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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 317

Three: Private W. G. B. Kettle, 1/9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles), who was killed in action on the First Day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916

1914 Star (2435 Pte. W. G. B. Kettle. 9/Lond: R.); British War and Victory Medals (2435 Pte. W. G. B. Kettle. 9-Lond. R.), nearly extremely fine (3)

William George Burnet Kettle, who was born at Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1888 and was living at Acton, London, served in France with the 1/9th Battalion, London Regiment in France from 4 November 1914. The Battalion went 'over the top' in the attack on Gommecourt on 1 July 1916 and suffered casualties of 545 killed, wounded and missing. Making their attack at 0730hrs into the face of a German counter-barrage, by 0948hrs the assaulting Companies had reached their objective but counter-attacks and a lack of ammunition made the situation critical. By 1230hrs the German attacks increased in force with Companies being forced backwards, in the face of heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. By 1630hrs the surviving members of the Battalion were ordered to re-form, being driven out of the trenches taken and being forced to withdraw to Bayencourt. Kettle was killed in action and is commemorated upon the Thiepval Memorial.

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Sold for
£500

Starting price
£320