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19384 PRIVATE WILLIAM PILE, 15TH.(2ND.PORTSMOUTH) BATTALION, HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT :
British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (19384 Pte. Hamps.R.) : (WILLIAM PILE - Born around 1887, the son of James and Florence Pile of North Street, Westbourne, Sussex, and husband of Elizabeth Janman (formerly Pile) of Brook Cottages, Lumley, Emsworth, Hampshire : He served in France with 15th.Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, "The 2nd.Pompey Pals", and was KILLED IN ACTION on 15 September 1916 at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette : The Battalion was raised at Portsmouth on 5 April 1915, by the Mayor and local Committee and adopted by the War Office on 30 May 1915 : It entered France on 2 May 1916 and went into action for the first time at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916 : Aided by the first appearance of four tanks, the objective was gained but heavy losses forced the Battalion to retire : Of the 557 men who began the attack that day, 305 were either killed or wounded : The recipient has no known grave and is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France : A Memorial to "The Pompey Pals Battalions", is situated at the entrance to the Portsmouth Football Club at Fratton Park, where many of the men signed up whilst attending football matches.) : Sold with verification and copy extract taken from the Battalion War Diary, mounted on original silk ribbons - Scarce EF £185