A Collection of Medals to the Rifle Brigade

A good ‘Old Contemptibles’ group of five awarded to Colour Sergeant W. Fowler, 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade
1914 Mons Star (5051 Sjt., 3/Rif. Brig.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. (5051 C.Sjt., Rif. Brig.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (5051 Sjt., Rif. Bde.); Russia, Cross of St. George, 4th class, the reverse numbered ‘127 278’, good very fine (5)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Rifle Brigade.

View
Collection

Mentioned in Sir John French’s Despatch of 14 January, 1915, ‘for consistant good work, especially on 13 and 18 October, 1914.’
Russian Cross of St. George London Gazette 25 August, 1915.
The War Record of the 3rd Battalion, published in the Rifle Brigade Chronicle, gives the following details:
‘Sergeants W. Fowler and A. F. Wheeler, “A” Company. When the battalion was on the Aisne and daily suffering heavy casualties from the enemy’s snipers, these two N.C.O.’s formed a band of snipers from “A” Company and did splendid work in combating the enemy snipers.... crawling out daily to the front or climbing trees, etc., and bringing back much useful information about the enemy’s trenches as well as killing many Germans. Their initiative and bravery in constantly exposing themselves to danger did much to keep up the moral of our men which in the early days of trench warfare was inclined to be shaken by the telescopic-rifle shooting of the enemy and by their great artillery superiority.’