A Scarce & Desirable 1914 Star & Bar (Old Contemptible) Trio
and
Original Scroll
To:
7704. Pte. FREDERICK SMITH
1st Bn Royal Berkshire Regt.
KILLED IN ACTION
15th May 1915
“A BATTLE OF FESTUBERT & RICHEBOURG CASUALTY”
No Known Grave
Commemorated on The Le Touret Memorial.
[BIOGRAPHY] 1886-1915 (29)
Frederick Smith was born in 1886 and at the time of his enlistment was a married man living in Reading, Berkshire. At age 29 Fred was the husband of Mrs Mary Smith of 756 Oxford Road, (Tilehurst) Reading.
The address still exists.
His attestation & service papers have not survived, but looking at his service number of 7704, he joined the army aged 18 on *23rd May 1904 and was a classic a pre-war regular soldier.
(eg: *Soldier 7700 also joined up on 23/5/04)
During his first 10 years of service he trained and served with 1st Berks as follows:
1904 Curragh, Ireland
1906Dublin, Ireland
1910 Dover
1913 Aldershot, (at Mandora Baracks).
1914France & Flanders
(*The 1st Bn Arrived on 13 August 1914 and entered France at the port of Le Havre and after sailing up the River Seine disembarked at Rouen)
His Medal Index Card incorrectly states that he entered France with 1st Berkshire Regt on 31st August 1914 but that date is clearly incorrect and is a common recording clerk’s “incorrect numeric 31 for 13 reversal” as the official date of entry for 1st Bn is actually 13th August and they immediately went into action by taking part in the fighting withdrawal of the Mons Retreat.
[AUGUST - DECEMBER 1914]
The 1st Bn was at Aldershot when war was declared on the 4th August. They departed for France on the 12th August 1914 and participated in the fighting withdrawal from Mons as part of 6th Brigade, of the 2nd Division. Their first major action was at the Bridge on the Sambre 25th/26th August near the village of Maroilles. The final point of the Retreat was reached on 7th September when they reached Le Poteau.
They had marched 236 miles in 15 days, with only one days halt, an average of 15.7 miles per day. The flow of fighting was reversed on 9th September when they crossed the Marne and then the Aisne on the 14th. They then settled into trench warfare based at La Metz Farm.
[AN EXECUTION NEAR LA METZ FARM] 26th September 1914.
It was during this period that 9641 Pte George Ward of 1st Berks was Executed for Cowardice at Oeuilly (near Metz Farm) at 5:56pm on 26th September. Ward had stood up and walked out of the trench and to a position behind the line. Upon being seen and questioned by an NCO he claimed he had been hurt by a shell explosion, but was clearly not wounded. He was arrested & tried by Court Marshall and sentenced to death. This was only the 2nd execution of WW1 and due to unusual circumstances was also one of only two executions not to take place at dawn. George was the Son of George and Jane Ward, of 1, Guinness Buildings, Brandon Street, Walworth, London.
The Battalion were then involved in the 1st battle of Ypres from the 22nd October to the 13th November. They went into Divisional reserve on the 15th November and spent the winter in and out of trenches.Their actions since August were summed up by the Brigadier on the 21st December when they marched into Caestre when he said “Splendid, just as you have always fought”.Christmas day was spent in the trenches. The battalion did not take part in the Christmas truce.
[DECEMBER 1914 - 15 May 1915]
“The Battle of Festubert at Richebourg on 15th May 1915”
The 1st were relieved on Boxing day 1914 returning to Beuvry for a rest. They spent the winter in and out of trenches, mounting attacks at Ducks Bill (20th Feb 1915), The Keep (10/11th March) and Richebourg (15th May)
[THE ADVANCE AT RICHEBOURG]
At 10:30 am on 15th May the advance of the 6th Brigade, which included 1/ Berks Regt took place West of the cinder track running from Rue du Bois to Ferme du Bois, and was completed with few casualties. They then occupied the captured German front and support trenches and began to consolidate.
Sadly, Fred Smith was one of those few men of 1st Berks who didn’t make it down to Ferme du Bois as he was KILLED IN ACTION during this advance.
His body was not recovered and he has no known grave.
He is Commemorated on The Le Touret Memorial.
On the 16th May the battalion retired to a position near Béthune to receive drafts from the 3rd Battalion. The summer was spent in and out of trenches before they took part in the Battle of Loos from the 25th September to 13th October 1915. On the 28th they lost 288 men in one day. During this battle Lieutenant Turner led a bombing attack down Slag Alley at Fosse 8 winning a Victoria Cross. Unfortunately he was wounded and later died. The winter of 1915 was spent recuperating and the inevitable spells in trenches. They spent Christmas day in the Trenches at Beuvry.
[THE MEDALS]
1914 Star & Bar. 7704. Pte. F.SMITH. 1/ R.BERKS:R.
War & Victory Pair: 7704. Pte. F.SMITH. R.BERKS. R.
The medals, having never been cleaned are still practically “Mint State” with their full original bloom & lustre and are all with their mint original WW1 silk and cotton ribbons.
The genuine AUG-NOV clasp has like many others at some point had the corner holes made very slightly bigger to aid sewing to the ribbon, but was clearly never fitted and is toned with some mint red.
The scroll has been folded in several places & has a slight stain but is otherwise pretty fresh, and could be carefully pressed to improve it.
