First World War Medals to Casualties

 

1914/15 Star

 

6787 Cpl F J Berry K R Rif C

 

British War and Victory Medals

 

6787 SJT F J Berry K R Rif C

 

Bronze Memorial Plaque

 

Frederick John Berry

 

Memorial Scroll

 

Serjt Frederick John Berry King’s Royal Rifle Corps

 

 

With – a pocket Active Service 1914-18 book The Gospel according to St John, original soldier’s Small Book, covers tatty but complete with a hand written message inside from Sergeant Berry sending this and a few other things back home as he doesn’t need them –

An original letter to Mrs Berry dated 21st February 1916 from a Sergeant J W Miller (Depot Hampshire Regiment, Winchester) expressing his condolences on the loss of her husband and offering his help should she request it for any reason.

An original letter from 9568 Lance Corporal H Smith, ‘C’ Company 1st Battalion KRRC to Sergeant Berry’s wife informing her that her husband was killed in action and his death was instantaneous, he was a personal friend. (Lance Corporal Horace Smith was killed in action 2nd June 1916 age 27 years).

An original letter from Captain S H Ferrand 1st Battalion KRRC to Mrs Berry dated 13th February 1916 in The Field informing her that her husband was killed in action on 11th February and is buried in the British cemetery at Givenchy along side other men belonging to the Regiment. He writes ‘I have been his company commander for the past seven months and have always found him a splendid non commissioned officer- he will be a great loss to me and to the Regiment, I feel very much for you in your great loss’.

Two original letters from Sergeant Berry to his wife and one from his brother to Mrs Berry (undated).

Three original portrait photographs of Frederick Berry, one shortly after enlistment, one as a Bugler and the last as a corporal in active service dress.

Four postcard photographs of the KRRC, one captioned the 1st Battalion arriving at Aldershot 1911.

An original photograph of his grave with wooden cross shortly after burial.

 

 

Frederick John Berry was born in Kingsworthy, Winchester, Hampshire a Carter, he attested for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps at Winchester 10th January 1906 age 18 years 1 month. Frederick’s service record also records he had been Gamekeeper for four years for a Mr Jones of Kingsworthy. Joining the 3rd Battalion on enlistment he subsequently joined the 1st Battalion 29th September 1906 and appointed Bugler 28th July 1909. Frederick served overseas in Egypt from 29th September 1906 to 12th February 1909. Joining the Depot 27th January 1913 and the 5th Battalion as Rifleman 11th June 1914 he transferred to the Army Reserve 11th June 1914. Re-called to the Colours 11th August 1914 he joined the Depot, promoted Corporal 10th October 1914 he joined the 1st Battalion 8th April 1915 in France. Promoted Sergeant 16th May 1915 he was killed in action 11th February 1916 and now rests in an identified grave in the Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy, France. Frederick had married Rosina Lloyd on 4th November 1913, they had a son Frederick William Henry Thomas born 24th September 1914. His widow received a pension of 16 shillings per week from 26th August 1916, her address recorded as 17 Clausentum Road, St Cross, Winchester, she re-married fairly soon after her husbands death and is recorded on the 1921 census as Rosina Thompson.

 

The 1st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps War Diary TNA WO95/1371 records –

 

’11th February 1916 – Enemy very active with rifle grenades wounding seven men of the Royal Irish Regiment attached for training. Also shelled area around Battalion HQ between 1100 and 1300 hours otherwise fairly quiet. Just previous to the hour of relief a Trench Mortar fell on a corner of the bomb store in ‘A’ Companies line causing it to collapse. The falling beams pinned Sergeant Berry and Rifleman Parsons to the ground and killed them outright, and buried about nine others CQMS Du Feu and Sergeant Hill and Rifleman White were wounded. Corporal Finn of 7th Leinster Regiment attached was also wounded. Six Riflemen suffered from shock. The whole had to be dug out a process occupying about two and half hours. Altogether the tour was a most disastrous one . In the British Cemetery, Windy Corner, is one line of graves was left Lance Corporal Hendley (DCM), Sergeant Wardle (Machine Gun Sergeant), Sergeant Park (Platoon Sergeant), Sergeant Berry (Bombing Sergeant), all good NCO’s. In addition our Sniping Sergeant (Sergeant Gould) was severely wounded by our own Artillery. The relief was completed at 2200 hours and marched to billets at La Quesnoy’.

