The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 91
Three: Corporal C. Burgess, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, who was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne on 14 September 1914
1914 Star (7205 Cpl. C. Burgess. R. Ir: Regt.); British War and Victory Medals (7205 Cpl. C. Burgess. R. Ir. Regt.); Memorial Plaque (Charles Burgess) extremely fine (4)
£240-£280
Charles William Burgess was born around 1883 at St. Andrews, Manchester and attested for the Royal Irish Regiment at Guildford, Surrey in January 1902. He was stationed at Agra in India in 1911 with the 1st Battalion and served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 13 August 1914. Burgess would have been present for his battalion’s fighting at the Battle of Mons on 23 August where they were heavily engaged around the cemetery; at the rearguard action at Solesmes on 25 August; during the retreat at Caudry (Battle of Le Cateau) on 26 August; and at the success on the Marne, 6 to 12 September where over 540 prisoners were taken by the battalion.
Whilst advancing towards the Aisne on the morning of 13 September, the battalion came under heavy shell-fire leaving Ancienne Wood. During the afternoon, they crossed the Aisne south of Vailly again under heavy fire and proceeded to St. Pierre. Corporal Burgess was killed in action the following day as the battalion took part in the fighting around the Chateau and in the woods on the high ground north of Vailly.
He was the son of Thomas George and Eliza Ann Burgess and is commemorated on La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, France.
92
Four: Acting Corporal W. Breakspear, 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, late Royal Berkshire Regiment
Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (3063 Pte. W. Breakspear. Rl: Berks: Regt.); 1914-15 Star (1919 Pte. W. Breakspeare [sic], R. Ir. Regt.); British War and Victory Medals (1919 A. Cpl. W. Breakspeare [sic]. R. Ir. Regt.) slight edge nicks to QSA, otherwise good very fine or better (4)
£140-£180
William Breakspear was born in 1872 at East Hanney, Berkshire, the son of William and Martha Breakspear. He attested for the Royal Berkshire Regiment on 22 November 1890 at Reading and served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment during the Boer War from 30 April 1902 (entitled to QSA with clasps for Cape Colony and South Africa 1902). Having returned to England on 19 July 1902, he was discharged on 21 November 1902 on the termination of his first period of engagement.
Following the outbreak of the Great War, Breakspear enlisted for war-time service with the Royal Irish Regiment and served with the 6th (Service) Battalion on the Western Front from 17 December 1915, subsequently transferring to the Labour Corps and advancing to Corporal. He was discharged to the Class Z Reserve on 27 March 1919.
93
Pair: Private W. J. Grinham, 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment), who was killed in action near Kruiseecke, during the First Battle of Ypres, in October 1914
1914 Star (10111 Pte. W. J. Grinham. 2/York: R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (10111 Pte. W. J. Grinham. York. R.) good very fine (2)
£120-£160
William James Grinham was born in London and attested for the Yorkshire Regiment on 8 January 1913. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he was stationed with them in the Channel Islands at time of the outbreak of the Great War and returned with his battalion to Southampton on 28 August. The battalion joined the 21st Brigade, 7th Division at Lyndhurst in September and arrived at Zeebrugge on 5 October.
The 2nd Green Howards reached Ypres on 14 October 1914 and advanced to positions on the crossroads at Nieuwe Kruiseecke where, from 19 to 27 October, they held the line under heavy shellfire and continuous enemy attack. The War Diary of the 7th Division entry for the 23 October states ‘The tenacity of the battalion [2nd Green Howards] during this and the following days of heavy fighting was worthy of all praise. Though subjected to violent shell fire and continued infantry attacks, they fought steadily on. When blown out of one trench, they moved on to the next, and never wavered.’
The battalion was relieved temporarily by the Coldstream Guards on 27 October but A and C Companies were sent forward again on the 29th to support the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers near Zandvoorde along the Kruiseecke Ridge. Here, a breakthrough by the enemy prompted Colonel King to lead a counter attack in which former positions were reclaimed and an additional 200 yards gained. A withdrawal to positions near Gheluvelt then took place after 30 October.
17 year old Private Grinham was killed in action during this period of fighting. The Register of Soldiers’ Effects describes his death as being ‘near Ypres between 22 and 30 October 1914’; the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states his date of death to be 30 October 1914. He was the brother of Mr. Charles Grinham of 102 Cornwall Rd., Lambeth, London and having no known grave is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
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