Description
(British Army) First Day of the Somme 1 July 1916 – 1914-15 Star
Named to John Joseph Caul
John Joseph Caul was wounded on 1 july 1916 during the First day of the Somme Battle at Beaumont Hamel. On Jul6 6 he was invalided sent to England. His medical report states he had a gunshotwound to the right shoulder which resulted in a compound fracture of the scapula. He was 27 years old at this time. He stayed 122 days in 3rd London General Hospital and then returned to France again.
The 1914-15 Star is on the reverse engraved with L. Cpl. J. J. Caul R. NEWF. D. R. And number 374.
The medal comes with several pages of research, among which copies of Caul’s medical reports.
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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
