A Classic & 'Ultra Early Entrant'
1914 Star & Bar Trio
(14th August 1914)
To:
L/7596.Pte G.C.SPAIN.
1st Bn KING's ROYAL WEST KENT REGt.
('till 30th May 1917)
All medals are K.R.W.K.SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AT "THE BATTLE OF ST JULIEN" YPRES on 1st MAY 1915 and EVACUATED TO ENGLAND WHERE HE RECEIVED TREATMENT AT THE RED GABLES HOSPITAL at BLETCHINGLEY, SURREY.
Later 311269 Pte G.C. SPAIN Labour Corps
Later M/40175 Pte G.C. SPAIN Army Service Corps (from 10.10.17)
RESERVE 28th Feb 1919.
(As part of 5th Infantry Division (13th Brigade) Private George Spain took part in the war's very first day of action in the Battles of Mons & Charleroi.)
He and his unit held up the huge German attack at Wasmes on 24th August 1914 during the Mons Retreat. He served with his original unit for almost three years until May of 1917 and therefore not only took part in all the fierce early actions around Mons in 1914 but also fought in all the major battles of 1915, 1916 & 1917, including the entire Somme campaign. He was thus a very rare and lucky survivor of the original BEF of which by war's end there were very few.
After the declaration of War on 4th August 1914, the first arrival of British troops on French soil took place on 9th /10th August 1914. The 1st Bn ROYAL WEST KENT Rgt were thus one of the very first 'pre-war' regular army BEF units to arrive at Le Havre on 14th August. When the shooting war started on 22nd August, Pte Spain and his comrades were thrust straight into the fighting and took part in the battles at Mons & Charleroi. Two days later on 24th August they successfully held up the major German attack at Wasmes. This man's immediate company commander, Lt Colin Knox Anderson, 'A' Coy, was Killed in Action on 23rd August at Wasmes and is buried in the Hautage Military Cemetery. The battalion suffered many casualties during the Mons retreat and in the early days of the war.
[
THE HISTORICAL SITUATION]
THE HISTORICAL SITUATION] The initial German attack was thus repulsed with heavy losses and the Germans switched to an open formation and attacked again. This attack was more successful, as the looser formation adopted by the Germans made it more difficult for the British to inflict casualties rapidly. The outnumbered defenders were soon hard-pressed to defend the canal crossings, and the Royal Fusiliers at the Nimy and Ghlin bridges faced some of the day's heaviest fighting; only piecemeal addition of reinforcements to the firing line and the exceptional bravery of two of the battalion machine-gunners allowed them to hold off the German attacks. At the Nimy bridge, Dease took control of his machine gun after every other member of his section had been killed or wounded and fired the weapon despite being shot several times. After a fifth wound he was evacuated to the battalion aid station, where he died. When Dease was unable to operate the gun, Private Sidney Godley took over and stayed behind to cover the Fusilier retreat at the end of the battle. Godley surrendered after throwing parts of the gun into the canal to prevent its capture by the Germans.Both soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross, the first two awarded in the First World War.
To the right of the Royal Fusiliers, the 4th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, and the 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders, were equally hard-pressed by the German assault on the salient. Greatly outnumbered, both battalions suffered heavy casualties but with the addition of reinforcements from the Royal Irish Regiment, from the divisional reserve and effective fire support from the divisional artillery, they managed to hold the bridges. The Germans expanded their attack, assaulting the British defences along the straight reach of the canal to the west of the salient. The Germans used the cover of fir plantations that lined the northern side of the canal and advanced to within a few hundred yards of the canal to rake the British with machine-gun and rifle fire.
The German attack fell particularly heavily on the 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, which despite many casualties, repulsed the Germans throughout the day.
A POEM
From Private G Spain to Sister May Atkins who served during The Great War at the Red Gables Hospital in Bletchingley, Surrey.
To Nurse with grateful thanks
---------------------------------
"The Germhuns Jack Johnson's and their mortars as well.
Have all tried to shift us, helt skelt & pell mell,
But we've proved to the Germhuns that true British sons
No matter what's coming, can stick to their guns.
So roll up in thousands, you boys o'er the foam
Your country it needs you so why stay at home
For when it's all over and history is made
You'll be proud you belonged to the 13th Brigade.
7596 Pte G. Spain. 1st Royal West Kent Regt
13th Brigade.
Wounded, Battle of St Julien 1st May 1915, Ypres
23/8/15 We think Private Spain had at least three relations in the 1st Royal West Kent's and other units and that two of them were Killed In Action during the war. (1) G/4748 Pte Leonard William Spain. Age 25, K.I.A. at Hill 60 on 18.4.15
&
(2) 103471 Pte Frederick Charles Spain. Age 22, M.G.C. K.I.A. 2.9.18
Further research may confirm the relationships.
THE MEDALS ARE EF & SWING MOUNTED ON THEIR ORIGINAL RIBBONS & BAR.SOLD