A pretty common trio to a English soldier on the Western Front. The group is named variously to PTE. or L/CPL J.BURCHELL 3553 R.LANC.R. John Burchell entered France on the 6th of October 1915 and is therefore entitled to the 1914-15 Star. He doesn’t show up on the CWGC website so it appears he made it through alive.
Interesting partial group here. These two medals are part of a group belonging to Arthur H. Birchall, 2596. He was enlisted in 1915 as a Lance Corporal in the Durham Light Infantry and ended the war as a Lieutenant Colonel in the same regiment. His BWM and MC are lost to time. Something that is also interesting here is that another partial group of his, sans MC, recently went through the DNW auction house before being snapped up and relisted on EBay at an exorbitant markup.
Here’s a great group coming from my never-ending search for medals impressed to my surname. In this case its a WW1 Military Medal group combined with a WW2 service medal group, named to J.E.Birchall 91004, The Kings (Liverpool) Regt.
It came with a little certificate from his commanding General commending his “…skilful use of his Lewis Gun section during operations against Evillers and Mory Copse on the 23rd and 24th of August 1918”.
The village of Evillers was completely destroyed during this offensive. John Eric Birchall later served in WW2, as evidenced by his Defence Medal and War Medal. This service was as a Lieutenant in the Home Guard. Given his age, it was probably his MM that got him that rank.
This small group is impressed to 8518 SPR W.T. BIRCHALL RE. William Birchall served as a sapper in the Royal Engineers. This means he spent a lot of time on trench improvements and likely served close to or at the front. He doesn’t appear on the CWGC website so he survived. The group came with the owners miniatures which is a nice touch since I often find these things as lonely orphans.
A modest medal, unfortunately an orphan. This medal is impressed to 8846 PVT A. BURCHELL R.W.FUS. Albert Burchell served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and later in The Welsh Regiment. I haven’t been able to find any more information about this man. No attestation papers. But since he doesn’t appear on the CWGC site, it appears he survived the Great War.
Update: From a friend on another site a little more about Albert
Albert Burchell
Rank: Private
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal
Regiment or Corps: Welsh Regiment Regimental Number: 267026 Sub Unit: 1/6th Battalion
Previous Units: 8846. R.W. Fus. Pte. Infantry Base Depot., Att. 6th Welch R., 15632. 6th Welch R., 267026. 6th Welch R., Welch R. Infantry Base Depot., 8th Welch R., Att. 37th Div Cyclists, 8th Welch R.
Here’s another very ordinary Birchall. In this case it’s Albert Birchall, Private, 38249. He served originally in the East Lancashire Regiment and later in the North Lancashire Regiment. His medal card shows an entry for the Silver Wound Badge.
Here’s a lonely single to Private Jonathan J. Birchall of the South Lancashire Regiment (No 39159). John Joseph Birchall was born in Salford in 1885 and appears in the 1911 census as single, living with his Mum Elizabeth and working as a general labourer. The census has their address as 16 Anderson St, Salford. This house and street no longer exist as they were flattened during the Blitz in WW2 and never rebuilt.
This is a late Great War pair to 202339, Frederick C. Birchall of 6th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. Frederick was killed on the 30th of March 1918, during Germany’s last throw Spring Offensive. He is buried at Doullens Communal Cemetery, Extension #1.
William Birchall, the son of William and Jessie Birchall and the husband of Alice was from Bradley Green, Whitchurch, Salop. he enlisted in Chester. He was a private, 34582, in C Company, 13th Bn, The Gloucesters when he died of wounds (gun shot wound to the abdomen) on the 31st of March, 1918, aged 32. The cemetery he is buried in, Namps-Au-Val was used by the 41st, 50th and 55th Casualty Clearing Stations when they operated here during the German Picardy Offensive of March 1918.
The Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (War Cross 1914–1918) is a French military decoration. It was created to recognize French and allied soldiers who were cited for their service during World War I, similar to the British Mentioned in Despatches. The bronze palm on this one indicates the recipient was mentioned at Army level.
This is the “Croix du Feu 1914–1918″. It was awarded to all Belgian soldiers of the First World War who actually served under fire in the frontline trenches. It is also one of my favourite medals simply because of it’s beautiful design elements.
This single British War Medal belongs to Thomas Birchall. It is impressed to 11114 T.Birchall N. Staffs. Ex-Private Birchall seemed to be in the habit of losing his medals since his Victory Medal was reported lost in 1922. The police subsequently found and handed in his lost medal which was returned to him.
This British War Medal belonged to John H. Birchall. It is impressed to DM2-208049 Pte J.H.Birchall A.S.C. John Henry Birchall was a sanitary worker in civilian life and enlisted on the 5th of June 1915. He served in the Motor Corps.
