A FINE
“BATTLE OF CAMBRAI”
MILITARY MEDAL & 1914-15 Star Trio.

To:
240521. Pte. WILLIAM E. PAINE.
1/8th Bn MIDDLESEX REGT.

An Uxbridge Man. Probably gassed at Cambrai Nov-Dec 1917







[THE MEDALS].
”officially impressed”
Military Medal. 240521. Pte W.E. PAINE. 1/8 MIDDX. R.- T.F.
1914-15 Star: 2902. Pte. W.E.PAINE. MIDDX.R
War & Victory medals: 2902. W.E. PAINE. MIDD’X R.

[BIOGRAPHY]
William Edward Paine was an Uxbridge man with a post-war address recorded as 19 ROCKINGHAM ROAD, UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX.

Like many of the keen young men of the period, William was clearly an early joiner with an enlistment date of 7th September 1914 which was only a month & three days after the declaration of war. Even under those circumstances, and as he was a volunteer, he probably had to give a months notice to his employer.

After 10 months training he was shipped to France on 7th July 1915 and he apparently served right through the war with service on the Somme in 1916 and with participation in many of the major battles during 1917 and up to the Battle of Cambrai in November of 1917.

His final discharge is recorded on 3rd March 1919 where he’s seen being unfit for further service due to “Sickness”.

This “sickness” description is very telling, and it’s very much looking like William’s problems were not wounds, as wounded men were normally described as such. William’s health issues were almost certainly caused by being gassed at Cambrai, which is where he won his MM for bravery in the field. So this tends to give further clues as to the reason for his award.

The Germans used large amounts of poison gas at Cambrai and we know of many soldiers who were badly effected by gas during this battle.

Had William’s service papers survived we feel pretty sure that they would confirm that he was a gassed evacuee who was sent back to hospital in the U.K. in late 1917.

As a confirmation of that suspicion of “sickness due to service” he then appears on the Silver War Badge roll with re-numbering (as per his MM) as 240521, with an entitlement to SWB No. 464690.

Also, his final discharge date of 3rd March 1919, which is described as being via “sickness” and the award of a SWB confirms his obvious medical unsuitability to be transferred into the “Class Z” Army reserve as was the usual post-war situation in 1919 with men who were still fit for active service.

Further research continues into this obviously courageous man.







An excellent Military Medal & 14-15 Trio group to a West London man.

The Medals are nice EF & totally original on their original ribbons.

£895