A Rare
Unusually Complete & Historically Important 1st DEVONSHIRE Regt
“DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH” & “ELANDSLAAGTE”,
Queen’s & King’s South Africa Pair.
with
1914-1915 Trio Royal Garrison Artillery (104th Heavy Battery)
(2nd Rawal Pindi Division)
A Battle of Kut-al-Amara” Iraq, Prisoner of War Casualty.
with
Plaque & Scroll & uniformed photo of the recipient wearing his QSA.
[THE MEDALS]
Queen’s South Africa & King’s South Africa
4801. Pte F. GATER. 1/ DEVON RGT.
“DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH” & “ELANDSLAAGTE”,
TRANSVAAL & CAPE COLONY
1914-1915 Trio
29526. GNR, F. GATER. R.G.A.
[FREDERICK GATER] 1880-1916 (36)
Frederick was born in Cadeliegh near Tiverton in 1880, the son of George Gater (Carpenter) and Rebecca Gater. He had one brother, and sister and one stepbrother from Mrs Gater’s first marriage.
He joined the army in early January 1897 aged 17. He was still in training in the UK when the Devon regiment took part in the Tirah action in India, but by 1899 he had arrived in South Africa for his service in the Boer War.
Although his service papers have not survived, it’s pretty clear that he originally signed on for 12 years and thus had completed his first period of service in 1909. Upon discharge, at age 29, he would have been placed in the army reserve. Therefore he was called up five years later in August 1914 for service in WW1 at age 34 and after a short period of refresher training he was ready for continued front line service.
He entered the Asian Theatre of War (5a) on 24th January 1915 and he was joined in Iraq by men of 104th Battery (2nd Rawal Pindi Division) R.G.A. which had departed India for Mesopotamia (5a) in March of 1915.
[SUMMARY]
Seldom, if ever, does one encounter a more complete and historically important Victorian and Great War assembly.
This is an exceptional group of five, complete with commemorative plaque and scroll to a man of the 1st Devonshire Regiment who first fought at both the Defence of Ladysmith and Elandslaagte during the Boer War.
He then went on to serve with the Royal Garrison Artillery (104th Heavy Battery (2nd Rawal Pindi Division) and to took part in the infamous “Battle of Kut-al-Amara” in Iraq, where, like many thousands of his comrades he became a Prisoner of War and subsequently perished in the brutal captivity of the Turks.
“LEST WE FORGET”
Fred tragically died of ill treatment, disease & starvation while in captivity, either while on the well known, terribly barbaric & brutal death march across the desert or in captivity during this infamous period while in the P.O.W. hell camps of Turkey.
Based on the included copies of the official British Red Cross paperwork it would seem that Fred ended his days in a prison camp at a place called Shamran on 30th April 1916, as on 24th July 1917 the British Red Cross received notification that he was deceased. Therefore it appears to be an official notification of a place and date of death which was apparently accepted by the British government. This was communicated to the family on October 19th 1918.
Frederick Gater was thus “missing and dead” for over two years and six months before the family finally received the news.
Of the 2,592 British troops captured at Kut, about 1,750 died on the death march or later in the brutal Turkish prison camps, and of the 6,988 Indian troops, about 2,500 died in similar circumstances.
We present this group with the utmost of reverence and to the immortal memory of Gunner Frederick Gater who fought valiantly in two wars and in the end truly did sacrifice his life for our future freedoms.
[COMMEMORATION]
Frederick is remembered with eternal honour on the Basra War Memorial, Iraq. *Due to recent access issues in Iraq, the Basra Memorial is now badly in need of renovation and repairs.
However, a dedicated two volume work which carries the names of the men commemorated on the memorial is now available for inspection at the CWG headquarters at Maidenhead, Berkshire.
The QSA & KSA pair are VF+ on their original ribbons and are exactly as they were when last worn by the proud recipient and exhibit normal wear & surface contact marks.