 

The scroll a bit grubby some tears repaired reverse.

 

First time on the market

 

GVF £395 SOLD

 

British War and Victory Medals

 

931503 GNR C Murton RA

 

Bronze Memorial Plaque 

 

Charles Murton

 

1914/15 Star, British War and Victory Medals

 

2746 Pte F Murton 1-Lond R

 

Bronze Memorial Plaque

 

Frederick Murton

 

Contained in a contemporary wooden shield measures 51 cms x 38 cms, probably made by their father who was a carpenter / joiner by trade. All medals checked and have removable wooden back plates.

 

 

First time on the market and rare to see these sets so displayed in the 1920’s by the family.

 

With research here extracted from on line records.

 

Charles Murton was born in Stoke Newington, Middlesex, N16 in 1894, the 1911 census records he is a 17 year old Tea Merchant’s Clerk residing with his father George (48) a Builder’s Carpenter, mother Harriett (44) and six brothers at 29 Woodlea Road, Stoke Newington. Charles attested for the Royal Field Artillery and served in France after January 1916, his Medal Index Card records his next of kin received the British War and Victory Medals only. Charles served with ‘C’ Battery, 291st Brigade Royal Field Artillery and was killed in action 16th April 1917. He now rests in an identified grave in the Honourable Artillery Company Cemetery, Court-St Mein, France. Also commemorated on the War Memorial in the Stoke Newington Memorial Hall part of the public library.

Frederick Murton was born in Stoke Newington, Middlesex, N16 in 1898, the 1911 census records he is a 13 year old Scholar residing with his parents and brothers at 29 Woodlea Road, Stoke Newington. Attesting for the 1st Battalion London Regiment, he served with the 1st/1st Battalion in Egypt from 30th August 1915 to 17th September 1915, in Gallipoli from 19th September 1915 to 14th December 1915 and in France from 12th October 1916 until he was killed in action on 27th January 1917. Frederick is commemorated on the Loos Memorial and is also commemorated on the War Memorial in the Stoke Newington Memorial Hall part of the public library.

 

Their father George received a pension for the loss of his two sons, their mother died in 1921.

 

All virtually as issued

 

EF £545 Available includes postage UK address

 

1914 Star and GENUINE clasp 5th Aug – 22nd Nov 1914

 

7599 Pte F Carpenter 1/Hamps R

 

British War and Victory Medals

 

7599 Pte F Carpenter Hamps R

 

Original silk ribbons.

 

Frank Carpenter was born in Whitchurch, Hampshire in 1887, the 1901 census records he is a 14 year old Domestic Page Boy residing with his father Frank a Railway Ganger, mother Ellen, two brothers and three sisters at 11 Bell Street, Whitchurch. Frank attested for the Hampshire Regiment circa 1905, the 1911 census records he is serving with the 2nd Battalion based at Wynburg, South Africa. By the time the Great War broke out Frank was serving with the 1st Battalion and landed in France on 23rd August 1914. He was initially recorded as wounded in action in War Office Casualty List dated 4th October 1914 (covering the period 11 to 14 September 1914). Reported as missing in action in War Office Casualty List dated 6th November 1914 and finally reported died whilst a prisoner of war in War Office Casualty List number 5415 dated 13th November 1917. Frank actually died of wounds received in action whilst a prisoner of war 2nd October 1914 age 27 years and now rests in the Porte-De-Paris Cemetery Cambrai, he is also commemorated on the War Memorial inside the All Hallows Church, Whitchurch. Frank was taken prisoner during the Battalion’s rear guard actions to cover the withdrawal of 5th Division commencing on 25th and continuing to 28th August 1914, the Battalion Medical Officer is recorded as staying behind with the wounded who could not be evacuated, all were either killed or captured.

