WW1 GALLIPOLI MEDAL GROUP TO PRIVATE BILLING. LONDON YEOMANRY & MILITARY POLICE

Offered is a 1914 – 15 Star, impressed named 837 PTE. H.J.S. BILLING. 3- COY OF LONDON. Y.; British War Medal impressed named 837 PTE. H.J.S. BILLING. C OF LOND. YEO.; Comes with copies M.I.C. medal rolls, 1911 census and newspaper photograph 1935.

Henry James Samuel Billing was born in September 1874 in Chelsea, London. The 1911 census records him as married, working as a street mason for the council and living in Leek, Staffordshire.

His service records did not survive the ‘Blitz’ but what is known is that he was a pre-war territorial who initially served with the 1/3rd County of London Yeomanry. The regiment moved to Egypt in April 1915 (service number 837). Pte Billing landed in Egypt on the 14/4/1915, in August he was on Gallipoli with the Regiment serving as infantrymen at Suvla Bay. On landing they were almost immediately involved in the unsuccessful attack on Scimitar Hill 21/8/1918, the last major attack launched by the British in Gallipoli.

It is possible that he was wounded but more probable as a 40 year old that he became sick and was evacuated 9/9/1915. Probably to Malta or possibly to England as the medal roll shows he returned to Egypt 30/5/1916 serving there until 11/11/1918 with the Military Police & the Military Mounted Police (service number P12846).

From a letter written home from another soldier: ‘We are getting quite used to Cairo now. There are some fine streets and buildings, but some awful places. Talk about slums, we know nothing in England about them. I have just finished a week at Bab-El-Hadid Police Barracks in Cairo. I was on duty as a policeman, and the sights I saw were terrible. We had to go into all sorts of places when on duty’.

Pte Billing survived the war and was discharged 25/7/1919, resumING serving with the 21st Rifle Brigade (Territorial) being awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal in 1924 (service number 209422). He died 23/9/1934 in Staffordshire.