*WOUNDED* WW1 BRITISH ARMY 1914 MEDAL TRIO CORPORAL F. BALE 2ND DEVONSHIRE 1918

Corporal Bale was an “Old Contemptable” pre-war regular who saw action at Aubers Ridge 1915. 1^st Day of the Somme, Ypres & wounded in action during German Michael offensive. He served in the British Army from 1908 -1919.

1914 Star impressed named 8798 PTE F.BALE. 2/DEVON.R. British War and Victory Medals impressed named 8798 CPL. F.BALE. DEVON.R. Comes with copy service papers, Medal Index Card, Medal rolls, 1911 Census & copy newspaper article. The medals are court mounted with a copy August November clasp.

Frederick Bale was born in 1889 at Northam, Bideford, Devon. He was serving with the 3^rd Battalion of the Devon Regiment (Special Reserve) Regimental 5119 when he transferred to the Regular army on the 6/10/1908. He was 5’3” tall (minimum height to enlist 5’3”) and was given the new Regimental 8798.

He was posted to the 2^nd Battalion on the 17/11/08. 1^st Battalion 23/1/09-11/9/09 then 2^nd Battalion for service at Malta 11/9/09 – 17/1/1912. Egypt 18/1/12 – 29/5/12. Cyprus 30/5/12 – 1/10/12. Egypt 2/10/12 – 24/9/14. Home 25/9/14 -3/11/14. Landed France 4/11/1914 -8/12/1914. Sick list & Home 9/12/1914 – 22/2/1915 & Posted Depot 9/12/14. 3^rd Battalion 30/12/14. Posted 2^nd Battalion 23/2/1915. France 23/2/1915 – 9/4/1918. Wounded in action March 1918 gunshot wound right arm. Home 10/4/18 – 28/3/1919. Depot 10/4/1918. 3^rd Battalion 2/8/1918 to reserve 28/3/1919.

Cyprus: the British had administered Cyprus since 1878. The Mediterranean Command was responsible for providing a company from the forces in Egypt.

August 1914 found the 2nd Devons in Egypt, where their first task was to protect the Suez Canal.  Arriving at Southampton in October, they absorbed drafts of reservists before landing in France on 6th November. By mid-November they were at Messines (close to the 1st Devons) where, in two tours in the trenches near Neuve Chapelle, they suffered 20 casualties and lost another 70 men to sickness (mostly frostbite)

An attack on Aubers Ridge in May 1915 cost another 250 casualties.  Remaining in this sector until April 1916, they moved to the Somme to prepare for the offensive.  On 1st July, the 2nd Devons attacked between Ovillers and La Boiselle, losing 232 killed and 199 wounded, many of whom fell to German machine guns in what they called Mash Valley.  On 18th and 29th July at Cuinchy they repulsed two German attacks before being withdrawn to rebuild their shattered Battalion.

Returning to the Somme, on 8th/9th November they captured and consolidated a ridge near Le Transloy before being rested at Vergies. In early 1917 they followed up the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line.  In March they lost 25 casualties attacking Heudecourt and on 13th April another 45 attacking Villers Guislains.

In June 1917 they moved north to Ypres and prepared for an offensive due to start on 31st July.  At 0350 on the 31st the 2nd Devons attacked from Railway Wood.  That morning their Colonel was killed and 12 of their 20 officers and 230 of their men were killed or wounded.  On 1st August they repulsed a determined German counter-attack.  On the 16th they renewed the attack, suffering another 93 casualties.  After rest and reinforcement, the 2nd Devons returned to Ypres at the end of November and took part in a successful attack before repulsing a German counter-attack.  This action cost 34 lives, including those of their new Colonel and Second-in-Command.

The German offensive on 21st March 1918 found the 2nd Devons in reserve.  Rushed to Peronne, on the 24th and 25th they held off several German attacks, suffering 322 casualties before conducting a fighting withdrawal covered by their field gunners. On 27th May at Bois de Buttes their Brigade was overwhelmed by a huge German attack and, to buy time for the rest of the Corps, the 2nd Devons stood and fought.  This action cost the 551 killed and missing.  Among those killed was their Colonel.  To recognise their courage the French awarded the Regiment the Croix de Guerre, whose ribbon all Devons wore on their sleeve.

In late October 1918 the rebuilt Battalion’s last battles were near the River Scheldt.  They were at Mons when the Armistice ended the war that had cost them nearly 1400 lives and earned them 11 battle honours.

3^rd Battalion. A training unit used as the garrison for the defences of Plymouth, it remained in UK throughout the war.