Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to include a Fine Collection of Napoleonic Medals

A poignant family group to brothers who fell in action on the same day in different theatres of war:

Three: Corporal H. J. Fippard, 9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles), who was killed in action near Ypres on 4 June 1915

1914 Star (2087 Pte. H. J. Fippard, 9/Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2087 Cpl. H. J. Fippard, 9-Lond. R.), together with related Memorial Plaque (Herbert Fippard), this last fitted with metal bracket for wall display, polished, nearly very fine, the medals extremely fine

Three: Captain R. C. Fippard, 14th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, attached Lancashire Fusiliers, who was killed in action in Gallipoli on 4 June 1915

1914-15 Star (Capt. R. C. Fippard, W. York. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. C. Fippard), together with related Memorial Plaque (Richard Clift Flippard) (sic), this last fitted with metal bracket for wall display, polished, nearly very fine, the medals extremely fine (8) £1200-1500

Herbert John Fippard was born in Maida Vale, London on 14 August 1885, the elder son of Herbert Samuel Bradshaw Fippard and his wife, Anne Stephens Fippard, daughter of John Thomas Clift. Educated at Regent Street Polytechnic, he enlisted in the Queen’s Victoria Rifles shortly after the outbreak of hostilities and arrived in France and Flanders on 4 November 1914. The Battalion quickly saw action on the Wulverghem-Messines road, one of its riflemen, Frank Hawkins, later publishing an account of his time on active service From Ypres to Cambrai; moreover, a number of letters from men of the 1/9th were published in the home press, one of them speaking of the conditions in the trenches and commenting that if he ever heard of anyone refer to a Territorial as a Saturday afternoon soldier ‘there will be trouble.’

Herbert fought with distinction at Hill 60 in the following year, gaining a mention in Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Shipley’s regimental orders dated 1 May 1915. One of his comrades also noted that his coolness under fire was ‘remarkable and gave confidence to every one around him.’ But he fell in action near Ypres on 4 June 1915, while attending a wounded comrade. His Company C.O., Captain R. H. Lindsay Renton wrote:

‘He met his death while helping a wounded comrade, an act characteristic of his life out here. He was a man who always did his duty, a man respected by his comrades and trusted by his officers, I feel that his death is a great loss to my company, and I shall find his place difficult to fill.’

Herbert’s name is commemorated in Voormezeele Enclosure.

Richard Clift Fippard was born in Maida Vale, London on 30 December 1887, younger son of Herbert Samuel Bradshaw Fippard and his wife, Anne Stephens Fippard, daughter of John Thomas Clift. Educated at Regent Street Polytechnic, he matriculated at London University and was admitted a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in June 1910, and was Assistant Treasurer of the Prudential Approved Society.

Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 14th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment in December 1914, he was serving as a Captain on attachment to the Lancashire Fusiliers when killed in action at Achi Baba in Gallipoli on 4 June 1915 - he was first reported missing but on 21 November he was officially reported to have been killed on the former date, thus the two brothers dying on the same day.

Richard has no known grave and is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.