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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 698

Three: Private W. Adams, Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed in action at Gallipoli on 30 June 1915

1914-15 Star (1376 Pte. W. Adams. Lan. Fus:); British War and Victory Medals (1376 Pte. W. Adams. Lan. Fus.), light contact marks, otherwise very fine (3)

William Adams landed at Cape Helles with the 1/8th Lancashire Fusiliers on 5 May 1915. As part of 42nd Division, the Battalion initially served as much needed reinforcements during the Second Battle of Krithia when British and ANZAC forces attempted to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula towards the forts that controlled passage of the Dardanelles Straits - halted by strong Ottoman resistance, casualty rates had been approximately one third.

On 28 June, the Allies planned a similar attack along Gully Spur, Gully Ravine and neighbouring Fir Tree Spur - the 42nd would try to break out and end the trench stalemate, which resembled the Western Front. Lacking artillery support, the attack faced heavy machine gun fire and bayonet counter-attacks. Despite local gains - at one point the line was pushed forward more than a kilometre - there was no breakthrough. Between 28 and 30 June, it is estimated that up to 5,000 Allied troops became casualties, including Adams. He is buried at Skew Bridge Cemetery on the tip of the Peninsula; sold with copied research.


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Sold for
£150