1914 Star and bar Trio with ISM To The Hamp Regt, Taken POW August 1914

1914 star and slip on bar trio 6913 PTE A J ANDREWS 1 / HAMPS R : ISM ( Geo VI ) ALFRED ANDREWS

Alfred John Andrews from Portsmouth served with the 1st Hampshire regiment , he was wounded and taken POW at Ligny on the 26th of August 1914

A J Andrews gave a very long and comprehensive account of his time spent as a POW which is available on line , a fascinating read.

1ST HAMPSHIRE AT LE CATEAU

The outbreak of war on 4 August 1914 saw 1st Hampshire stationed in Colchester, having recently been transferred to the 4th Division. The division assembled at Harrow on 18th August 1914 and three days later departed for Southampton to embark for France. At Le Havre 4th Division entrained for Le Cateau from where, on 25th August, it marched to Solesmes to cover the retirement of II Corps after the Battle of Mons. The ensuing Battle of Le Cateau was the first engagement fought by the Hampshire Regiment in the First World War.

Having arrived at Solesmes the 4th Division took up positions on the left of II Corps’ line, with 1st Hampshire placed astride a light railway about one mile north of the village of Ligny. The 1st Hampshire and 11th Brigade spent most of 26th August desperately holding the position in front of Ligny while coming under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire. One feature of the fighting was the greater respect shown by the Germans for British rifle prowess than at Mons where they had suffered heavy casualties.

Around mid-afternoon 11th Brigade was ordered was ordered to retire to Ligny, due to a strong attack on 10th Brigade to their right. As the Hampshire started to withdraw it seemed, as Lieutenant Eric Dolphin noted, ‘as if every gun and rifle in the German Army had opened fire’. Despite the hail of fire the Hampshire successfully completed the withdrawal to Ligny where they turned and inflicted further casualties on the pursuing enemy. Scattered detachments of 1st Hampshire made their way southwards across country, halting to rest at Serain around midnight at the end of a day which had cost the battalion nearly 200 casualties, including two officers and 46 other ranks killed. The retreat resumed at 2am on the 27th August and continued through the. The battalion’s Commanding Officer, Colonel Sydney Jackson, was wounded and subsequently captured. Over the following week the Hampshire retreated south with the remainder of the BEF, occasionally skirmishing with German cavalry, until it crossed the River Marne on 4 September. The next day General Joffre launched his decisive counter-attack which effectively ended the Germans’ hope of a swift victory on the Western Front.


Medals in VF condition

Code: 51101