Major Harris Lawrence Stocks, D.S.O., 15th (1st Edinburgh City) Battalion, Royal Scots, killed in action 1st July 1916

Royal Artillery officer’s sword, blade 85cm etched Royal Artillery device, grenade, foliage &c., engraved within shield ‘H.L.S. 1893’, steel 3-bar guard, fish-skin covered grip bound with copper wire binding, in its leather covered field service scabbard, complete with leather carrying case and sword knot, scabbard broken, otherwise good condition throughout £150-200

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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Harris Lawrence Stocks, educated at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and Edinburgh University, was a Steamship owner and managing director of Messrs. H. L.Stocks Ltd. He had first joined the 1st Battery of the Fife Volunteer Artillery in 1893, and had retired by 1914. Offering his services in 1914, he was gazetted to the 15th Battalion, The Royal Scots. On 1st July 1916, the 1st Edinburgh City Battalion, part of the 34th Division, attacked at La Boisselle, being met with concentrated machine-gun fire. Major Stocks succeeded in getting into the German trenches, taking command of the survivors of several battalions in a strong point, Peake trench, but they were gradually forced out by German counter-attacks, during which Stocks was severely wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy. By the evening their losses amounted to some19 officers and 494 other ranks. Major Stocks, who had been wounded three times during the days fighting, had became one of the many missing on that day. His D.S.O. was announced in the London Gazette of 1 January 1917. Major Stocks is buried in Bouzincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, France.