An Excellent
“Officer Prisoner Of War”
(“Messine’s Ridge” Battle Citation)
MILITARY CROSS and WOUNDED
1914-15 Trio
&
“Escaper’s M.I.D.”
To:
2nd Lt O.J. WILLIAMS (5th Bn Durham L.I.)
Captured 27th May 1918 at “Chemin Des Dames”
1st Day of 3rd Battle of Aisne.
Held at RASTATT, Germany.
[THE MEDALS]
Military Cross (On Original Pin In Original Case)
(Contemporary Private Engraving with attractive flourishes)
“2nd LIEUT. O.J. WILLIAMS”
->>5th BATT. D.L.I.<<-
—>JUNE 27th 1917<—
1914-15 Star:
2.LIEUT. O.J. WILLIAMS. DURH.L.I.
Silver War Medal
(*name erased)*See notes below.
Victory Medal
CAPT. O.J. WILLIAMS
(with M.I.D. emblem)
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945
(Unnamed as issued)
[CITATION FOR MILITARY CROSS]
(L.G. 17th September 1917)
2nd Lt Oswald James Williams. Durh. L.I.
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. At a critical time, when his men had become disorganised owing to darkness, he went up and down the line through machine gun and shell fire, establishing communication with his flanks and consolidating his position. Although counter-attacked, he held his own until relieved on the following night, and it was entirely due to his fine example and absolute disregard of danger that a critical position was held”
[BIOGRAPHY] 1893-
2nd Lt O.J. WILLIAMS, was born on 18th October 1893 at West Hartlepool. Oswald was obviously a very bright young lad as prior to his Army enlistment and at age 17 he was working in a steel works as a Metallurgical Chemist.
He joined the army as a basic Private soldier at a date in late 1914.
He is then seen in the London Gazette of 22nd January 1915 receiving a commission as a 2nd Lt into the 5th Bn Durham Light Infantry, with his promotion Gazetted to “acting Lt” on 1st June 1916.
He entered France at Boulogne on 18/19th April 1915 with 5th DLI.
[SERIOUSLY WOUNDED] In mid-May 1915 he was quite seriously wounded by a bullet which hit him in his left shoulder. This led to a swift evacuation to Dover & onward to a U.K. military hospital. We are not sure how long he was out of action.
However, he was clearly & eventually well patched up as two years later he was back serving with 5th DLI when the unit attacked MESSINES RIDGE in June 1917 during which action he won his M.C. on 27th June 1917.
[PRISONER OF WAR]
Exactly eleven months later he was captured by the German army at “CHEMIN DES DAMES” on 27th May 1918 on the first day of the 3rd Battle of Aisne.
He was first shown as “missing since 27.5.18” on his army papers as
Oswald was from then being held as a prisoner of Germans.
He was largely held in the P.O.W. camp at RASTATT near Baden.
[MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES]
While in captivity he apparently made great attempts to escape as in the London gazette of 5th May 1919 he was mentioned in despatches for:
“Determination in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity”
On 5th August 1918, Nine weeks after his capture, his father, John B Williams of “Winterton” Granville Avenue, West Hartlepool, received a letter from his son which confirmed that he was safe and was a P.O.W. at RASTATT. Fortunately his imprisonment only lasted for just over five months as the war ended on 11th November.
He is seen in L.G. of 3rd October 1939 as “late D.L.I” returning to the rank of Lt with effect from 1st August 1939. It is therefore clear that he continued to serve in some capacity during WW2.
[*NOTE...Silver War Medal]
As all our regular clients will know, it’s an almost unique situation for us to offer a group with a missing medal. However, this is such an important multi-faceted gallantry - wounded - POW assembly that it would be a travesty to exclude it solely on this basis. As with many thousands of WW1 groups, the original Silver War Medal was almost certainly sold off many years ago in a cash emergency at the front door for 6/- shillings to pay the rent or the milk man. This situation was ultra common and occurred many many times during the financially harsh inter-war years and during the depression of the 1930’s particularly in North East area from which this fine group originates. The area around Tyneside which is famous for the Jarrow Hunger Marches in 1936 was particularly hard hit by unemployment and the disposal of a silver war medal was during this grim period a swift way to raise a bit of instant doorstep cash. Therefore it’s loss is all part of the history of this fine officer’s medals. It is represented by a name-erased medal.
A very interesting P.O.W. & “Battle Citation” Gallantry group to a well collected infantry line regiment. Worthy of much further research into his escape activities and his later WW2 service.
With colour copy CWG papers, Medal Index Card, London gazettes recording his MC award & promotional notices. Also a colour copy of his German P.O.W. record sheet which was written up by the enemy at the time of his capture.
All medals are EF & have original WW1 silk & cotton ribbons
The Military Cross is still on its original pin & ribbon in its original case.
