Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private A. H. Prismall, 8th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, who was wounded on the Somme, most likely on the first day of the Battle, 1 July 1916, on which date the battalion famously advanced kicking footballs and suffered over 400 casualties; and was later wounded and taken Prisoner of War at Cambrai on 30 November 1917

1914-15 Star (1879 Pte. A. H. Prismall. E. Surr. R.); British War and Victory Medals (204001 Pte. A. H. Prismall. E. Surr. R.); together with the recipient’s wound stripe, good very fine (3) £80-£100

Alfred Henry Prismall was born in New Malden, Surrey, on 23 February 1893, and attested for the East Surrey Regiment in August 1914. He served with the 8th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 12 August 1915, and was wounded on the Somme in July 1916 - most likely on the first day of the battle, on which date the Battalion was tasked with attacking the enemy front line between Talus Boisé and the Carnoy-Montauban Road. With each platoon having been issued with a football, and special permission having been granted, the Battalion famously went into action kicking footballs, but the leading waves were soon mown down by enemy machine-gun fire, and the battalion, although achieving their objectives, suffered 446 casualties.

Having recovered from his wounds, Prismall was posted to the 7th Battalion, and was wounded by a grenade splinter to his shoulder and taken prisoner of war by the enemy at Cambrai on 30 November 1917. Held at Limburg der Lahn camp, he was repatriated back to England on 23 January 1919. He saw further served with the Home Guard during the Second World War, and died in New Malden in March 1970.

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