War Medals

3428 PRIVATE JOHN HANDS, 1ST.BN. KING'S OWN (ROYAL LANCASTER REGIMENT)

1914-15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (3428 Pte. J. HANDS, R. Lanc. R.); Memorial Plaque - John Hands : (JOHN HANDS - Born 24 September 1893 at Bethnal Green, London, a newsvendor, attested at Finsbury, London on 19 August 1914 : Posted to Royal Lancaster Regiment from 31 October 1914 and entered France on 29 July 1915 : Joined 1st. Battalion, Royal Lancaster Regiment in the field on 9 December 1915 : On 1 July 1916 the Battalion was to attack the German positions between Beaumont-Hamel and Serre and 'went over the top' at 07.30hrs. into a withering fire of machine-guns and shells. Casualties were very heavy even before the British front line was reached and further losses occured in 'No Mans Land', few men ever reached the German wire, and those that did found it impossible to proceed any further, the Battalion was unsupported on either flank and caught in concentrated enemy crossfire. Orders were received that the Battalion was to retire and by nightfall it was back in it's assembly trenches and it's glorious charge had achieved absolutely nothing. Casualties totalled 387 of which about 112 Other Ranks, together with ten Officers were killed. The recipient was among those KILLED IN ACTION on that day. More were to die of their wounds in the days and weeks which followed and more than eighty men who fell on that day have no known grave, including the recipient who is commemorated on Thiepval Memorial.) Sold with verification, copy Service Record, copy CWGC. information and other related research. Medals mounted on long lengths of original silk ribbon, plaque contained in original card holder EF - £1350