Lot 4010

Description

Pair to Danish born WIA: British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19. 3422 Pte H.C.E.Miller. 53 Bn. A.I.F. on both medals. Impressed. Good very fine.

Together with Rising Sun collar badge; Signaller qualification badges, one in enamelled bronze, the other bronze; Seaforth titles (for Seaforth Highlanders); riband bar; French 69th Infantry Regiment shooting competition prize medal in bronze (69mm) of company officers, reverse inscribed, 'Au Solat de 1re Clse MARCHAND/1st Baton 2eme Comptn', at the top of the medal is an erasure and crude inscription, Souvenir De/FESMY', and at the bottom similarly erased and inscribed, 'France'. This medal was taken by Henry from the body of a dead German soldier who had obviously souvenired it off a French soldier at sometime. The French soldier was 10905 Pte Hippolyte Marchand born at St Leger on 12Nov1871 and died 27Feb1915 at Chatellerault.

Henry Charles Emil 'Dusty' Miller, farmer, age 21, born at Zeeland, Copenhagen, Denmark; Enl.28Dec1916 at Wagga Wagga, NSW; Emb.24Jan1917; Court Martial for desertion in England 26Nov1917, Not Guilty but guilty of AWOL; to France and joined 53Bn in the field 13Jan1918; WIA 15Apr1918 GSW thigh; attended 5th Div Signal School from 20Sep1918; rejoined 53Bn in the field 21Oct1918; on leave to Scandinavia 26May - 25Jun1919; 02Jul1919 married Lillias Ross Saunders at the Church of St Leonards, Wandsworth, England; RTA 12Nov1919; Disch.20Dec1919.

Together with research, family photos, Court Martial proceedings, Soldier's Pay Book, Discharge Certificate.