Second Lieutenant James Hugh Edendale Whitehead, Royal West Kent Regiment, died 13th March 1919

1897 pattern Infantry officer’s sword, blade 80cm of levee pattern, etched with VR cypher &c., plated guard with GVR cypher, inside of guard engraved ‘J. H. E. Whitehead Royal West Kent Regt.’, fish-skin covered grip, bound with copper wire, in leather field service scabbard, blade rubbed & worn £100-120

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The fine collection of attributed British Officers' Swords formed by Hal Giblin.

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James Hugh Edendale Whitehead, was born in 1890, son of Sir George Whitehead, of Wilmington Hall, Dartford, Kent. He was educated at Clifton College and at Trinity College, Oxford, where he obtained his Blue for athletics, representing Oxford in the hurdles in 1912. On leaving university he joined his father’s firm, becoming a Member of the Stock Exchange in 1914. He joined the Army in November 1914 and obtained his commission in the 9th Battalion, Royal West Kent’s in 1915. Contracting a severe illness from the hardships of the winter of 1914-15, he was invalided out of the service in 1916, and with his health seriously undermined, he was unable to resist a severe attack of influenza, and died on 13 March 1919. Lieutenant Whitehead is buried in Wilmington (St Michael) Churchyard, Kent.