Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Private A. W. Maddison, Lincolnshire Regiment, who was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, on which date his Battalion suffered over 450 casualties

British War and Victory Medals (16723 Pte. A. W. Maddison. Linc. R.); Memorial Plaque (Arthur William Maddison) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure, BWM cleaned, very fine and better (3) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Great War Casualties.

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Provenance: Acquired by the vendor directly from the recipient’s family.

Arthur William Maddison was born in Revesby, Lincolnshire, and attested for the Lincolnshire Regiment at Lincoln. He served with the 2nd Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 1916, and was killed in action on the 1st day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. On this date the 2nd Battalion was detailed to attack Ovillers: in position at 3:30 a.m. the wire along the whole of the front was reported cut, and the leading waves moved into No Man’s Land at 7:25 a.m., with the German front line reached under heavy fire. 200 yards had been taken by 7:50 a.m. after fierce fighting, with the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Bastard, recording that after three hours’ fighting only he and one other officer were left, “and we had bullet holes in our clothing”. Counter attacks forced the withdrawal later that morning, the battalion having suffered total casualties of 471.

Maddison was amongst those killed; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

Sold with copied research.