Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 7012 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 765

A Great War 1915 ´Battle of Festubert´ Casualty Group of Three to Private F. Williams, North Staffordshire Regiment 1914 Star (7839 Pte. F. Williams. 1/N. Staff: R.); British War and Victory Medals (7839 Pte. F. Williams. N. Staff. R.), extremely fine (3) Estimate £ 160-200 7839 Private Frederick Williams, born Cheltenham, 1886; served as a regular soldier prior to the Great War and was called back from the reserves to serve immediately on the outbreak of War; went to France with the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, 10.9.1914; at one point during the early weeks of the campaign he had a lucky escape from death when a bullet penetrated his pack, passed through a tin mug and a box of cigarettes, and lodged in a tin of tobacco- he sent all of these highly emotive items home as souvenirs. On the 9th June, 1915, between 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., the 1st Battalion, North Staffs, were ordered to relieve a battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, in the trenches at Wieltje. The trenches were in a poor state, the front line trenches being too low, and the communication trenches being too narrow; one trench was reported to be only two feet deep. Working parties toiled all night to make the positions more habitable and bullet proof. At 4 a.m. on the 10th June it began to rain and the trench system began to deteriorate rapidly, the rain continuing throughout the day. By nightfall the trenches were, in places, over 3 feet deep in water. To make matters worse the Battalion was shelled heavily throughout the day by ´Black Marias´ and 11 inch shells. Under this intense fire Private Williams was killed outright, and a further 22 men of the Battalion were wounded. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Private Williams´ two brothers, Alfred and Harry, also died in the Great War.

Sold for
£170