The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals

Four: Private S. Homer, 4th Battalion, King’s (Liverpool Regiment), late King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), who was killed in action at St. Jean, near Ypres on 27 April 1915 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901 (7306 Pte. A. Homer, Rl: Lanc: Regt.); 1914-15 Star (26457 Pte. S. Homer. L’pool R.) with flattened named card box of issue; British War and Victory Medals (26457 Pte. S. Homer. L’pool R.) with flattened named card box of issue; Memorial Plaque (Samuel Homer) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure and torn outer envelope addressed to ‘Mrs. L. G. Homer, 1065 Tenth St., Trafford Park, Manchester.’; Memorial Scroll, ‘Pte. Samuel Homer, Liverpool Regt.’, significantly torn down left side, in OHMS transmission tube, similarly addressed, medals and plaque nearly extremely fine or better (6) £300-£400 --- Samuel Joseph Homer was born in 1882 in Cheetwood, Manchester, Lancashire and attested for the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) in June 1900. He served with the 4th Battalion (Militia) in South Africa from September 1900 until July 1901 and was awarded the Q.S.A. with 3 clasps. Following the outbreak of the Great War Homer re-enlisted in the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) on 26 August 1914 (service number 3832). Posted to the 3rd Battalion, he was then discharged due to chronic pleurisy on 26 December 1914. Having subsequently successfully attested for the King’s (Liverpool Regiment), he disembarked for service on the Western Front with the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion on 7 April 1915. Less than 3 weeks later, on 27 April, he took part in an attack by his battalion from trenches north-east of St. Jean, outside Ypres. The War Diary records: ‘At 12 noon the Battalion formed up for the attack and assaulted the German positions, in support of 1/4th Gurkha Rifles.’ The History of the of the King’s Regiment by Everard Wyall states, ‘The King’s, splendidly led by their officers, advanced in short rushes, with the enemy pumping lead into them and men falling in heaps.’ In the fighting, the battalion lost 1 officer killed and 8 officers wounded whilst 375 other ranks were either killed, wounded or missing. Following the action, Homer was among the missing. He was presumed to have been killed on or since 27 April 1915 and his date of death for official purposes is given as 27 April 1915. He was the husband of Lily Homer and, having no known grave, is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium. Sold together with a photograph of the recipient in uniform in a glazed metal frame (glass cracked) 107mm x 178mm, with the badge of the The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) affixed to the lower part of the frame; another copy of the same portrait photograph, cut down, 65mm x 102mm; 2 smaller versions of the same portrait photograph, 1 cut down and contained within a circular glazed metal pendant frame (glass cracked), 31mm diameter; the recipient’s Liverpool Regiment cap badge; transmittal letters for Great War medals; War Office Army Form W.5132, informing the recipient’s widow that her late husband’s medals are available for issue; Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Badges awarded to the recipient’s daughter, Mildred Homer, metal and enamel (2), the first inscribed to the reverse, ‘M. L. Homer, 21.2.54’ and the second inscribed to the reverse ‘M. Homer. 29-6-57’; and 4 certificates named to the recipients daughter, Mildred L. Homer, for accomplishments in shorthand typing, ballroom dancing, typewriting, German and Air Raid Precautions.