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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 537

A 'Leipzig Salient Night Raid 1916' Casualty's Pair awarded to Sergeant W. W. Stephen, 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion, Border Regiment, who was killed during the run up to the Somme Offensive while undertaking a raid in the Leipzig Salient on the night of 5-6 June 1916

British War and Victory Medals (13641 Sjt. W. W. Stephen. Bord. R.), minor contact marks, very fine (2)

William Walter Stephen was born at Whitehaven, Cumberland in 1889, the son of James Stephen of Workington. Enlisting at Workington on 30 September 1914 with the 11th (Lonsdale) Battalion, Border Regiment. He entered the war in France on 22 November 1915 (1914-15 Star) and saw several difficult months over the winter in trenches near Albert.

The Londsdale's saw much less action in the run up to the Somme Offensive. They did take part in important action however, less than a month before the start of the battle it was decided to undertake a trench raid. Unusual activity had been observed around the Leipzig Salient- a defensive work near Authuille and the target of the Brigade during the Offensive- and a patrol was needed to investigate it and take prisoners for questioning.

3 officers and 82 other ranks volunteered for the action and- led by Lieutenant Barnes- they assembled on the night of 5 June 1916 under cover of a preliminary bombardment. An Ammonal torpedo party advanced ahead of the rest of the raiders and detonated what remained of the wire. The party advanced afterwards in two waves, bombing as they went and taking a number of prisoners.

After ten minutes of fighting the position had been properly mapped and the prisoners secured. Lieutenant Barnes ordered the withdrawal using a klaxon horn, unfortunately this also alerted the Germans to the retreat. A heavy bombardment was opened on the British lines causing heavy losses as the raiders tried to make their way back.

Barnes was killed during the retreat; his body being found by a patrol of the Lancashire Fusiliers later in the night. In the chaos of the fighting retreat Stephen was separated from the rest of the party, he is the only member of the party listed as missing in the after-action report. It was later established that he was killed during the raid, although his body was never found. Stephen is listed as commemorated upon the Thiepval Memorial; sold together with copied research comprising a Battalion war diary extract, Commonwealth War Graves certificate and M.I.C. as well as service records, Soldier Died in the Great War entry, a registry of effects entry

Further details on the Leipzig Salient Raid can be found on the Lonsdale Battalion website: https://thelonsdalebattalion.co.uk/wiki/Night_raid_on_the_Leipzig_Salient_(5_June_1916)

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Sold for
£85

Starting price
£70