Hampshire Regiment 1914-1915 Star medal

[Steelhead10]

Hi All,


Another addition to my collection today, following my 1914 "Mons" Star. I know I overpaid a little for this one but it'd been sat in the same shop for as long as I can remember and I put an offer in that I was comfortable paying given it's history.

This is named to a Private 15826 Walter Pinnells of the 10th Battalion Hampshire Regiment. Walter was born in Froyle, Hampshire in 1887. Initially enlisting in August 1914 the Regminet was mobilised on 7th July 1915 and landed at Galipoli on 6th August 1915. Walter landed in the Balkans on 3rd October 1915 and was killed during the Battle of Kosturino 6-12th December (Part of the Salonika Campaign) on 7th December 1915; a battle with 99 confirmed British casualties and just over 700 missing. Private Pinnells was aged 28, although a young age this is considered older by WW1 casualty standards. This was fought against the Bulgarian forces.

Private Pinnells is remembered on the Dorian Memorial in Northern Greece.

The medal itself has been polished at some point in it's history although retains it's original ribbon and the original issue box and the letter from
the Record Office have survived the years with it. I have scanned the letter in.

I'm not sure when and why the floral device was sewn to the ribbon.

Unfortunately the seller was unsure of where the other medals were and I'll have to keep any eye out for them in my travels.

Walter Pinnells

I hope you all enjoy this one,
Matt

[Watchdog]

I like these medals as they represent so much of what goes untold. It's always a bit sad I feel to find them as singles. Sadly a huge number of the British War Medal were melted down for the silver when silver prices were higher than now (it used to be used voraciously by the photographic industry among others) so there is a good chance that a BWM missing from a group may have met such a fate.

I don't recognise the device on the ribbon which slightly resembles the rosette awarded with some British medals to signify another criterion but it isn't and in any case there was no rosette for this medal as there was for the 1914 (aka Mons) Star and that was only worn on the ribbon bar not the medal itself.

Regards

Mark

[Steelhead10]

Thanks for the reply Mark,

It'd be unfortunate but as you say the price of silver back in the Post WW1 years, especially to a family that had lost 2 sons to the war.
Walter's brother Henry "Harry" was killed at the Battle of Arras in 1917 and Walter's wife died prior to him, leaving a 3 year old daughter behind.

The device could only have been added by a family member or whoever has owned it inbetween. I've tried to reverse search it's picture but comes up with 1920s esque brooches.

Regards,
Matt

[HARRY THE MOLE]

A nice medal with a rather poignant story behind it. Many medals made of silver were sold to put food on the table during the immediate post-war years. As rather sadly, the 'land fit for heroes' promised by Prime Minister Lloyd George, never materialised.

Cheers,
Steve