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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 324

Three: Able Seaman E. E. Copeland, Hawke Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was mortally wounded on 13 November 1916 at the Battle of the Ancre, and died the following day

1914-15 Star (T.Z.5128 E. E. Copeland. A.B., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals (T.Z. 5128 E. E. Copeland. A.B. R.N.V.R.), nearly extremely fine (3)

Edward Elliott Copeland, a native of Dunston-on-Tyne, Durham, was born on 26 July 1896 and joined the Royal Naval Division on 7 June 1915. Drafted from the 2nd Reserve Battalion, he joined the Hawke Battalion in Mesopotamia in December 1915. He thence served on the Western Front and was mortally wounded on 13 November 1916 during the Battle of the Ancre. On that day, the Battalion marched out through the mist at 0545hrs. As the first wave went in, a devastating machine-gun fire cut down swathes of men from a redoubt on their front. On the right of the redoubt, a portion of 'B' Company under Lieutenant The Hon. Vere Harmsworth, passed the strong point and got to the second line. Harmsworth was twice wounded, before being cut down. The redoubt was their objective and nearly 400 Officers and men became casualties in the first half hour of their attack (The Royal Naval Division, refers). Freyburg famously also won his Victoria Cross on that day. Copeland was mortally wounded and died the following day, aged just 19. He is buried in the Puchevillers British Cemetery; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£240

Starting price
£130