A Collection of Medals to the 43rd/52nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Family group:

Three: Private J. Stallard, 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, killed in action at Nonne Bosschen Wood (Nun’s Wood), Ypres, on 11 November 1914

1914 Star, with copy clasp (7425 Pte., 2/Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (7425 Pte., Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.); Memorial Plaque (James Stallard), in card envelope

Three: Private J. W. Stallard, 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, killed in action at Nonne Bosschen Wood (Nun’s Wood), Ypres, on 11 November 1914

1914 Star, with clasp (8303 Pte., 2/Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (8303 Pte., Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.)

Victory Medal 1914-19 (A-3584 Pte. G. S. Stallard, K.R. Rif. C.) extremely fine (8) £750-850

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 43rd/52nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

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James Stallard was born in Hockley, Warwickshire, and living at Stantonbury, Buckinghamshire, enlisted at Oxford. Serving with the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 14 August 1914. He was killed in action at Nonne Bosschen Wood, near Ypres, on 11 November 1914, aged 28 years. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and on the Stantonbury Memorial. Before the war he had been a well known boxer; known amongst his comrades in India as ‘The Mad Mullah’.

John William Stallard was born in Birmingham, and living at Stantonbury, Buckinghamshire, enlisted at Oxford. Serving with the 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 14 August 1914. He was killed in action at Nonne Bosschen Wood, near Ypres, on 11 November 1914, aged 26 years. Having no known grave, his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and on the Stantonbury Memorial. He was the husband of Mrs Stallard, of 48 Grafton Street, Northampton. Before the war he had worked at Messrs. Smith, Major & Stevens, of St. James’s, Northampton.

George Sydney Stallard, entered the France/Flanders theatre of war as a Private in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 19 May 1915. Later in the year he was wounded, suffering deafness and injuries to his back and hips. Invalided to Lord Derby’s Hospital in Warrington, he was subsequently discharged because of his injuries. Entitled to the 1914-15 Star.

James, John William and George Sydney Stallard were the sons of James and Florence Stallard of 67 St. Mary Street, New Bradwell, Buckinghamshire.

Sold with framed commemorative scrolls for James and John William Stallard; copy m.i.c’s. for the three brothers; and a quantity of copied research, including extracts from The Wolverton Express. An extract from The Wolverton Express dated 16 October 1914, reprinted extracts from a letter from John William to his parents, dated 24 September.

‘I beg the finish of this war, and it is war - hell cannot be worse. It is just like waiting for death, but still, we are lucky enough to escape so far, and can safely say it is a game of luck, and trust luck will be with us to the end. .... We are not against a lot of farmers but against a nation of fighting material. One of the most touching events I have seen in this war was in Belgium, in our advance and retirement on and from Mons. .... At one large house, as we advanced on Mons, the family were just leaving, and with eyes much swollen by crying, one young girl, about 22 or 23, unable to hold herself in check, ran forward at the sight of our troops and before we were aware of her intentions, had kissed several of us on both cheeks. That sort of thing tends to touch even the hardest of hearts. The people of Belgium behaved to us splendidly. Never to my dying day shall I forget their kindness. .... the Germans ... They looted everything and everywhere; hardly a house escaped their evil work .... but as we got further, instead of household things lying about, it was the Germans themselves lying in all directions. At first it appears rather a ghastly sight - but one has to get used to more than this - things I am not allowed to speak of. .... Still, it is surprising how the boys keep up their spirits. It is beautiful to see and hear them; there is plenty of life in them. We are all the same; set faces one minute, joking and laughing the next. ... Jack and I are still side by side. We are both all gay. The Winter will be awful, I bet, it is terrible at nights now ....’