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Auction: 24112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 482

'With casualties to every combatant officer except one and over 550 ranks out of 900, the organisation of the Battalion was temporarily ruined. To those who had seen the Battalion grow from its infancy and who lived to look back on that day, there remained and will remain an everlasting regret that it should have been frittered away in two short hours on a hopeless task.'

The well-documented campaign group of three awarded to Sergeant W. R. Atchison, 8th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who was killed in action during the Battalion's baptism of fire at Loos on 26 September 1915, during which the Battalion was all but destroyed

1914-15 Star (G-3041. Sjt. W. L. Atchison. R. W. Kent. R.), note initial; British War and Victory Medals (GS-3041. Sjt. W. R. Atchison. R. W. Kent. R.), medals in addressed envelopes of issue with War Office slips, nearly extremely fine (3)

William Rice Atchison was born in Dayton, Ohio, USA in 1892, the son of William Atchison and Charlotte Elizabeth Atchison nee Boyden. He was a carpenter living with his parents at Chatham, Kent when enlisted in the 8th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment and embarked to France with his Battalion on 30 August 1915. William was married to Charlotte Elizabeth Ross.

The following extracts from the Battalion History give a vivid yet depressing account of the Battalion's march into its baptism of fire:

'The officers had already been told that they were going into the biggest battle the world had ever known and were also told that their roles would be to march through to Douai and hold it, a task which was considerably modified before we actually reached the battle.

Our instructions were that we should attack at Dawn, the objective for the Brigade being the main German position some 2000 yards away which stretched from Hulluch village on the left to the Bois Hugo and onto Hill 70 on the right. The attack was carried out at a marching pace in order to save the men's breath for the final charge and bayonet work, and the advance was so steady and the formations so regular that it looked like a field day at Aldershot than part of a great battle.'

Little did they know that on reaching the enemy's main position that the barbed wire protecting it was absolutely intact! Atchison was one of the 550 casualties that day, and is commemorated at Loos Memorial, Panel 95 to 97, Pas de Calais, France; sold together with copied research, photographs of Atchison in uniform, his Will, details of his wife's death, numerous other photographs including those of his parents (some items laminated).


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Sold for
£150

Starting price
£100