Description
(British Army) First Day of the Somme 1 July 1916 – Brittish War Medal.
Named to Private Harold Parkinson Bannister, service number 9823, 18th Bn., Manchester Regiment.
Died 01 July 1916 at the First Day of the Somme.
Private Harold Parkinson Bannister is buried there at section Pier and Face 13 A and 14 C. -> https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/769323/harold-parkinson-bannister/
The Brittish War Medal has Private Bannister’s name and service number engraved on the rim.
The medal is in good condition and comes with several pages of research.
- – –
Background:
The First Day of the Battle of the Somme was to be the first mass offensive mounted by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the first battle to involve a large number of New Army divisions, many composed of Pals battalions that had formed after Kitchener’s call for volunteers in August 1914. In total this day 57,470 casualties suffered by the British, including 19,240 killed, which were the worst in the history of the British Army.
More background:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_day_on_the_Somme
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme
