The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 45
Pair: Private F. J. Hardcastle, 1st Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), who was killed in action at Villers Guislain, near Epehy, on 21 September 1918
British War and Victory Medals (G-29717 Pte. F. J. Hardcastle. The Queen’s R.); Memorial Plaque (Fred John Hardcastle) extremely fine (3) £120-£160
Frederick John Hardcastle was born in 1899 at Northampton and attested for the Northamptonshire Regiment on 10 March 1915. He was discharged on 14 August 1915, without having served abroad, due to having made a mis-statement as to his age on enlistment - he had been 16 years and 242 days old.
Hardcastle later attested for the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment and served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front. He was killed in action on 21 September 1918 shortly after the Battle of Epehy at a time when his battalion was near Villers Guislain, southeast of Gouzeaucourt.
The following are accounts by men of the battalion who took part in the fighting on that day: ‘On Sept. 21st we had casualties from snipers bullets at Villers Guislain S. E. of Gouzeacourt.’
‘On Sept. 21st three platoons went over on a night bombing raid to the German lines. It was unsuccessful and we had to retire. Our Colonel ordered another raid in daylight. We went over at 3pm next day and found the Germans prepared for us, and many were mown down.’
‘On Sept. 21st we went over and attacked in front of Epehy at Devil’s Post near Viller Guislain but did not get our objective, because of the enemy machine gun fire, and because the wire was not cut. We attacked in the morning, and had to come back in the afternoon. We got to the wire before we found out it was not cut, and many of our men were killed and wounded in front of it. We ultimately took our objective.’
He was the son of George Hardcastle, of 58, Cambridge St., Semilong, Northampton and is buried in Pigeon Ravine Cemetery, Epehy, France.
Sold together with a portrait photograph of the recipient as a 16 year old in the uniform of the Northamptonshire Regiment; another portrait photograph of the recipient in uniform, approximately 18 years of age; photograph of the recipient’s father; recipient’s identity disc; Belgian 10 centimes coin; letter to the recipient’s father from British Red Cross and Order of St. John dated 19 March 1920 regretting their failure to provide any information about the circumstances of the recipient’s death; Imperial War Graves Commission receipt for payment personal inscription on headstone; one page typed report on the activities of the 1st Battalion Royal West Surrey Regiment between 17 - 28 September 1918; Programme of E Company 12th (T.W.) Battn. Bedford Regt. Grand Evening Concert, 6 April 1918 (2 copies); and a small amount of other ephemera.
46
Three: Private H. L. Norman, 2nd Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), who was reported missing, presumed killed, after fighting at Kruiseecke on 28 October 1914
1914 Star, with clasp (L-10559 Pte. H. L. Norman. 2/The Queen’s R.); British War and Victory Medals (L-10559 Pte. H. L. Norman. The Queen’s R.); Memorial Plaque (Henry Wylie Norman); Memorial Scroll, ‘Pte. Henry Lionel Norman, Royal West Surrey Regt.’, good very fine (5)
£240-£280
Henry Lionel Norman was born at Teddington, Middlesex and resided at Rowledge, Surrey. He attested for the Queen’s Regiment at Guildford, Surrey in the summer of 1914 and served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 4 October 1914.
After participating in heavy fighting east of Ypres, between Ledeghem and Zonnebeke in mid October, his battalion moved forward towards Gheluvelt on 26 October, occupying a line in front of the Gheluvelt-Zandvoorde Road. The following day they recaptured lost trenches at Kruiseecke and then moved to occupy woods near Klein Zillebeke before moving on to Veldhoek on 29 October.
Private Norman was reported missing on 28 October 1914 and was later assumed to have been killed on this date. He was the son of Henry William and May Norman of Alton, Hampshire and, having no known grave, is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
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Four: Private C. Longhurst, 2nd Battalion, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), who was killed in action at Gheluvelt on 29 October 1914
1914 Star, with clasp (L-10029 Pte. C. Longhurst. 2/The Queen’s R.); British War and Victory Medals (L-10029 Pte. C. Longhurst. The Queen’s R.); Memorial Plaque (Charles Longhurst) nearly extremely fine (4)
£240-£280
Charles Thomas Longhurst was born in 1893 at Guildford, Surrey and attested for the Queen’s Regiment in October 1911. He served with ‘A’ Company in the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 4 October 1914 and was killed in action at Gheluvelt on 29 October 1914. On that day the battalion moved forward from Klein Zillbeke ‘to Veldhoek (29th) then moved forward to Gheluvelt. In action during morning and occupied a number of farms east of the Ghelvelt-Kruiseecke road. Reinforced by 1st Queen’s during day. Casualties - 12 killed, 60 wounded, 20 missing.’ (British Battalions in France and Belgium 1914 by Ray Westlake refers)
Private Longhurst was the son of Charles and Louisa Ellen Longhurst of 68 Regent Street, Whitstable, Kent and having no known grave, is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
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