A VERY RARE "OLD CONTEMPTIBLE" (MIRACLE SURVIVOR) COLDSTREAM GUARDS 1914 Star & Bar Trio.

A Very Early Entrant on 12th August 1914 who Survived the entire Great War.

To:
1914 Star: 6283. Pte F.BARKER. C. GDS:
War & Victory: 6283. Pte F.BARKER. C. GDS



An excellent & rare trio with full papers to a miracle Coldstream Guards Cavalry survivor who served throughout The Great War and lived to wear his medals and to tell the tale in 1918.

[BIOGRAPHY]
Fred Barker was born in Owlerton Green, Sheffield in 1887 and lived with his mother at 2 Burnell Road. Prior to enlistment at age 18 he had worked as a Steelworks Labourer. He joined the regular army in Sheffield on 8th August 1905. Fred served in Egypt for two and a half years during 1906-1909 and entered France on 12th August 1914 with the B.E.F. He served for the entire period of the war (4 years 146 days ) until being placed into the the A Reserve, Class 2 on 2nd February 1921. He was of very good character, spent some time with the military police and later served in the civil police after his final discharge.

Fred's only recorded offence while in the army was being found to be "Drunk in Town" in CAIRO at 9:45pm on 28th August 1908. We think this was the result of his 21st Birthday night out !...his only punishment was being told off by the C.O.

A RARE, CLASSIC & LOVELY EARLY TRIO. WITH A RARELY SURVIVING SET OF FULL SERVICE PAPERS !
Very unusually for a survivor group, the medals are "Totally Mint" on original ribbons and come with their original ribbon bar & silver rosette.

£395