 

Frank’s two brothers also lost their lives in the Great War –

 

L/7229 Private Richard John Victor Carpenter, 9th Lancers was killed in action France 11th March 1918 age 20 years and now rests in the Jeancourt Communal Cemetery, France.

 

J.36355 Able Seaman Ralph Lawrence Pretoria Carpenter, Royal Navy was killed in action during the operations off Zeebrugge during the raid of 23rd April 1918 age 17 years, he  now rests in the All Hallows Church Cemetery, Whitchurch.

 

EF £450 SOLD

British War and Victory Medals

15-255 Pte A E Curphey W York R

 

With research here from online sources and two photos of Curphey on CD.

 

Albert Edward Curphey was born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, on 20th July 1888, the son of John Thomas Curphey, from the Isle of Man.  By 1881 John was living in Lancashire, and in 1885 he married Jemima Winfield in Liverpool.  It appears she was always known by her second name of Laura.  Their first child was Laura Ethel, born the following year, and then Albert Edward.  He was followed by Frances Eveline, who lived for only two years, and was one of two children that they lost.  Their third surviving chid was Gladys, and the family was now living with Laura’s widowed mother, at 60 Selborne Street, Toxteth, where they stayed. The 1891 the census showed John as a grocer, while ten years later he was a grocer’s assistant.  The following year Albert’s name was entered in the register of Granby Street Council School, where he stayed at least until 1895 and probably longer. It is also likely that after leaving Granby Street he attended the Liverpool Institute School.  There is no occupation given for him in 1901, when he was 12, but by 1911, when he was 22, he was a clerk for a cold storage company.  This suggests a reasonable education, at least to the age of 13, and quite probably further. Another interesting entry on this census is that for Laura, Albert’s older sister’s occupation is given as ‘suffragette’.  

 

In 1914 war was declared.  Albert was just turned 26, and the only son in the family, so it is not surprising that his name appears on the list of volunteers, for 5th September 1914 joining the newly formed 15th Battalion (1st Leeds) West Yorkshire Regiment, they spent their first year training, at Colsterdale, then Ripon and finally Fovant.  Albert was allocated to ‘D’ Company, 13 Platoon, where he became the Platoon Bomber.  The Battalion’s first active service was being sent to Egypt to guard the Suez Canal from the Turks, who failed to attack it.  At the beginning of March, they were all sent back again, but this time to France, where the real war was.  They landed at Marseilles and made their way by train and on foot up to the Somme area, where they would be part of the proposed British/French attack planned for the summer.  But even before they arrived the plan had started to go wrong, when the Germans attacked at Verdun.

 

As this attack gained momentum so the French participation in the joint venture began to diminish.  By the time it was ready to begin the French would only be involved on the two wings, where, it should be said, they performed very well.  The British were not so lucky.  Despite a week-long bombardment that was supposed to destroy the German wire, demolish their trenches and demoralise their men, very little of this was achieved.  At 0730hrs on 1st July 1916 the men of the Leeds Pals climbed out of their trenches to be met with a storm of rifle and machine gun fire which stopped most of them in their tracks.  Their objective was the village of Serre, but although there was a rumour that a few men had reached it, the majority didn’t even get across no man’s land, and many didn’t make it out of their trenches.  At the end of the day, when numbers could be counted, of the roughly 750 men who started, 209 were killed and another 24 died later of wounds.  24 officers went with them, 13 were killed and all of the rest were wounded, 2 later dying.  One of the casualties was Albert.  Along with many others his body was never recovered, and he is now a name on the Thiepval Memorial, one of over 72,000 engraved there.

 

After the war ended his family received his medals, the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.  They were also sent his Memorial Plaque and Scroll.  In addition, his name also appears on the Granby Street Old Boys Memorial, and that of the Liverpool Institute School.  Finally, it was added to the gravestone of his grandmother, Fanny Winfield, who had died in 1904, along with those of his parents and sister Laura.

 

EF £395 Available includes postage UK address