An Excellent & Unusually Complete Grouping of:PAIR, PLAQUE, COVER, ENVELOPE, SCROLL & TUBE etc, To:271000 (2524) Pte P.O. PRINCE. 10th EAST KENT Regt ("THE BUFFS")KILLED-IN-ACTION 8th DECEMBER 1917AT THE FINAL CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM FROM THE TURKS.[HISTORY]Percy Prince originally joined 1/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry which sailed from Liverpool on RMS OLYMPIC (Sister to TITANIC) for Lemnos on 24th September 1915 with an arrival on 1st October. From there the unit moved to Gallipoli and was then withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916. While there it formed part of the Suez Canal defences. The 10th Bn East Kent Regt was formed from an amalgamation of Royal East Kent Yeomanry and Royal West Kent Yeomanry. The Battalion was formed at Sollum in Egypt on 1 February 1917 from these two dismounted Yeomanry Regiments. It took part in the invasion of Palestine and 2nd & 3rd battles of Gaza, the capture of Beersheba and the capture and defence of Jerusalem.
After vicious fighting to the west of Jerusalem in late 1917, the British army finally overcame the Turks and entered the city.PERCY OLDRING PRINCE who was from Maidstone in Kent was killed on 8th December, the very day that Jerusalem fell to the British Army. Amazingly this liberation fulfilled an ancient 2,000 year old Jewish prophesy that the city would be set free on this exact day, 8th December 1917. Full details of this truly astonishing historical situation appear on various websites on the internet. GENERAL ALLENBY IS HERE SEEN ENTERING JERUSALEM ON FOOT 11th December 1917.
INCLUDES ALL ORIGINAL ADDRESSED & DATED POSTAL PACKING
Unusually the grouping still retains it's original exterior postal packing for the plaque, scroll & medals. This enables the keen researcher to see exactly when the various items were issued to the next-of-kin and from where they were sent.In this instance the Scroll came first on 23rd JULY 1920 from No.2 Infantry Records Office, Staines Road, Hounslow. Next, and exactly a year later on 23rd JULY 1921 came the medals, again from infantry records at Hounslow. Then, lastly came the plaque which was sent on 29th DECEMBER 1921 from , "C.S.O.F. (Plaque Section) Royal Arsenal, London, SE 18. So, as can be seen, the issue of these three separate items spanned about 18 months.It is therefore no wonder that many many casualty sets were spilt up even at the time of issue 100 years ago, and since, and have never become reunited.Luckily, Percy Prince's widow, Mrs P.H. PRINCE lived at 63 Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, Kent throughout the whole period of issue and all the items were delivered to and including the original postal packing were kept together at the same address.
PERCY IS REMEMBERED WITH ETERNAL HONOUR AT JERUSALEM WAR CEMETERY.
AN EXCELLENT GROUPING OF GREAT HISTORICAL INTEREST & OF ISSUE RESEARCH IMPORTANCE. EVERYTHING MINT & AS ISSUED. ( SOLD ) .....an excellent Buffs grouping !