Five: Private W. G. Acreman, Welsh Regiment

British War and Victory Medals (25100 W. G. Acreman, Welsh R.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (3949543 Pte. W. Acreman, Welch R.); Jubilee 1935, privately engraved, ‘3949543 Pte. W. Acreman, Welch R.’; Regular Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., robed bust (3949543 Pte. W. Acreman, Welch R.), minor contact marks and a little polished, otherwise generally very fine (5) £260-280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Welsh Regiments formed by the Late Llewellyn Lord.

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William Gilbert Acreman was clearly a colourful regimental character. The following report - entitled “Ackerman” - appeared in the regimental journal in July 1958:

‘“Get off the grass!” How many people who have passed through the barracks have heard that and, looking about, found an irate Ackerman near his beloved [cricket] square dealing with some offender. he has been doing that since June, 1928.

Mr. Ackerman was born in Wellington, Somerset, in 1893 and joined the Regiment in 1914, serving with the 17th (The Bantams) in France, seeing action at Cambrai and the Somme. After the war he served with the 1st Battalion from 1919 to 1927 and then went to the 2nd Battalion to Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1927. In 1928 he rejoined the 1st Battalion at Gosport and later in the year came to the Depot, where he has been ever since.

One of his greatest distinctions is to have been a Private all the time - ‘never touched stripes’. He was an accomplished rugger player and played for the Battalion XV once and cricket occasionally for the Depot. Another distinction is he is never ill and rarely misses Sunday inspection of the grounds.

This year marks his thirtieth year here and a milestone in that type of regimental history that counts so much.’

Acreman finally retired from his ‘ground duties’ in 1965 and died in September 1968; sold with copied research.