The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals 190
Three: Private S. Willoughby, 2nd Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was killed in action near Clary on 27 August 1914
1914 Star (8966 Pte. S. Willoughby. R. Dub: Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (8966 Pte. S. Willoughby. R. D. Fus.); Memorial Plaque (Samuel Willoughby) in card envelope, good very fine (4)
£300-£400
Samuel Willoughby was born at Hackettstown, Co. Carlow, Ireland, and first attested for the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in February 1902. He was discharged after 21 days ‘owing to mis-statement as to age on enlistment’ but successfully re-attested at Carlow in 1904.
Following the outbreak of the Great War, Willoughby arrived at Boulogne on 23 August 1914 with “A” Company in the 2nd Battalion and entrained for Le Cateau. On 25 August, the battalion fired its first shots at enemy cavalry, reportedly bringing two down. On the morning of 26 August, the battalion took up a position on the right of the 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment around the Cattenières-Caullery bridal path, as part of the 10th Brigade in Snows’ 4th Division. As the Battle of Le Cateau wore on, “A” and “D” Companies moved to occupy a defensive line east of Haucourt. Enemy shelling on Haucourt began at 2pm, followed later by an infantry attack and at this point troops around Haucourt began to withdraw in some confusion, and in small, mixed detachments. ‘A’ and ‘D’ companies (about 400 men) commanded by Major H Shewan, of the Dublin Fusiliers, were left behind and retired about midnight on the 26-27th August. On approaching Clary, they came under fire. Captain Trigona believed the fire may be from British troops and signalled that they were Royal Dublin Fusiliers, to which the response was “Dublin Fusiliers, right, come on”. However, German uniforms were spotted and the detachment began to fall back on Ligny. Whilst the detachment was fully engaged with the enemy and being surrounded, small ‘rushes’ were made to get away, but each of these suffered heavier casualties than the last. At the end of the day, the 400 strong detachment had been reduced to two Officers and 30 men who’d escaped. One officer was killed, 6 officers taken prisoner, and 44 men killed or mortally wounded, the remainder became prisoners of war.
Private Willoughby was reported missing presumed dead on 27 August 1914. He was the son of Samuel and Anne Willoughby, of Church Rd., Hacketstown and the husband of Annie Willoughby, of Mill St., Hacketstown, Co. Carlow. Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, France.
191
Pair: Lieutenant G. P. N. Thompson, 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who was awarded the 16th (Irish) Division Gallant Conduct Certificate, and was killed in action near Hazebrouck on 4 May 1918
British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. G. P. N. Thompson); Memorial Plaque (Gerald Pittis Newman Thompson) in card envelope; Memorial Scroll, ‘Lieut. Gerald Pittis Newman Thompson, Royal Dublin Fusiliers.’, nearly extremely fine (4) £300-£400
Gerald Pittis Newman Thompson was born in 1898 on the Isle of Wight, the only son of Dr. C. I. and Mrs. Thompson, of Bradley Lodge, Newport, Isle of Wight and the nephew of Mr. Newman Thompson, First Auditor of the Bank of Ireland. He was educated at Aldwick House, Bognor, Epsom and Sandhurst and was commissioned Second Lieutenant from the latter college to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers on 19 July 1916. He served on the Western Front with the 8th/9th Royal Dublin Fusiliers and was awarded Major-General Hickie’s Irish Brigade Certificate for his gallant conduct during 1917.
Having been advanced Lieutenant on 19 January 1918, Thompson was killed in action near Hazebrouck on 4 May 1918 while serving on attachment with the 8th (Service) Battalion, and is buried in Nieppe-Bois (Rue-du-Bois) British Cemetery, Vieux Berquin, France.
Sold together with the recipient’s Irish Brigade Gallant Conduct Certificate (very good condition), in envelope dated 21 February 1918, and signed by ‘W. B. Hickie’, Major-General, Commanding 16th Irish Division, reading, ‘2nd Lieut. G. P. N. Thompson 8/9th R. Dublin Fusiliers, I have read with much pleasure the reports of your regimental commander and brigade commander regarding your gallant conduct and devotion to duty in the field during 1917 and have ordered your name and deed to be entered in the record of the Irish Division’.
Note: Major General Hickie instituted the 16th (Irish) Division Gallant Conduct Certificate in February 1916, announcing it during an inspection of battalions returning from a period of instruction in the trenches alongside more experienced units. On 17 February, whilst praising the performance of the 9th Royal Munster Fusiliers, he is known to have declared that whenever the name of a man came before him for having performed a meritorious deed he would have the fact recorded “…on a parchment sheet specially prepared in Dublin, so that a heritage worth preserving might be passed onto future generations to the glory of the Irish Brigades in France in 1916.”
Hickie’s parchment certificate was always awarded in addition to, rather than instead of, any other decoration that was awarded. It was produced in two versions. The second type, of which Thompson’s certificate is an example, was awarded from the latter part of 1917 and differs from the first version in that it was additionally inscribed across the top with ‘Everywhere and Always Faithful’, had an added border, and the first letter of the main text was enlarged and decorated with an oak leaf design.
Also sold with a letter to the recipient’s father from the Director of Graves Registration and Enquiries, informing the former of the whereabouts of his son’s grave.
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