Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Acting Sergeant W. B. Lakin, South Nottinghamshire Hussars and Machine Gun Corps, who is believed to have survived the sinking of the S.S. Leasowe Castle on 27 May 1918

Military Medal, G.V.R. (164721 Cpl. W. B. Lakin. M.G.C.) number officially corrected; 1914-15 Star (1819 Pte. W. P. [sic] Lakin. S. Notts. Hrs.); British War and Victory Medals (1818 A. Sjt. W. B. Lakin. S. Notts. Hrs.) contact marks throughout and edge bruise to BWM, the MM polished, therefore good fine; the rest better (4) £500-£700

M.M. London Gazette 20 August 1919.

William Ball Lakin was born at Coalville, Leicestershire, on 23 December 1895, and attested for the South Nottinghamshire Hussars. He served with the 1st/1st Battalion during the Great War in Gallipoli from 12 September 1915, and saw further service in Salonika and Egypt (attached Desert Mounted Troops); he was still on the strength of the regiment when it was merged with the Warwickshire Yeomanry in April 1918 to form ‘B’ Battalion Machine Gun Corps, and so presumably survived the sinking of the S.S. Leasowe Castle on 27 May 1918, whilst transporting troops from Alexandria, with the loss of over one hundred lives. The battalion disembarked at Taranto, Italy on 21 June 1918 and entrained for France, arriving at Etaples on 29 June, where, on the 19 August 1918, it was re-designated No. 100 Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Warwickshire and South Nottinghamshire Hussars). Assigned to 12th Division, the battalion moved to Warloy and from there to Trones Wood and thence to Bouchavesnes. Companies were distributed at various locations in support of the infantry of 12th, 47th and 58th Divisions, coming into line on the 6 September 1918. From this date until the end of hostilities the battalion was continually in action in the final advance with companies and individual sections being despatched to whichever part of the line where the need was greatest. Transferred to 25th Division on 1 November 1918, Battalion HQ was located at Les Fontaine at the time of the Armistice.

Lakin was disembodied on 26 January 1919, and returning to Forest Town acquired a reputation as a promising prize-fighter when, at the age of 27 and with no experience of ring fighting, he knocked out the far more experienced fighter, Joe Brown, during a ten round £5 Purse bout at the Mansfield Boxing and Athletic Club meeting on 9 October 1922 (Mansfield Reporter refers). He also worked for many years as a masseur and following retirement from the ring became a successful amateur boxing coach. He died at Mansfield in November 1975.