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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 685

(x) Three: Corporal W. H. Naylor, King's Royal Rifle Corps, who was captured during the opening exchanges of the First Battle of Ypres on 2 November 1914

1914 Star, with clasp (9424 Cpl. W. H. Naylor, 1/K.R. Rif:C.); British War and Victory Medals (9424 Cpl. W. H. Naylor, K.R. Rif. C.), mounted as worn, together with the recipient's Silver War Badge, the reverse numbered 'B257277', Old Contemptible Association bronze badge, numbered '5277G', cap badge and shoulder titles (2), and a bronze shooting medallion inscribed to 'Rifleman W. Naylor, 1910', very fine (9)

William H. Naylor was born in Sunderland on 28 August 1887. He landed at Rouen in France with the 1st Battalion, K.R.R.C. on 13 August 1914, and likely served with the Battalion during the Battle of Mons and subsequent dash to the Channel.

Following his capture, William was held at the Lager Gustrow P.O.W. camp, approximately 200km north-east of Hamburg. It was here that the prisoners faced extremely harsh living conditions and it was not until 1915 that they were able to construct permanent wooden barracks capable of holding some 25,000 men. A memorial to those who perished at the camp from extreme weather, disease and a lack of food records 573 Russian, 150 French, 80 German, 64 Romanian, 42 Italian, 20 Belgian, and 5 Polish names. The remains of British and Commonwealth prisoners were transferred to the Ohlsdorf Cemetery. William was later interned in Holland in March 1918 and repatriated at the end of hostilities. For further details, see:

https://palmerww1powtrail.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/gustrow-pow-camp/


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Sold for
£180