A Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties

Family Group:

Three: Private T. Bailey, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who was killed in action on the Western Front on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, on which date his battalion suffered over 550 casualties
1914-15 Star (2628 Pte. T. Bailey. R. War: R.); British War and Victory Medals (2628 Pte. T. Bailey. R. War. R.); Memorial Plaque (Thomas Bailey) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure; Memorial Scroll, ‘Pte. Thomas Bailey, Royal Warwickshire Regt.’, extremely fine

One: Private A. Bailey, Home Guard
Defence Medal; together with the the recipient’s Home Guard Certificate, ‘A. Bailey’, extremely fine (6) £500-£700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties.

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Thomas Bailey was born in Birmingham and attested there for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He served with the 1st/8th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 22 March 1915, and was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. On this date the Battalion, as part of the 48th (South Midland) Division, moved forward from Mailly-Maillet for an attack at Redan Ridge. The right of the assault took The Quadrilateral, passed through, and gained the support trench beyond. The left of the assault entered the German front line under heavy fire from Serre, but no further progress was made, and the force was compelled to withdraw to Mailly-Maillet, having suffered total casualties of 563.
Bailey was amongst those killed. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

Sold with named Record Office enclosure for the British War and Victory Medals; a City of Birmingham named Memorial Card, signed by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham (and future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) ‘Neville Chamberlain’; and copied research.

A. Bailey, brother of the above, served during the Second World War in the Home Guard from 1 May 1942 to 31 December 1944.