This single is a 1914-1915 Star belonging to William Birchall. It is impressed to 20177 Pte. W. Birchall Essex R. William deployed to the Balkans on the 19th of September 1915. He was discharged on the 30th of March 1917 under category 16, “No longer fit for war service”, in this case because of wounds. William was also entitled to the Silver Wound Badge 152379.
Update: I found his Victory Medal in the UK, 4 years later!
This is an orphan medal for 2nd Lieutenant George Birchall. This medal single is impressed for 21176 2 Lieut. G Birchall H.Light.Inf. He enlisted as a Private soldier in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was transferred to the Highland Light Infantry as a Corporal and then promoted from the ranks to Temporary 2nd Lieutenant and then confirmed as 2nd Lieutenant.
He was removed from the suspense list and then placed on the retired list on the 20th of October 1921. In the meantime he had reenlisted in the Royal Scottish Rifles as a Private on the 1st of December 1919. His new Regt. Number was 3122424. Why would someone reenlist in the army having survived WW1?
This group is for Sapper Thomas Birchall of the Royal Engineers. The medals are impressed to 125581 Spr T.Birchall R.E. Thomas was from Wigan and was a shoe and boot repairer before the war.
This Group is for Joseph Birchall. He served in the Lancashire Fusiliers and enlisted on the 11th of November, 1915. The medal is named to 202627 Pte J.Birchall Lan.Fus. John enlisted on the 11th of December 1915. He was discharged in 1919 due to injury.
This group is named for Leonard Birchall. It is stamped 94017 Gnr L.Birchall R.A. He was a clerk from Middlesex according to his attestation papers.
Awarded to anyone who sailed through one of the “war zones” in World War One, this medal is named to Frederick J. Birchall. Frederick James Birchall came from Liverpool.
This is the WW1 group for Benjamin Lawrence Birchall, who died of wounds at the 37th Casualty Clearing Station at Avesnes-le-Comte on the 11th of May, 1917. He was a Gunner for the Royal Field Artillery and was in the 17th Division Ammunition Column at the time of his wounding. Each medal is stamped 76646 L.Birchall RA.
He was the son of Benjamin R. Birchall and Elizabeth A. Birchall of Drummany, Sterlogan Park, Blackrock, Dublin. His death penny is named Lawrence Birchall.
The final photo is of the Avesnes-le-Comte Communal Extension Cematary where he is buried.
Published in the Reporter 6th October 1917.
BARDSLEY SOLDIER. Sgt-Major W. Birchall Dies from Wounds. It was with much regret that the people in Bardsley learned this week that 350051 Sergeant-Major WILLIAM BIRCHALL, Manchester Regiment, T.F. C Coy 1/9th battalion, had passed away as the result of wounds received whilst serving with the forces in France. News that he had been wounded in the right leg came through to his wife and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Birchall, of Bardsley, last week, and on Wednesday morning of this week a letter came from the Rev. G.M.Wheeler, Church of England chaplain, stating that he never recovered from his collapse, and passed peacefully away to his rest and reward.
By all who knew him in Bardsley, Sergeant-Major BIRCHALL was respected and beloved for his kindliness and ever present desire to do a good turn to anyone in need of it. He joined the Volunteers 17 years ago. He visited New Zealand after his sister’s death, which took place at her uncle’s in Dunedin, and whilst he was away he joined the Dunedin City Guards. He was away rather over 12 months, and on his return he entered the Territorials. He was colour-sergeant when they were called up for service in August 1914, and went to Egypt and the Dardanelles [He landed at Gallipoli 9th May 1915].
During that campaign he was slightly wounded in the chest. Later he came to France. He was there wounded in the neck by a piece of shell, and on recovery rejoined his regiment, and removed with them to Belgium, where he was wounded on the 16th September, sustaining a compound fracture of the right leg. He died on the 25th September, and was buried in the military cemetery near the clearing station by the Church of England chaplain, Re. G.M. Wheeler.
He was 36 years old. The family are associated with Bardsley Church and School, and are much asteemed in the village. He leaves a wife, Mrs Edith Birchall, of 27, Ann St, Roslyn, Dunedin, New Zealand, and two children, a boy and a girl. (William Birchall is buried in the Mendinghem Military Cemetery pictured below).
William’s gravestone
The 1914-15 Star was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.
The 1914-15 Star was approved in 1918, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 (other than those who had already qualified for the 1914 Star).
Recipients of this medal also received the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Some 2,366,000 were issued, including: 283,500 to the Royal Navy & 71,150 to Canadians.
I have a few of these in groups but also one orphan, 9078 Spr. L.Edmunds R.E.
Kiwi Medals 