A Collection of Medals to the 42nd Highlanders and 73rd Foot (Black Watch)

Three: Private W. Rudd, 1st Battalion, Royal Highlanders, killed in action at Loos, 26 September 1915

1914 Star (114 Pte. W. Rudd. R. Highrs); British War and Victory Medals (114 Pte. W. Rudd. R. Highrs.); Memorial Plaque (William Rudd), in card case of issue and enclosure, with Memorial Scroll, good very fine (4) £260-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the 42nd Highlanders and 73rd Foot (Black Watch).

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William Rudd was born in Newcastle, and enlisted in the Royal Highlanders in Dundee. He served during the Great War with the 1st Battalion, Royal Highlanders in the French theatre of war from 13 August 1914. Rudd was killed in action, 26 September 1915. On the latter date the Battalion were engaged in the second day of the Battle of Loos, and the Regimental History gives the following:

‘The morning of the 26th broke fine, and as reserves had come up during the night it was determined to renew the advance. At 10am the Battalion received orders to attack with two companies against the south edge of Hulluch. At 12 noon the attack was cancelled, since the units on the right and left were at that moment losing ground, and the Division on the right had been definitely forced to retire.

In the meantime, the two companies in the front line had gone forward; but they achieved nothing more than the capture of an advanced T-head trench. The divisions in Loos were also losing heavily in counter-attacks, and the whole of the two corps were temporarily on the defensive.’

Private Rudd is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Sold with group photograph of No. 1 Section, F Company, The Cameronians, Cawnpore, 1909.