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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 219

An 'Old Stoneyhursts' 1914-15 Star awarded to 2nd Lieutenant L. J. F. O'Brien, 5th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment, late Honourable Artillery Company, a keen cricketer who received a 'mention' before dying of wounds in Mesopotamia on 7 April 1917

1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. L. J. F. O'Brien. Wilts. R.), good very fine

Lucius James Francis O'Brien was born in London in 1877 and attended Douai school in France before advancing to Stoneyhurst; a keen cricketer he played for the Stoneyhurst XI. Marrying Marie Alice O'Brien the couple lived at 99 Morehead Mansions, Maida Vale, London.

On the outbreak of the Great War O'Brien was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 9 June 1915 with the 1/1st Battalion, Honourable Artillery Company. Later transferred to the 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment he joined them in their first posting at Cape Helles in July 1915.

The 5th Battalion was later moved from Cape Helles to ANZAC Cove in August 1915 and remained there until the evacuation, fighting at such actions as Sadi Bair and Hill 60. One of the last units to leave they faced the final Turkish attacks on 7 January 1916 and embarked for Egypt the following day. O'Brien received a 'mention' for his actions in these final frantic weeks, possibly even for his actions during the final day of fighting on the peninsula (London Gazette 13 July 1916, refers). Arriving in Alexandria they spent some time at Port Said before moving to Mesopotamia in February. So depleted was the Battalion by the fighting at Gallipoli that they had to wait here for a draft of 750 men to reinforce them.

Advancing up the Tigris they joined the heavy fighting that marked the British attempts to relieve Kut-Al-Amara. Around this time O'Brien was seriously wounded in April but managed to recover in time to take part in the resurgent British push for Baghdad under General Maude. During this attack the Wiltshire Regiment was present for the a number of actions as Maude broke the Ottoman defensive lines and drove them back toward Baghdad.

With the fall of the city the British began an advance against the Samarna Railway and it was likely during this offensive which began in late March and ran until late April that O'Brien was again wounded, this time mortally. He died of wounds on 7 April 1917 and is commemorated upon the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery; sold together with typed research and copied research comprising a Commonwealth War Graves certificate, and extracts from the London Gazette, The Wiltshire Regiment 1914-1959, A History of the World War and Officers Died in the Great War as well as printed entries from the Wisden obituaries during the war almanac and the Douai Roll of Honour.

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Sold for
£210

Starting price
£20