I am looking to purchase the medals awarded to the Late Lieutenant David Radcliffe of the 24th (Sportsman's) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers who was killed in action on the 18th March 1916. His medal entitlement was 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and there would also have been a memorial plaque and scroll.
Born in 1894, David
Radcliffe was the only son of Sir Frederick and Margaret Morton Radcliffe of Mossley Hill, Liverpool. He studied at Winchester College and subsequently attended Corpus Christi College, Oxford where he rowed in the College VIII in 1914.
"In
spite of ill-health," so his potted biography reads on the Winchester College website, "he volunteered at the outbreak of war and was gazetted in
December 1914 to the 11th Battalion South Lancashire Regiment. After
undergoing a serious operation, he was transferred to the 24th Battalion
Royal Fusiliers and went to France in November 1915. At the time of his death
he had been notified of his promotion to the rank of Captain, but had not yet
been gazetted. He was killed near Loos on March 18th 1916."
The
battalion war diary gives the details: “March 19th 1916: Enemy fired a
considerable number of whizz-bangs on our left front; they were probably trying
to hit a trench mortar battery located there. Captain Radcliffe went out to
front trenches to observe the fire of our guns in retaliation and was killed,
probably by a German sniper, being hit in the head by a bullet. This is a
serious loss to the Battalion; he was a good officer and very popular with all
ranks. He was buried at Bully-Grenay this evening.”
If you own these medals and plaque and would be willing to part with them, please contact me via the British Army Ancestors website or leave a message on this post.
