Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Corporal A. F. Soanes, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

British War and Victory Medals (11070 Pte. A. E. Soanes. R.W. Fus.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24 (4178990 Pte. A. E. Soanes, R.W. Fus.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue, Regular Army (4178990 Cpl. A. F. [sic] Soanes. R.W. Fus.) contact marks throughout, the obverse of the VM heavily polished and worn, therefore about fair, the rest nearly very fine (4) £160-£200

Alfred E. Soanes attested for the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front. The 1914 Star Roll shows that his rank was Bandsman, and that he disembarked on 6 October 1914. However, his name was since deleted from the roll, and his Medal Index Card notes that, although he was originally issued with a 1914 Star, ‘Ineligible, embarked 23.12.16. Star returned and scrapped.’ It is recorded in The Road to Armageddon that he was missing on 30 October 1914 and later re-joined the unit. It is possible there was doubt as to why he was missing and later re-joined making him ineligible for the Star. He was awarded Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in October 1932.