These “Old Contemptible’s” 1914 Star & Bar casualty trios to the original “pre-war regular army men” who were lost in the early set piece & fully identifiable actions & battles are becoming ever more rare on the market and “fresh” new to market groups like this one will inevitably and eventually cease showing up.
£795
[BIOGRAPHY] 1886-1915 (29)
Frederick Smith was born in 1886 and at the time of his enlistment was a married man living in Reading, Berkshire. At age 29 Fred was the husband of Mrs Mary Smith of 756 Oxford Road, (Tilehurst) Reading.
The address still exists.
His attestation & service papers have not survived, but looking at his service number of 7704, he joined the army aged 18 on *23rd May 1904 and was a classic a pre-war regular soldier.
(eg: *Soldier 7700 also joined up on 23/5/04)
During his first 10 years of service he trained and served with 1st Berks as follows:
1904 Curragh, Ireland
1906Dublin, Ireland
1910 Dover
1913 Aldershot, (at Mandora Baracks).
1914France & Flanders
(*The 1st Bn Arrived on 13 August 1914 and entered France at the port of Le Havre and after sailing up the River Seine disembarked at Rouen)
His Medal Index Card incorrectly states that he entered France with 1st Berkshire Regt on 31st August 1914 but that date is clearly incorrect and is a common recording clerk’s “incorrect numeric 31 for 13 reversal” as the official date of entry for 1st Bn is actually 13th August and they immediately went into action by taking part in the fighting withdrawal of the Mons Retreat.
[AUGUST - DECEMBER 1914]
The 1st Bn was at Aldershot when war was declared on the 4th August. They departed for France on the 12th August 1914 and participated in the fighting withdrawal from Mons as part of 6th Brigade, of the 2nd Division. Their first major action was at the Bridge on the Sambre 25th/26th August near the village of Maroilles. The final point of the Retreat was reached on 7th September when they reached Le Poteau.
They had marched 236 miles in 15 days, with only one days halt, an average of 15.7 miles per day. The flow of fighting was reversed on 9th September when they crossed the Marne and then the Aisne on the 14th. They then settled into trench warfare based at La Metz Farm.
[AN EXECUTION NEAR LA METZ FARM] 26th September 1914.
It was during this period that 9641 Pte George Ward of 1st Berks was Executed for Cowardice at Oeuilly (near Metz Farm) at 5:56pm on 26th September. Ward had stood up and walked out of the trench and to a position behind the line. Upon being seen and questioned by an NCO he claimed he had been hurt by a shell explosion, but was clearly not wounded. He was arrested & tried by Court Marshall and sentenced to death. This was only the 2nd execution of WW1 and due to unusual circumstances was also one of only two executions not to take place at dawn. George was the Son of George and Jane Ward, of 1, Guinness Buildings, Brandon Street, Walworth, London.
The Battalion were then involved in the 1st battle of Ypres from the 22nd October to the 13th November. They went into Divisional reserve on the 15th November and spent the winter in and out of trenches.Their actions since August were summed up by the Brigadier on the 21st December when they marched into Caestre when he said “Splendid, just as you have always fought”.Christmas day was spent in the trenches. The battalion did not take part in the Christmas truce.
[DECEMBER 1914 - 15 May 1915]
“The Battle of Festubert at Richebourg on 15th May 1915”
The 1st were relieved on Boxing day 1914 returning to Beuvry for a rest. They spent the winter in and out of trenches, mounting attacks at Ducks Bill (20th Feb 1915), The Keep (10/11th March) and Richebourg (15th May)
[THE ADVANCE AT RICHEBOURG]
At 10:30 am on 15th May the advance of the 6th Brigade, which included 1/ Berks Regt took place West of the cinder track running from Rue du Bois to Ferme du Bois, and was completed with few casualties. They then occupied the captured German front and support trenches and began to consolidate.
Sadly, Fred Smith was one of those few men of 1st Berks who didn’t make it down to Ferme du Bois as he was KILLED IN ACTION during this advance.
His body was not recovered and he has no known grave.
He is Commemorated on The Le Touret Memorial.
On the 16th May the battalion retired to a position near Béthune to receive drafts from the 3rd Battalion. The summer was spent in and out of trenches before they took part in the Battle of Loos from the 25th September to 13th October 1915. On the 28th they lost 288 men in one day. During this battle Lieutenant Turner led a bombing attack down Slag Alley at Fosse 8 winning a Victoria Cross. Unfortunately he was wounded and later died. The winter of 1915 was spent recuperating and the inevitable spells in trenches. They spent Christmas day in the Trenches at Beuvry.
[THE MEDALS]
1914 Star & Bar. 7704. Pte. F.SMITH. 1/ R.BERKS:R.
War & Victory Pair: 7704. Pte. F.SMITH. R.BERKS. R.
The medals, having never been cleaned are still practically “Mint State” with their full original bloom & lustre and are all with their mint original WW1 silk and cotton ribbons.
The genuine AUG-NOV clasp has like many others at some point had the corner holes made very slightly bigger to aid sewing to the ribbon, but was clearly never fitted and is toned with some mint red.
The scroll has been folded in several places & has a slight stain but is otherwise pretty fresh, and could be carefully pressed to improve it.
These “Old Contemptible’s” 1914 Star & Bar casualty trios to the original “pre-war regular army men” who were lost in the early set piece & fully identifiable actions & battles are becoming ever more rare on the market and “fresh” new to market groups like this one will inevitably and eventually cease showing up.
£795