Eight: Quartermaster and Captain W. D. Woollen, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, late Gloucestershire Regiment

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (2119 Sgt. W. D. Wollen, 16/Bn. E.A.); India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Samana 1897 (2119 Col: Sgt. W. D. Woollen, Gloucester Regt.) renamed in running script; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Orange Free State (2119 Col Sejt. W. Woollen, Glouc: Regt.) the first and third clasps contemporary tailor’s copies; 1914-15 Star (Q.M. & Lieut. W. D. Woollen. Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Q.M. & Capt. W. D. Woollen.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (2119 Qr: Mr: Sjt: W. D. Woollen. Glouc: Regt.); Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, 1 clasp, Gedaref, unnamed as issued, mounted as worn on two bars, contact marks, nearly very fine or better, the Sudan medals very rare to the regiment (8) £800-1000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Militaria to the Gloucestershire Regiment (28th and 61st Foot).

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M.I.D. London Gazette 28 November 1917.

Only 6 Queen‘s Sudan medals awarded to the Gloucestershire Regiment for services whilst attached to the Egyptian Army.

William David Woollen was born in Taunton, Somerset, and enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment at Bristol on 12 April 1887, aged 18 years 6 months, a clerk by trade. He was promoted to Corporal in February 1891 and appointed Lance Sergeant in the following November, becoming Sergeant in November 1893 and Colour-Sergeant in February 1897. After service at home and in Malta, he served in Egypt from November 1895 to February 1897, where he was attached to the 16th Battalion, Egyptian Army, during the Dongola campaign, gaining the Queen’s and Khedive’s Sudan medals (Dongola clasp not confirmed). Although he subsequently served in India from February 1897 to September 1898, his name does not appear on the medal rolls for the India General Service medal. He served in South Africa 1899-1900 and was present at the Defence of Ladysmith and in operations in Orange Free State, but is not entitled to the clasps for Elandslaagte or Laing‘s Nek. After further service in Ceylon and India, he was discharged on termination of his second period of engagement on 22 April 1908. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he attested at Bristol for the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, on 24 September as a Private, and was promoted Acting Quarter-Master Sergeant on 1 October 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 31 December 1914, and posted to the 8th Battalion who were stationed at Codford, Wiltshire. He served with the 8th Oxf. and Bucks. L.I. in France from 20 September to November 1915, and afterwards in Greek Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, European Turkey, and the Islands of the Aegean Sea, 25 November 1915 to 11 November 1918. He relinquished his commission on 13 September 1919. Sold with copied service papers and relevant medal rolls.