A Very Late & Excellent
"ATTACK ON MOISLAINS"
MILITARY MEDAL & 1914-15 Trio.

To:
345938 Cpl W.J. BONE. 16/DEVON Regt.
Previously: 13910. Pte. W.J. BONE. 10th HAMPSHIRE Regt.

[BIOGRAPHY]
William James Bone, a local lad from Winchester, originally enlisted into the 10th Hampshire Regt as Pte 13910 in late 1914. He embarked with them into Theatre (5) 'Adriatic' (Gallipoli) with an arrival on 7th July 1915. He later transferred to the 1st Devons & then to 16th Devon's with whom he won his Military Medal in France.

William almost certainly won his M.M. on 1st September 1918 while serving with 16th Devons during the attack on Moislains during the Second Battle of Bapaume in the second phase of the battle of Amiens. The award was gazetted on 20th August 1919.

[10th HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT]
The 10th Bn was raised at Winchester in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army and moved to Dublin, and joined 10th (Irish) Division as Divisional Troops. They moved to Mullingar in September and in March 1915 to the Curragh, transferring to 29th Brigade still with 10th (Irish) Division. They retruned to England in May and underwent final training at Basingstoke.

They sailed for Gallipoli from Liverpool on 7th of July 1915, via Mudros. They landed at Anzac Cove and went into action on Sari Bair between the 6th and 10th of August then went on to attack Hill 60 later in the month. They were withdrawn from Gallipoli on the 29th of September 1915 to Mudros, moving to Salonika, landing between the 5th and 10th of October. On the 7th and 8th of December they were in action at Kosturino, in the retreat from Serbia. Some units of the Division were in action at the Karajakois and Yenikoi in late September and early October. They sailed from Salonika to Egypt in early September, concentrating near Rafa to prepare for the Palestine Campaign. On the 2nd of November 1916 the 10th Hampshires transferred to 82nd Brigade, 27th Division.

[1st DEVON REGIMENT]
The 1st Devonshire Regiment was also at Gallipoli in 1915 fighting against the Turks while also fighting against flies, disease and dysentery. The struggle continued until December 1915 when the unit moved to Egypt just in time for 1916 New Year celebration and fighting the Turks again.

At some point in 1916 William Bone transferred to the 1st Devons.

In January 1917, at Moascar, Egypt the two North Devon Regiments, The Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry and the Royal North Devon Hussars were amalgamated into one unit and renamed the 16th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment into which William Bone transferred as Pte 345938. The 16th Devons were then sent to the front at Gaza fighting against the Turks in the invasion of Palestine, and the Second and Third Battles of Gaza, including the capture of Beersheba and the Sheria Position.

The 16th Devons finally left Egypt on 1st May 1918 and arrived in France at Marseilles on 7th May.

By August 1918, 16th Devons were taking part in some of the Battles on the Somme, and from 21st August to 3rd September 1918 they were fighting in what becomes known as the Second Battle of Bapaume, second phase of the battle of Amiens.

[THE ACTION AT MOISLAINES]
On the evening of 1st of September 1918 the 16th Devons, attached to 229th Brigade, 74th Division, took over trenches from the 58th Division east of Bouchavesnes. They had orders to attack the German lines at 05.30 the next morning. Next morning, 2nd September 1918, at zero hour the West Somersets led the attack with the Fifes and Forfars in support.

A and B Companies of the 16th Devons were to follow them up, and as they passed Moislains the Devons were to veer off to clear the village, believing that little opposition, if any, was there. But as they went forward the West Somersets and the Fifes and Forfars were enfiladed with gun-fire from trenches near the village and suffered terribly. As A and B Companies of the 16th Devons went forward they ran into a hail of machine-gun fire, and they too suffered terribly and were stopped at the outskirts of Moislains.

It was here that William Bone performed the act of bravery which led to the award of his Military Medal.

An excellent & very late award of the MM to a man who saw extensive service in several major theatres and actions. William survived the war and was transferred into the Class Z reserve on 12th June 1919.

If you collect to the Devons this would make an excellent addition to your collection.

All medals EF+ / Mint on original ribbons. Slight (removable) staining to obverse of the victory medal.
With MIC & MM card ...Also several sheets paperwork including medal rolls and London gazette copy page.


SOLD