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Auction: 7012 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 370

A Great War ´Loos 1915´ Casualty Group of Three to Lance Corporal A.J. Hooper, Welsh Guards 1914-15 Star (1153 Pte. A. Hooper. W. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (1153 Pte. A.J. Hooper. W. Gds.), extremely fine, with Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque, ´Alfred Hooper´, in original card envelope of issue, copy of service papers (3) Estimate £ 750-800 1153 Lance Corporal Alfred J. Hooper, born Cardiff; enlisted Welsh Guards, 19.4.1915; served during the Great War with the regiment in the French Theatre of War, 14.8.1915-27.9.1915; Hooper was killed in action on the latter date, when the 1st Battalion were advancing on Loos, ´The Battalion arrived there in the morning to find the place awash with the overflow of battle: guns blazing, men and transport moving up, and tired columns of wounded making their way back. At 2.30pm they got the order to move on to Loos, concentrate there, and with 4th Grenadiers capture Hill 70 that night. The approach to Loos was the Welsh Guards´ first experience of war. From Vermelles the ground rises gently for about a mile followed by an easy slope down to Loos itself. As soon as they came over the crest they were seen by the enemy who opened heavy shellfire as they crossed the skyline. Shrapnel burst in puffs overhead and high explosive threw up pillars of mud and black smoke. Both Grenadiers and Welshmen went steadily forward, down into Loos, which reeked with gas. The Battalion found shelter in an abandoned German trench on the edge of the village, while the Commanding Officer went on into Loos to get orders from the Brigadier. He presently returned and led the Battalion through the village to the further outskirts where they found what protection they could. The gas shelling was now so bad that they had to put on the stifling bags which then did service as gas-masks. Late in the afternoon the Commanding Officer gave orders for the Battalion to attack Hill 70. It was about 6pm and the light was already failing when the attack started. At first there was a guide-mark of a clump of trees on the skyline, but this faded as night fell. The companies groped their way forward in the dark but somehow managed to keep direction. They knew at once when they reached the top of the hill. A star-shell went up, followed by another and another until they found themselves caught in a blaze of light, in which everything could be seen clearly. There was a scatter of rifle fire and then a crash of well-directed machine gun fire, so intense that it was described as having the force of some natural phenomenon such as a typhoon. But such intensity cannot last, and when it died down a little, men were able to dig themselves small scrapes or roll into shell-holes. Some how companies found touch with each other and managed to establish a line just below the crest of the hill. The question was now whether they could stay there. Enemy fire was still too heavy to allow the digging and wiring needed to establish a secure line. The Battalion had also been weakened by casualties. The Commanding Officer therefore judged and recommended to the Brigade Commander that he should be relieved by the 2nd Scots Guards. This was agreed, and after a reconnaissance by both Commanding Officers it was decided that to dig an integrated line of defence on the crest would be impossible. But an old German trench was discovered about 100 yards below the top of the hill. This was strengthened, wired and occupied by the Scots Guards, while the Welsh still clung to the crest of the hill. The Welsh Guards then had the difficult task of withdrawing, under fire, with their wounded. They achieved this by daybreak on the 28th, when they reformed in Loos.´ (The Welsh Guards, J. Retallack, refers). Hooper is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France.

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£500