Tragic POW's WW1 Military Cross reverse engraved 2nd Lieut A...

Hammer

£1,550

Tragic POW's WW1 Military Cross reverse engraved 2nd Lieut A. Williams Villers Bretonneux 24th April 1918, 1914-15 Star to 6780 C.S.Mjr A. Williams North'n R., BWM and Victory Medal to Capt A. Williams nearly extremely fine or better, swing mounted as worn in case by Clark Ash & Co, London (the Victory Medal ribbon does have holes where the oakleaf has been, but this now missing), with MC case of issue. With swing mounted miniature set with MC and 1914 Star trio with MID oakleaf in Spink case of issue.
Alfred mark Williams's MC was announced in the London Gazette dated 16th September 1918. With original War Office typed citation: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the Battalion was held up by a belt of barbed wire he led his platoon through a gap under heavy machine gun fire. On the adjutant becoming a casualty he rendered valuable assistance in re-organising and pushing home the attack. (Villers Bretonneux 24th/26th April 1918).
He was also Mentioned in Haig's Despatches dated 13th November 1916 serving as CSM with 5th Bn.
With 11 copied pages of 2nd Bn Northants Regt War Diary where Williams is mentioned in charge of the Demonstration Platoon during the operations 23rd to 27th April, where the Bn attacked in conjunction with the Australians and the BN suffered 15 KIA, 19 missing and 251 wounded.
With outstanding range of original supporting documentation, photos and letters, including MID certificate, 4th Army Orders listing his MC (8/6/18), 12th Division GOC's distinguished conduct in Filed card dated 5/10/15 serving with 5th Bn, WO2 Warrant Scroll 26/10/15, 2nd Lieut Commissioning Warrant dated 13/9/17, 3 photos in uniform, map of action on 24/4/18, German POW payment card, Emergency Certificate of British Nationality with photo issued by Copenhagen British Consulate 26/12/18 after release from being POW, War Office letters including details of service, Letter of Administration for his estate 1936, PT Certificate 23/9/12 etc etc.
He enlisted in the Northants Regt 3/12/02, landed France 31/5/15, commissioned 20/8/17, appointed A/Capt 27/11/17, relinquished A/capt 2/1/18, appointed A/Capt 10/5/18, retired 7/7/23.
A month after the actions which earned him an MC, the War Diary for 27th May 1918 records the Bn was completely surrounded in a German attack and the Adjutant and RSM were the only ones to escape, Capt Williams is listed among the missing and with copied POW card confirming his date of capture as 27/5/18.
With extremely poignant and sad 3 page letter to his wife written on the day he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest with a service revolver. A passage in the letter says "To think that 4 years of war, to come through without a scratch and to find my ending should be this." With a newspaper article that his suicide followed a summons from Malden Council for £10. He had tried to borrow the money without success, which drove him to his fatal end. (See photo) (½B)