The 1914-15 trio is EF+ and on original WW1 ribbons.
The plaque is AEF with light early cleaning.
A superb grouping.
Currently Researching.
( Price on Request )
All enquiries by telephone please
01342-870960 or 07837-621144
[THE MEDALS]
Queen’s South Africa & King’s South Africa
4801. Pte F. GATER. 1/ DEVON RGT.
“DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH” & “ELANDSLAAGTE”,
TRANSVAAL & CAPE COLONY
1914-1915 Trio
29526. GNR, F. GATER. R.G.A.
[FREDERICK GATER] 1880-1916 (36)
Frederick was born in Cadeliegh near Tiverton in 1880, the son of George Gater (Carpenter) and Rebecca Gater. He had one brother, and sister and one stepbrother from Mrs Gater’s first marriage.
He joined the army in early January 1897 aged 17. He was still in training in the UK when the Devon regiment took part in the Tirah action in India, but by 1899 he had arrived in South Africa for his service in the Boer War.
Although his service papers have not survived, it’s pretty clear that he originally signed on for 12 years and thus had completed his first period of service in 1909. Upon discharge, at age 29, he would have been placed in the army reserve. Therefore he was called up five years later in August 1914 for service in WW1 at age 34 and after a short period of refresher training he was ready for continued front line service.
He entered the Asian Theatre of War (5a) on 24th January 1915 and he was joined in Iraq by men of 104th Battery (2nd Rawal Pindi Division) R.G.A. which had departed India for Mesopotamia (5a) in March of 1915.
[SUMMARY]
Seldom, if ever, does one encounter a more complete and historically important Victorian and Great War assembly.
This is an exceptional group of five, complete with commemorative plaque and scroll to a man of the 1st Devonshire Regiment who first fought at both the Defence of Ladysmith and Elandslaagte during the Boer War.
He then went on to serve with the Royal Garrison Artillery (104th Heavy Battery (2nd Rawal Pindi Division) and to took part in the infamous “Battle of Kut-al-Amara” in Iraq, where, like many thousands of his comrades he became a Prisoner of War and subsequently perished in the brutal captivity of the Turks.
“LEST WE FORGET”
Fred tragically died of ill treatment, disease & starvation while in captivity, either while on the well known, terribly barbaric & brutal death march across the desert or in captivity during this infamous period while in the P.O.W. hell camps of Turkey.
Based on the included copies of the official British Red Cross paperwork it would seem that Fred ended his days in a prison camp at a place called Shamran on 30th April 1916, as on 24th July 1917 the British Red Cross received notification that he was deceased. Therefore it appears to be an official notification of a place and date of death which was apparently accepted by the British government. This was communicated to the family on October 19th 1918.
Frederick Gater was thus “missing and dead” for over two years and six months before the family finally received the news.
Of the 2,592 British troops captured at Kut, about 1,750 died on the death march or later in the brutal Turkish prison camps, and of the 6,988 Indian troops, about 2,500 died in similar circumstances.
We present this group with the utmost of reverence and to the immortal memory of Gunner Frederick Gater who fought valiantly in two wars and in the end truly did sacrifice his life for our future freedoms.
[COMMEMORATION]
Frederick is remembered with eternal honour on the Basra War Memorial, Iraq. *Due to recent access issues in Iraq, the Basra Memorial is now badly in need of renovation and repairs.
However, a dedicated two volume work which carries the names of the men commemorated on the memorial is now available for inspection at the CWG headquarters at Maidenhead, Berkshire.
The QSA & KSA pair are VF+ on their original ribbons and are exactly as they were when last worn by the proud recipient and exhibit normal wear & surface contact marks.
The 1914-15 trio is EF+ and on original WW1 ribbons.
The plaque is AEF with light early cleaning.
A superb grouping.
Currently Researching.
( Price on Request )
All enquiries by telephone please
01342-870960 or 07837-621144