A rare Great War group of four awarded to 2nd Lieutenant O. E. Almond, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, late Royal Artillery, who was killed in action in a fierce hand-to-hand encounter in East Africa in September 1915

1914-15 Star (5136 S. Mjr. O. E. Almond, L.N. Lan. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut. O. E. Almond); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (5136 S. Mjr. O. E. Almond, L.N. Lanc. Regt.), edge bruise to the last, otherwise extremely fine (4)
£600-700

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Owen Edward Almond was born in Wimbledon, Surrey and enlisted in the Royal Artillery in March 1896, aged 18 years. Over the coming years he served variously in Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Mauritius and the East Indies, and gained advancement to Sergeant-Major in January 1911, the same year in which he received the Delhi Durbar Medal. Having then transferred to the 2nd Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, in October 1914, the same month in which he was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal, he arrived in East Africa.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in mid-November, he went on to witness considerable fighting as a member of the only British infantry battalion serving in that theatre of war, and was killed in action at Bura on 29 September 1915, while commanding a platoon in the No. 3 Company.

The regimental history describes how he led his men through thick bush to engage an enemy force that had attacked one of our armoured trains, a bayonet charge and fierce hand-to-hand encounter ensuing, the Germans losing three whites and 30 Askaris, and No. 3 Company two officers and 12 other ranks, in addition to five wounded - Lieutenant Almond’s body was found lying over that of a white German, whom he appeared to have bayoneted. The son of Rufus and Jane Almond of Wimbledon, and 37 years of age, he was buried in Voi Cemetery, which today is located in Kenya; sold with related research, including copied service record and relevant extracts from the unit’s War Diary.