Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The particularly fine and scarce Great War ‘Prisoner of War’ M.S.M. group of five awarded to Company Quarter Master Sergeant J. W. Babister, 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry, taken POW during the regiment’s gallant attack on Scimitar Hill, Gallipoli, 21 August 1915

1914-15 Star (1636. Sjt. W. J. Babister. Berks. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (1636 Sjt. W. J. Babister. Berks. Yeo.); Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (1636 - 70149 Sjt. W. J. Babister. 1/Berks: Yeo:); Territorial Force Efficiency Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (1636 L. Cpl. J. W. [sic] Babister. Berks: Yeo:) mounted as originally worn, ribands frayed and first detached, generally nearly very fine and scarce (5) £600-£800

M.S.M. London Gazette 30 January 1920:

‘In recognition of devotion to duty and valuable services rendered whilst prisoners of war or interned, which services have been brought to notice in accordance of Army Order 193 of 1919.’

T.F.E.M. Army Order 8 of 1914.

T.F.E.M. Second Award Bar Army Order of 313 of August 1925.

William James Babister was a native of Reading, and served during the Great War with ‘B’ Squadron, 1/1st Berkshire Yeomanry in the Egyptian theatre of war from April 1915. The Battalion served in Gallipoli from August 1915, and Babister was one of a handful of the regiment taken prisoner of war during the Battle of Scimitar Hill, 21 August 1915 (Trooper F. Potts of the same regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry during this action). Babister is mentioned in the diary of John Wheat (held by the State Library of New South Wales, Australia), an Australian sailor and POW, for his efforts during a forced march to Ankara, Turkey:

‘January 15th [1916]. Told that we would leave for Angora [Ankara] on 17th and would have to carry all our gear, clothing, pots and essentials; also that our official rations per man per day would be 1 small loaf of coarse bread. The roads were simply awful feet deep in mud, slush and snow. We knew we were in for a hard rough time and had to do about 20 miles per day under our heavy pack and our 1 loaf of bad bread so we killed our few chickens, saved what we couldn’t eat and went to bed very depressed. We started at daybreak and by noon the next day many of the weak wounded man were in a bad way. The mud clung closer than a brother to our boots and clothing. I must say here that Petty Officer Sims of E 7 and Sergeant Babister of Berkshire Yeomanry gave valuable assistance to the individuals in helping them along and generally cheering them up, both on this trip and the previous one. The public fountain water was frozen hard, and we had to eat snow. There was no timber and no fires. When we finished the 20 miles and arrived at our destination it was quite dark with a howling bitterly cold wind and we were very hungry, cold and set to the skin. Some of us found a shelter from the boisterous weather in cow sheds and stables which would have made the most casual European Sanitary inspector vomit... However we scraped away as much of the manure and slimy mud as we could and soon slept from utter weariness in spite of all. There wasn’t sufficient room for all of us in this first stopping place. I was amongst a number who were ordered to march another two miles further on to a small village - Tunai. The miseries of that awful night will never be forgotten. Forty of us started off, dead tired, wet and nearly frozen. We were too ill to hurry to try and get warm. Moreover it was pitch dark and we were constantly falling into pools of water and mud. We were forced to "go slow". When we reached the village some were allowed to sleep in a shed. A few myself included, were taken to a small Turkish Mosque and in spite of the grain which covered the floor we immediately fell in to a sleep of exhaustion, too weary to take off our wet clothes and just able to appreciate the fact that the rain and wind had ceased to sting our faces for we had a covering to rest under.’

After the war Babister served as Company Quarter Master Sergeant with the 9th Battalion, London Regiment.

1 of 2 M.S.M.’s awarded to the Berkshire Yeomanry for the Great War.