CAMPAIGN GROUPS AND PAIRS 851


Pair: Private R. McArdle, 20th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (1st Tyneside Scottish), killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916


BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (20-1327 Pte. R. McArdle North’d Fus.) extremely fine (2) Provenance: DNW, September 2006.


£300-400


Robert McArdle was born in and enlisted at Sunderland. He served during the Great War with the 20th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (1st Tyneside Scottish) on the Western Front, and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. On this date the Battalion served as part of the 102 Brigade, 34th Division, and they ‘moved forward with 23rd Northumberland Fusiliers up Mash Valley north of La Boisselle 7.30 am (1/7) - advance being across widest part of No Man’s Land saw Battalion almost completely destroyed within minutes of leaving start positions. In his history of The Tyneside Scottish (102nd Brigade) Brigadier-General Trevor Ternan records situation at night - 20th and 23rd lying dead in Non-Man’s Land - remnants holding short length of our front trench north of La Boisselle. The tremendous casualties suffered by the Tyneside Scottish were among the worst ever recorded on the Somme. The following details are taken from Brigadier-General Ternan’s history - of the 80 officers that went into action only 10 returned, losses including all 4 commanding officers (killed) and all second in commands and adjutants. Of the men, some 80 per cent became casualties. There were 940 all ranks killed and some 1,500 wounded, the 20th Battalion losing every officer and sergeant. Brigadier-General Ternan notes that not one man was taken prisoner and expresses the opinion that losses in killed were unnecessarily high owing to the fact that the Germans deliberately fired at and killed any wounded lying helpless in front of their trenches that made the slightest movement or showed any sign of life.’ (British Battalions on the Somme by R. Westlake refers)


McArdle has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.


852


Pair: Lieutenant R. Marshall, Devonshire Regiment BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (Lieut. R. Marshall.) good very fine (2)


£60-80


Ralph Marshall, the son of Major-General Jack Marshall, C.B., D.S.O., O.B.E., Indian Army, late Devonshire Regiment, was commissioned into the Devonshire Regiment and served during the Great War on the Western Front from 5 June 1917.


Sold together with 11 portrait photographs of the recipient or his father; 1 group photograph; and the eulogy read out at the recipient’s father’s funeral.


853


Pair: Lance-Corporal H. Fletcher, West Yorkshire Regiment, who was wounded on the Western Front, 29 September 1918 BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (50005 Pte. H. Fletcher. W. York. R.) good very fine


Pair: Private J. Smales, West Yorkshire Regiment, who was twice wounded on the Western Front, 22 July 1917 and 19 March 1918 BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (6540 Pte. J. Smales. W. York. R.) light contact marks, good very fine


Pair: Private C. Bell, Yorkshire Regiment, who was twice wounded on the Western Front BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (24459 Pte. C. Bell. York. R.) very fine


Pair: Private G. Bland, Yorkshire Regiment, who was severely wounded on the Western Front in May 1917, and had his right leg amputated below the knee BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS (38897 Pte. G. Bland. York. R.) initial ‘C’ instead of ‘G’ on BWM, very fine (8) £120-160


Harry Fletcher was born in Staffordshire in 1897 and attested for the West Yorkshire Regiment at Gateshead, Co. Durham, on 6 August 1917. He served with the 3rd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front; was promoted Lance-Corporal, and suffered a gun shot wound to the left ankle on 29 September 1918. He was discharged on 15 November 1919, and was awarded a Silver War Badge.


James Smales was born in 1895 and attested for the West Yorkshire Regiment on 11 December 1915. He served with the 1st/8th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front, and was twice wounded by gas shells, on 22 July 1917 and 19 March 1918.


Charles Bell attested for the Yorkshire Regiment on 9 December 1915, and served with the 9th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 20 April 1916. He was slightly wounded in action in 1916, and more seriously the following year, suffering a gun shot wound to the foot; fractured phalanges; and contusion of the skull. He was discharged on account of his wounds on 26 October 1917, after 1 year and 322 days’ service, and was awarded a Silver War Badge.


George Bland was born on 22 November 1881 and attested for the Yorkshire Regiment on 10 December 1915, initially being given the number ‘9763’. Posted to the Army Reserve, he was mobilized on 27 March 1916, before being posted again to the Army Reserve the following day. Mobilized for a second time on 19 September 1916, he served with the 2nd/4th Battalion on during the Great War on the Western Front, before transferring to the 3rd Battalion on 25 October 1916. He was severely wounded on active service in May 1917, suffering a gun shot wound to his right hand and having his right leg amputated below the knee. He was discharged on account of his wounds on 28 February 1919, after 3 years and 81 days’ service.


Sold with copied service papers and other research. www.dnw.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236  |  Page 237  |  Page 238  |  Page 239  |  Page 240  |  Page 241  |  Page 242  |  Page 243  |  Page 244  |  Page 245  |  Page 246  |  Page 247  |  Page 248  |  Page 249  |  Page 250  |  Page 251  |  Page 252  |  Page 253  |  Page 254  |  Page 255  |  Page 256  |  Page 257  |  Page 258  |  Page 259  |  Page 260  |  Page 261  |  Page 262  |  Page 263  |  Page 264  |  Page 265  |  Page 266  |  Page 267  |  Page 268  |  Page 269  |  Page 270  |  Page 271  |  Page 272  |  Page 273  |  Page 274  |  Page 275  |  Page 276  |  Page 277  |  Page 278  |  Page 279  |  Page 280  |  Page 281  |  Page 282  |  Page 283  |  Page 284  |  Page 285  |  Page 286  |  Page 287  |  Page 288  |  Page 289  |  Page 290  |  Page 291  |  Page 292  |  Page 293  |  Page 294  |  Page 295  |  Page 296  |  Page 297  |  Page 298  |  Page 299  |  Page 300  |  Page 301  |  Page 302  |  Page 303  |  Page 304  |  Page 305  |  Page 306  |  Page 307  |  Page 308  |  Page 309  |  Page 310  |  Page 311  |  Page 312  |  Page 313  |  Page 314  |  Page 315  |  Page 316  |  Page 317  |  Page 318  |  Page 319  |  Page 320  |  Page 321  |  Page 322  |  Page 323  |  Page 324  |  Page 325  |  Page 326  |  Page 327  |  Page 328  |  Page 329  |  Page 330  |  Page 331  |  Page 332  |  Page 333  |  Page 334  |  Page 335