Full medal write up
1914/15 STAR ‘1543 PTE W ELAM 2/BN.A.I.F.’, BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS ‘1543 L-CPL. W ELAM 2-BN.A.I.F.’, WITH BOXES OF ISSUE, BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS ‘25678 PTE. H. ELAM.YORK. R.’ WITH BOXES OF ISSUE.
1543 LANCE CORPORAL WILFRED ELAM, 2ND BATTALION AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCES.
Wilfred Elam, aged 21, a farmer from Leeds, enlisted into the 2nd Australian Infantry Battalion at Liverpool, New South Wales, on 29 December 1914 and joined his battalion in Gallipoli on 1 May 1915. After 3 months service on the peninsular, Elam was sent to hospital with influenza on 4 August 1915, rejoining at Gallipoli on 4 November that year and was present until evacuated the following month; elements of the battalion being the last to be evacuated. Serving in Egypt from 28 December 1915, he landed in France with the 2nd on 28 March 1916 and proceeded to the Western Front, taking part in their first major battle at Pozieres July – September 1916.
Appointed Lance Corporal on 15 August 1916, Elam was killed in action on 9 April 1917 during the attack on Hermies and is buried Hermies Hill British Cemetery. The attack on Hermies, which was fought on 9 April, was the 2nd Battalion’s first major engagement of 1917 and would come at a heavy cost to the 2nd of 181 all ranks killed and wounded. It would also be where Private Bede Kenny would be awarded the battalions only Victoria Cross of the Great War.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_Battalion_(Australia)
Horace Elam, from Leeds, was the brother of Wilfred and served as a private in the 13th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, a Bantam battalion formed in July 1915. It is not clear when he enlisted, however the battalion did not land in France until June 1916, which matches Elam’s Medal Index Card which shows entitlement to the British War and Victory Medals only.
Horace was killed in action on 13 April 1918 during the initial stages of the battle of Lys. On this day, the 13th Battalion was operating between Lens and Armentières. This sector was heavily attacked by the German Sixth Army, attempting to cut off British forces in the Lys valley.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Lys_(1918)
Initially reported missing in Action on 9 April 1918, a year later to the day his brother Wilfred was killed, enquiries later in 1918 confirmed he was killed in action on 13 April 1918. He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
Group consists of:
1) Both Brothers sets of medals with named boxes of issue, Wilfred’s with Commonwealth of Australia enclosure, Horace’s with Records Office enclosure. Boxes mostly flattened but complete.
2) Cabinet card portrait photos of both brothers in uniform; 2nd AIF, and 13th Green Howards
3) AIF and Yorkshire Regiment cap badges
Condition GVF. Sold with copy AIF service papers.
A poignant group of medals to two brothers killed in action pretty much a year.