Beschreibung:

The known surviving elements of a remarkable family group of 1914-18 medals: Three: Air Mechanic 1st Class G. H. Bewley, Royal Air Force, late Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps 1914-15 Star (2484 Pte., Notts. & Derby. R.); British War and Victory Medals (39351 1 A.M., R.F.C.), mounted as worn, very fine, together with related Sherwood Foresters (“Robin Hood”) badge, assorted buttons (6) and I.D. tags (3), the latter comprising one Army and two R.F.C. types Three: Petty Officer (Mechanic) J. C. L. Bewley, Armoured Car Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service 1914-15 Star (F. 463 P.O.M., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (F. 463 P.O.M., R.N.A.S.), mounted for display within an old wooden frame, extremely fine, together with related Memorial Plaque (Joseph Charles Layborn Bewley) and R.N.A.S. Armoured Car badge Three: Sergeant T. Bewley, Royal Army Medical Corps 1914-15 Star (2347 Pte., R.A.M.C.): British War and Victory Medals (2347 Sjt., R.A.M.C.), mounted as worn, good very fine, together with related silver I.D. bracelet Pair: Corporal E. G. Bewley, Royal Army Pay Corps Defence and War Medals, in addressed card forwarding box, extremely fine (lot) £800-1000 Footnote The origins of the Bewley family of Derby can be traced back to the Beaulieus of Thistlewaite in the Middle Ages, and over several centuries a number of them have served with distinction as judges, soldiers and clergymen - a photocopy of a recent family tree accompanies the Lot. Yet the branch of the family that would hit the home press in the Great War was that of Henry Bewley (1829-1909), a Cambridge graduate and the editor of the Derby Gazette, and his wife Henrietta (1854-1924), all of whose seven sons and three daughters fought for King and Country: George Henry (born 1882): Sherwood Foresters and R.F.C. Francis Richards (born 1885): Army Pay Department Joseph Charles Layborn (born 1888): R.N.A.S. (Armoured Cars) Alec William (born 1889): Sherwood Foresters Cecil Arthur (born 1891): Derbyshire Yeomanry Oscar Ralph (born 1892): Derbyshire Yeomanry Theodore Lyle (born 1893): R.A.M.C. Edith Mercy (born 1873): S.J.A.B. and V.A.D. Florence Ellen (born 1879): S.J.A.B. and V.A.D. Gertrude Mary (born 1881): S.J.A.B. and V.A.D. Original wartime photographs of each of the above are also included in the Lot, the whole mounted for display within an oval wooden frame – all of them, with the exception of Joseph, who died on active service in East Africa, returned home after the War. On learning of the family’s extraordinary example of patriotism, possibly as a result of the feature that appeared in the Daily Graphic on 2 November 1916, King George V sent a letter of commendation to Henry and Henrietta Bewley. Luckily for posterity’s sake, their parish vicar, Canon Harry Rolfe of St. Michael’s, Derby, had encouraged all of his “active service congregation” to write home to him with their news, much of which was published in the parish magazine – a parish medallion and other St. Michael’s memorabilia is included. Then in 1999, another local clergyman, Canon Michael Austin, edited these letters into a book, Almost Like a Dream, A Parish at War 1914-19 (Merton Priory Press, Cardiff), from which the following details have been largely extracted (see accompanying edition): George Henry Bewley, born in 1882, the elder son of Henry and Henrietta Bewley, George enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters in September 1914 and was posted to Flanders with the 7th Battalion in the following year. In July 1916, however, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, and served in France from February to September 1917. George was discharged in the rank of 1st Class Air Mechanic at Blandford in February 1919. Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including his Army and R.A.F. discharge certificates and a separate contemporary portrait photograph; together with two “Propeller” tip photograph frames and an R.F.C. swagger stick. Joseph Charles Layborn “Joe” Bewley