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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 243

Four: Private T. Winter, Somerset Light Infantry, who was killed in action at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 16 September 1916

1914-15 Star (10019 Pte. T. Winter. Som: L. I.); British War and Victory Medals (10019 Pte. T. Winter. Som. L. I.), together with the recipient's Memorial Plaque (Thomas Winter), nearly extremely fine (4)

Thomas Winter was born in 1887 and lived at Pouncell Cottage, Huish, Langport, Somerset. Serving in France with the 7th Battalion from 24 July 1915, Winter was killed in action on 16 September 1916 during his unit's 'brilliant' attack at Flers-Courcelette. Having arrived in the Doullens Sector on 25 July, the 7th Battalion served in the trenches which had been taken by the 1st Battalion on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme. The Regimental History notes that the bodies of their fallen comrades still lay all around. In the Carnoy 'craters' on 27 August, they had been forced to withdraw through trenches '...knee-deep in mud and full of half buried corpses.'

Having suffered some 166 casualties during the Guillemont operations, the unit became attached to the Guards Divsion at Lesboeufs on 15 September. Making their attack at 9.35 a.m. on 16 September, the 7th Battalion '...would be under the command of a 2nd Lieutenant - all other officers having become casualties. Some 150 yards of German line captured with bomb and bayonet.'

The 7th Battalion suffered casualties of 10 officers and 162 other ranks; Winter is commemorated upon the Thiepval Memorial.

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Sold for
£170