The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 88
Three: Private G. Spriggs, 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, who died from wounds received in action near Bois Grenier during the Battle of Armentières on 26 October 1914
1914 Star (6879 Pte. G. Spriggs. 1/Leic: R.); British War and Victory Medals (6879 Pte. R. Spriggs. Leic. R.) nearly extremely fine (3)
£200-£240
George Spriggs was born in 1886 at Market Harborough, Leicestershire and attested for the Leicestershire Regiment at Leicester in 1903. He served in India with the 2nd Battalion from February 1905 and, extending his term of engagement to 12 years, remained there until January 1914 at which time he returned home to England.
Following the outbreak of the Great War, Spriggs served with the 1st Battalion on the Western Front from 9 September 1914, initially in trenches near Vailly, on the Aisne. Having moved forward to Bois Grenier, south of Armentières, on 18 October, his battalion relieved the West Yorkshire Regiment on 21 October at the Chemical Factory at Rue du Bois. Colonel Wylly in the regimental history notes that a report was then received from the Officer Commanding 1st Leicestershire that hostile shelling had compelled the battalion to evacuate a section of the line from just south of the Rue de Bois to Le Quesne and that his men were lying in the open along the railway line. The enemy then gathered in strength and attacked around the Le Quesne Distillery at dawn on 26 October. The regimental history now notes that the Leicester’s line was intact at Rue de Bois to the barricade at the level crossing south of the station and that ‘close hand-to-hand fighting took place throughout the day’. Casualties between 21 and 26 October were Officers: four killed or mortally wounded, five wounded; other ranks: 47 killed, 134 wounded; 106 missing - the largest number of casualties occurring on 25 October.
Private Spriggs died on 26 October 1914 from wounds received in the above described fighting. He was the son of John and Mary Ann Spriggs, of 22, Bath St., Market Harborough and is buried in Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension, France. He is also commemorated on the following memorials: St. Nicholas’s Churchyard Memorial, Little Bowden, Leicestershire; the Market Harborough Memorial, Leicestershire; St. Hugh’s Church Memorial, Market Harborough, Leicestershire; and the Cottage Hospital War Memorial, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
89
Three: Private M. E. Layton, 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, who was wounded and taken prisoner of war on the Aisne in September 1914
1914 Star, with copy clasp (9549 Pte. M. E. Layton. R. Ir. Regt.); British War and Victory Medals (9549 Pte. M. E. Layton. R. Ir. Regt.) good very fine or better (3)
£200-£240
Michael E. Layton was born in 1889 at East Ham, Essex (some sources say Waterford, Ireland) and attested for the Royal Irish Regiment at Stratford, Essex in July 1908. He deserted from His Majesty’s Service whilst garrisoned with the 2nd Battalion at Guernsey in 1911 but returned, seeing service with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 13 August 1914. His battalion fought at Mons where they, ‘moved forward (23rd) and took part in fighting on the outskirts of Mons. Heavily engaged around the cemetery before falling back to Nouvelles. Casualties - Captains Mellor, Forbes, Second Lieutenants Gibbons and Shine killed or mortally wounded, 16 other ranks killed, 5 officers, 58 other ranks recorded as wounded or missing, Major Long and 226 other ranks missing, 1 officer taken prisoner.’ (British Battalion in France and Belgium 1914 by Ray Westlake refers).
Following the Retreat from Mons, the 1st Royal Irish began their advance to the Aisne on 6 September, crossing the river south of Vailly under heavy fire on 14 September. Private Layton suffered bullet wounds in both knees and was captured on 15 September. In common with many Irish prisoners, he was held prisoner of war at Limburg in Germany where the Germans concentrated Irish Prisoners from December 1914 in order to give the Irish nationalist Sir Roger Casement the opportunity to recruit men for his Irish Brigade.
90
The 1914 Star awarded to Sergeant D. Walsh, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, who was killed in action at Mons on 23 August 1914, the British Expeditionary Force’s first full day of fighting on the Western Front
1914 Star (4969 Sjt. D. Walsh. R. Ir: Regt.) good very fine £180-£220
Denis Walsh was born in 1875 at Cappoquin, County Waterford, Ireland and attested for the Royal Irish Regiment at Dungarvon, County Waterford in 1893. He served with the 2nd Battalion on the North West Frontier and was awarded the India General Service Medal with clasps for Punjaub Frontier 1897-98 and Samana 1897.
Following the outbreak of the Great War he sailed for France on 13 August as a Sergeant in the 2nd Battalion and, having landed at Boulogne, moved forward with his battalion as part of the 8th Brigade, 3rd Division into Belgium and on to St. Symphorien, just south- east of Mons, on 22 August. Advancing further the following morning, the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment took part in fighting on the eastern outskirts of Mons and were heavily engaged around the cemetery before they fell back to Nouvelles having sustained casualties of around 300 officers and men either killed, wounded or missing.
Sergeant Walsh was initially reported missing on 23 August 1914 but was later confirmed killed in action. He was the son of Denis Walsh, of Affane, Cappoquin and the husband of Margaret Walsh (nee Lenane), of The Green, Villierstown, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, and is buried in St. Symphorien Military Cemetery, Belgium.
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