Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Family Group:

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of four awarded to Private C. W. Rice, Rifle Brigade, who was killed in action at the Redan Ridge on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916
Military Medal, G.V.R. (4301 Pte. C. W. Rice. 1/Rif: Bde:); 1914 Star (4301 Pte. C. Rice. 1/Rif: Brig:); British War and Victory Medals (4301 Pte. C. W. Rice. Rif. Brig.); together with a Rifle Brigade cap badge, nearly extremely fine

Pair: Guardsman A. J. Rice, Grenadier Guards, later Police
Defence Medal; Police L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. (Const. Alfred J. Rice.) mounted as worn; together with the recipient’s riband bar; a Royal Life Saving Society Swimming Proficiency Medal, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘A. J. Rice. Oct. 1929’; and an Aldershot Command Athletic Association Prize Medal, bronze, the reverse engraved ‘No. 3 Group Cross Country, 1926 Winners 2nd. Bn. Grenadier Guards Gdsn. A. Rice.’, in Phillips, Aldershot, fitted case of issue, extremely fine (6) £600-£800

M.M. London Gazette 19 February 1917.

Charles William Rice attested for the Rifle Brigade and served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 23 August 1914. He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916; on this date the Battalion, as part of the 11th Brigade, 4th Division, was involved in the attack on the Redan Ridge north of Beaumont-Hamel. Held up by enemy fire soon after leaving the trenches, they entered the German line by 10:00 a.m., but were driven back after a counter attack, and suffered total casualties of 474, including almost 200 killed. Overall the Division suffered over 4,600 all ranks killed and failed to secure any of its objectives. He is buried in the A.I.F. Burial Ground, Gras Lane, Flers, Somme, France.

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