Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Sergeant J. E. Williams, Coldstream Guards, Military Foot Police and Bristol City Police, who was wounded in action in October 1914 during the retreat from Mons

1914 Star, with copy clasp (4130 L.Cpl. J. E. Williams. C. Gds.); British War and Victory Medals (4130 Pte. J. E. Williams. C. Gds.); Defence Medal; Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (1329 L. Cpl. J. E. Williams. M.F.P.); Bristol City Police, Silver Medal for Good Service, with two Additional Award Bars, Twenty Two Years, Twenty Seven Years (Sgt. J. Williams.) good very fine and scarce (6) £300-£400

Provenance: Dix & Webb, June 1996.

M.S.M. London Gazette 17 June 1918:
‘In recognition of valuable services rendered with the Forces in France during the present War.’

John Edward Williams was born in Wargrave, Berkshire in 1883. He attested for Short Service with the Coldstream Guards on 11 March 1901 and was posted to the 3rd Battalion in July of the same year. He was promoted to Lance Corporal in February 1902 and on 11 March 1904, at the completion of his 3 years service with the colours, he was discharged to the reserve for a further 9 years.

He served as a Police Constable with Bristol Constabulary from 5 April 1906 until he was called upon from the reserve to rejoin his former regiment on 3 August 1914. He served in France with the 3rd Battalion from 11 September 1914, suffering a shrapnel wound to his right hand at Reutel on 29 October 1914 during the First Battle of Ypres. He returned to England on 3 November 1914 where he was posted to the 4th Battalion (Pioneers) for Home Duty. Williams had been fortunate in the context of the overall casualty statistics. In this opening period of the Great War, from the Battle of Mons to the First Battle of Ypres, the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards suffered over one thousand men killed. On 18 July 1916 he a transferred to the Military Foot Police in the rank of Lance Corporal and returned to France less than two weeks later. Williams remained in France for the remainder of the war and was awarded the M.S.M. for his service in this period. He was discharged to the Class Z reserve on 5 June 1919 and returned to duty with the Bristol Constabulary on the same day. He served a total of 28 years with the Bristol Police, retiring in 1934.