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Auction: 18002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 413

Pair: Private G. Stewart, 1/7th Battalion, Essex Regiment

British War and Victory Medals (3078 Pte. G. Stewart, Essex R.), good very fine (2)

George Stewart enlisted at Walthamstow and served in the Gallipoli theatre of war from 11 August 1915. On the night of the 17th August, 161 Brigade relieved the 10th (Irish) Division at Kiretch Tepe, the 1/7th Battalion, Essex Regiment, taking over 'Jephson's Post'.

Intermittent shellfire on these positions caused considerable casualties and the Battalion was relieved less than a week later; a number of the remaining men were moved to the Lala Baba sector and 'Rhododendron Spur,' whilst the rest worked on a new communication trench.

The Battalion next moved to the Hill 60 sector, described by one of the officers as 'notoriously one of the most unpleasant spots on the peninsula.' It was prepared for an attack to capture the rest of the hill, where opposing trench lines were only 17 yards apart and sappers on both sides were digging mines. The operation was repeatedly postponed, the casualties for the Battalion running at about 50 a month, with a much higher proportion sick in hospital suffering from dysentery, trench foot and other illnesses associated with the campaign.

Stewart, one such victim, died on 9 October 1915, one of the victims of the daily attrition at Gallipoli prior to the detonation of the British mines. He is buried in the 7th Field Ambulance Cemetery, approximately 190 metres east of the Anzac-Suvla road (entitled to 1914-15 Star); sold with copied MIC.


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Sold for
£60