The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 109


Three: Drum Major F. J. Brashaw, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, who was captured during the Retreat from Mons on 24 August 1914 and awarded an M.S.M. for services rendered whilst a prisoner of war


1914 Star (9219 Cpl. F. J. Brashaw. Ches: R.); British War and Victory Medals (9219 Cpl. F. J. Brashaw. Ches. R.) polished with light pitting and some scratches, therefore good fine (3)


£200-£240


M.S.M. London Gazette 30 January 1920: ‘In recognition of devotion to duty and valuable services rendered whilst a prisoner of war or interned, which services have been brought to notice in accordance with the terms of Army Order 193 of 1919. To be dated 5th May 1919’


Frederick Joseph Brashaw was born in 1895 at Madras, India, the son of Colour Sergeant A. Brashaw of the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, stationed at Bellary, India 1895-97. He was enlisted as a Boy into the Cheshire Regiment in 1909 in Belfast and appears in reports of the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment sports day at Ballykinler in 1911 as Boy Brashaw, winning the 220 yards handicap for enlisted boys. Also an accomplished lightweight boxer, he was already participating in Belfast prize fights as Boy Brashaw at the age of 17.


Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Brashaw disembarked in France with D Company of the 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment on 16 August and early on the morning of 21 August, his battalion, as part of the 15th Brigade of the 5th Division, began its march north-eastwards towards the Mons area to face the might of Von Kluck’s First German Army. As the inequality in the fighting strengths of the respective forces became apparent, an inevitable retreat was ordered by Sir John French on the evening of 23 August, although it came as something of a shock to the British troops who were conscious of having inflicted heavy losses on the Germans that day during the fighting around Mons and on the Mons-Condé canal. During the following day, as the withdrawal of the British force from its predicament was successfully carried out, it was only on the left that the fighting was heavy. Here, in open fields near Audregnies, on 24 August, the 1st Cheshires, together with the 1st Norfolks were exposed to the brunt of four German Regiments, each of three battalions, while acting as flank guard to the 5th Division. The Cheshires’ actions caused them to suffer 78% losses in one day due to men killed, wounded and taken prisoner of war but bought valuable time for the rest of the British Expeditionary Force during the retreat. Afterwards Brigadier-General Count Gleichen, commander of 15th Infantry Brigade, paid tribute to the Cheshires, saying: ‘The battalion behaved magnificently in the face of terrible odds and immense difficulty, one could not expect more of them. They did their duty, and did it thunderingly well, as I should have expected from such a gallant battalion, and I am only grieved that they had such terrible losses.’


Corporal Brashaw was captured on 24 August 1914 at Mons and was held prisoner of war for the remainder of the war. Initially incarcerated at Merseberg, it was reported in British newspapers in October 1916 that Brashaw was among a group of 22 British soldiers who volunteered their services as nursing orderlies during the Typhus epidemic that devastated the internment camp at Garderlegen. Twenty of these volunteers caught Typhus and two died. Repatriated after the war, arriving at Hull on 27 November 1918, he married Marjorie Farmer at Knockin, Shropshire in August 1919 and was awarded the M.S.M. for his reported services as a prisoner of war. Remaining in the Army, he advanced to Drum-Major and later settled back in Northern Ireland.


In August 1964, on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Mons, Brashaw returned with a party of 18 old comrades to the village of Audregnies where the men were given a reception and, following a procession, several wreaths were laid at a British Memorial. A photograph of Brashaw accompanied the Belfast Telegraph’s report on the visit and an article in the Cheshire Observer, 4 September 1964 commented: ‘The Last Post was sounded by Drum-Major F. J. Brashaw who was present at the battle 50 years ago. Mr Brashaw, who retired in January 1932 had not played a bugle since he left the Army.’


Brashaw died in Belfast in 1971.


110


Three: Private J. Barry, 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who was killed on 19 September 1914


1914 Star (9010 Pte. J. Barry. S’ Wales Bord.); British War and Victory Medals (9010 Pte. J. Barry. S. Wales Bord.) very fine (3)


£140-£180


John Barry was born in 1886 at Kensal Green, Middlesex and attested for the South Wales Borderers on 4 January 1906. Deployed overseas to Pretoria, South Africa with the 2nd Battalion in December 1910, he subsequently served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 31 August 1914. Private Barry’s Medal Index Card states that he was killed in action on 19 September 1914 whereas the Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects records that he was killed on that date by accidentally falling from a train. He was the son of Timothy Barry of 237, 7th Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A. and the late Margaret Barry and is buried in Les Gonards Cemetery, Versailles, France.


111


Three: Private T. Hurley, 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers, who was killed in action at Vendresse on 7 October 1914


1914 Star, with later slide clasp (9619 Pte. T. Hurley, S. Wales Bord.); British War and Victory Medals (9619 Pte. T. Hurley. S. Wales Bord.) nearly extremely fine (3)


£160-£200


Thomas Hurley was born in 1890 at Crumlin, Newport, Monmouthshire and attested for the South Wales Borderers at Brecon, Wales in September 1907. He served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 13 August 1914 and, following his battalion’s very fierce fighting during the operations above Troyon and on the Mont Faucon Ridge in September, was killed in action on 7 October 1914 whilst still on the Aisne, occupying support trenches at Vendresse. He was the husband of Florence Mary Hurley and is buried in Vendresse Churchyard, France.


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