£2995
(With quality part exchanges welcome).
To:
2nd Lt O.J. WILLIAMS (5th Bn Durham L.I.)
Captured 27th May 1918 at “Chemin Des Dames”
1st Day of 3rd Battle of Aisne.
Held at RASTATT, Germany.
[THE MEDALS]
Military Cross (On Original Pin In Original Case)
(Contemporary Private Engraving with attractive flourishes)
“2nd LIEUT. O.J. WILLIAMS”
->>5th BATT. D.L.I.<<-
—>JUNE 27th 1917<—
1914-15 Star:
2.LIEUT. O.J. WILLIAMS. DURH.L.I.
Silver War Medal
(*name erased)*See notes below.
Victory Medal
CAPT. O.J. WILLIAMS
(with M.I.D. emblem)
Defence Medal
War Medal 1939-1945
(Unnamed as issued)
[CITATION FOR MILITARY CROSS]
(L.G. 17th September 1917)
2nd Lt Oswald James Williams. Durh. L.I.
“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. At a critical time, when his men had become disorganised owing to darkness, he went up and down the line through machine gun and shell fire, establishing communication with his flanks and consolidating his position. Although counter-attacked, he held his own until relieved on the following night, and it was entirely due to his fine example and absolute disregard of danger that a critical position was held”
[BIOGRAPHY] 1893-
2nd Lt O.J. WILLIAMS, was born on 18th October 1893 at West Hartlepool. Oswald was obviously a very bright young lad as prior to his Army enlistment and at age 17 he was working in a steel works as a Metallurgical Chemist.
He joined the army as a basic Private soldier at a date in late 1914.
He is then seen in the London Gazette of 22nd January 1915 receiving a commission as a 2nd Lt into the 5th Bn Durham Light Infantry, with his promotion Gazetted to “acting Lt” on 1st June 1916.
He entered France at Boulogne on 18/19th April 1915 with 5th DLI.
[SERIOUSLY WOUNDED] In mid-May 1915 he was quite seriously wounded by a bullet which hit him in his left shoulder. This led to a swift evacuation to Dover & onward to a U.K. military hospital. We are not sure how long he was out of action.
However, he was clearly & eventually well patched up as two years later he was back serving with 5th DLI when the unit attacked MESSINES RIDGE in June 1917 during which action he won his M.C. on 27th June 1917.
[PRISONER OF WAR]Exactly eleven months later he was captured by the German army at “CHEMIN DES DAMES” on 27th May 1918 on the first day of the 3rd Battle of Aisne. He was first shown as “missing since 27.5.18” on his army papers as Oswald was from then being held as a prisoner of Germans. He was largely held in the P.O.W. camp at RASTATT near Baden.
[MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES]
While in captivity he apparently made great attempts to escape as in the London gazette of 5th May 1919 he was mentioned in despatches for:
“Determination in escaping or attempting to escape from captivity”
On 5th August 1918, Nine weeks after his capture, his father, John B Williams of “Winterton” Granville Avenue, West Hartlepool, received a letter from his son which confirmed that he was safe and was a P.O.W. at RASTATT. Fortunately his imprisonment only lasted for just over five months as the war ended on 11th November.
He is seen in L.G. of 3rd October 1939 as “late D.L.I” returning to the rank of Lt with effect from 1st August 1939. It is therefore clear that he continued to serve in some capacity during WW2.
[*NOTE...Silver War Medal]
As all our regular clients will know, it’s an almost unique situation for us to offer a group with a missing medal. However, this is such an important multi-faceted gallantry - wounded - POW assembly that it would be a travesty to exclude it solely on this basis. As with many thousands of WW1 groups, the original Silver War Medal was almost certainly sold off many years ago in a cash emergency at the front door for 6/- shillings to pay the rent or the milk man. This situation was ultra common and occurred many many times during the financially harsh inter-war years and during the depression of the 1930’s particularly in North East area from which this fine group originates. The area around Tyneside which is famous for the Jarrow Hunger Marches in 1936 was particularly hard hit by unemployment and the disposal of a silver war medal was during this grim period a swift way to raise a bit of instant doorstep cash. Therefore it’s loss is all part of the history of this fine officer’s medals. It is represented by a name-erased medal.
A very interesting P.O.W. & “Battle Citation” Gallantry group to a well collected infantry line regiment. Worthy of much further research into his escape activities and his later WW2 service.
With colour copy CWG papers, Medal Index Card, London gazettes recording his MC award & promotional notices. Also a colour copy of his German P.O.W. record sheet which was written up by the enemy at the time of his capture.
All medals are EF & have original WW1 silk & cotton ribbons
The Military Cross is still on its original pin & ribbon in its original case.
£2995
(With quality part exchanges welcome).