-martialed and sentenced to prison for theft in 1920 and was discharged for misconduct in June of that year.

Thomas Isaac was born in Ruabon, Denbigh, in 1876 and attested for the South Wales Borderers at Brecon in 1899. He served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War, disembarking at Suvla, Gallipoli on 16 August 1915. He was killed in action just three days later on 19 August 1915, and is buried in Green Hill Cemetery, Suvla, Turkey.

Charles Frederick Squires was born at Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, in 1878, and attested for the South Wales Borderers on 21 September 1896. He served with them in South Africa during the Boer War, arriving in Natal on 8 July 1899. He transferred to the Army Service Corps on 22 December 1899 and was promoted Lance-Corporal on 23 February 1900 and Second Corporal on 1 January 1901. He returned to England on 31 May 1901 and was discharged medically unfit on 7 September of that year.

Following the outbreak of the Great War he was stationed at Tientsin, China with the 2nd Battalion (D Company) and took part in the Siege of Tsingtao. He was transferred to the Section B Reserve on 8 May 1919 and died in Essex in 1956.

Sold with copied Medal Index Cards and other research.