Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour - 25th May 2022

Lot 25

A Great War trio to Battle of Loos casualty Private Herbert Stevens

Estimate £70 - £100 | Hammer £80

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Description

A Great War trio to Battle of Loos casualty Private Herbert Stevens, East Surrey Regiment: 1914-15 Star (6610 PTE H. STEVENS. E. SURR: R.), British War and Victory Medals (6610 PTE H. STEVENS. E. SURR. R. ), about very fine; together with this man's Silver War Badge, number 14177. [4]

Attested at Nottingham 04/12/1914. To France 31/08/1915 with the 9th (Service) Battalion East Surrey Regiment. Suffered gunshot wounds 26/09/1915. Returned to England 02/10/1915 and discharged as no longer physically fit 30/08/1916.

The Battle of Loos was the major British attack of 1915, and it was a costly failure. Significant number of New Army battalions were engaged for the first time, including the 9th Battalion East Surrey Regiment. The War Diary records that on the 29th September "...Attack delivered on Hulluck, Loos, Hill 70 quarry.....Battn took latter but had to give [it] up......[owing to] lack of support.....Battn Casualties 14 officers 430 [other ranks]". This battalion is notable for having been the one in which served the author of the play Journey's End, Robert Cedric Sheriff.