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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 703

(x) A rare Great War casualty's group of three awarded to Bandsman C. O'Donnell, King's Royal Rifle Corps, who was killed by shellfire in Polygon Wood, near Ypres, Belgium, on 23 April 1915 - one of eight K.R.R.C. Bandsmen to be killed in the Great War

1914-15 Star (5604 Bndsmn: C. O'Donnell, K.R. Rif:C.); British War and Victory Medals (5604 Pte. C. O'Donnell, K.R. Rif. C.), nearly extremely fine (3)

Charles Frederick O'Donnell was born at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, the son of Mary Ellen and Edward Powell O'Donnell. He served in France from 20 December 1914 as a Bandsman in the K.R.R.C, and was killed in action on the second day of the Second Battle of Ypres; a day earlier, to the north-west of Polygon Wood, the German 4th Army released a cloud of chlorine gas which was blown on a gentle breeze towards French and Algerian troops sheltering in the north of the salient, creating panic. Charles and the men of the 3rd Battalion, K.R.R.C., were likely making preparation for further attacks, this time to the east of Ypres. They were not forthcoming as German manpower reserves were low and the unreliable method of deployment had gassed large numbers of their own troops as well.

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Sold for
£120