THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO CAPTAIN E.R. WILSON, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS,

THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO CAPTAIN E.R. WILSON, 1ST BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS, WHO WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME, 1ST JULY 1916, WHILST LEADING HIS COMPANY ACROSS NO-MAN’S LAND IN AN ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE BRIGADE IN WHICH HE WAS SERVING, WHO HAD BECOME CUT OFF AFTER CAPTURING THEIR OBJECTIVE, THE QUADRILATERAL. Three: 1914-15 Star(Lieutenant, Royal Irish Fusiliers) British War and Victory Medals (Captain). Mounted Loose style, as worn.Good Very Fine and accompanied by a matching set of dress miniatures, also mounted loose style, as worn.Captain Wilson was wounded in action on 1/7/1916, first day, battle of the Somme.With photocopied Medal Index Card details and photocopy of card transit tag that was attached to Captain Wilson while he was being evacuated from France, this dated 3/7/1916, the latter noting that Wilson was being evacuated from the No. 7 General Stationary Hospital at Bolougne to Dover, aboard the Jan Braydet. Label also notes Wilson was suffering from gunshot wounds to the back and thigh. The original of this label is in the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum, Armagh, Northern Ireland.Edward Rowland Wilson was a pre-war regular officer. First commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 20/4/1910, he was promoted Lieutenant, 3/8/1912 and Captain, 28/11/1915.On 1/7/1916 the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers formed part of 10th Brigade, 4th Division. The principal objective of the 4th Division on that day was to assist the 31st Division attacking on their left by capturing a strongpoint in the German front line known as the Quadrilateral Redoubt. The 4th Division launched its attack from positions directly south of the Serre Road, with the objective of capturing the Quadrilateral and then advancing into the German second and third line trenches. The first two objectives were to be taken by the 4th Division’s 11th Brigade, after which the 10th Brigade was to leapfrog the 11th Brigade and capture the third line trenches on the Grandcourt-Serre Ridge. When the first wave of the 4th Division’s assault began their attack at 7:30am, the leading battalions met with some success. The 1/8th Royal Warwickshires managed to capture and pass through the Quadrilateral and advanced some 1,500 yards into the German positions. On their right the 1st Rifle Brigade also reached the Quadrilateral. The assault by the second wave of the 11th Brigade began 10 minutes after the first, at 7.40am. The units taking part in this phase of the attack soon found themselves in great difficulty. By now the German artillery were bombarding no-mans land, with the result that the 1/6th Royal Warwickshires struggled to get any further than 400 yards beyond the Quadrilateral, where they joined elements of of the 1st Shropshire Light Infantry, who had also managed to advance beyond the Quadrilateral and join up with men from the 1/8th Royal Warwickshires from the first assault wave. The Quadrilateral, to their rear, was held for most of the rest of the day by men from the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders (10the Brigade, 4th Division) and the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers (12th Brigade, 4th Division), who had formed part of the 3rd wave of the 4th Division’s attack. These men of the Seaforth Highlanders and Lancashire Fusiliers, although they held the Quadrilateral, were now detached from the other units of the three waves of the 4th Division’s attack, and had to all intents and purposes been cut off, unable to advance or retreat. At 1.25pm the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers were ordered to send one company across no-mans land, which by now was the focus of intense German artillery, machine-gun and rifle fire, to reinforce the men cut off in the Quadrilateral. Captain Wilson was ordered to lead his “C” Company forward. But the fire from the opposing German units was so intense that, despite Wilson’s best efforts, the attempt to reinforce the men in the Quadrilateral failed. As the regimental history notes, “Captain Wilson endeavoured to advance over the open and was met with such heavy rifle and machine gun fire that the advance failed, Captain Wilson being himself wounded while leading the advance. The Quadrilateral proved impossible to defend and hold and was eventually evacuated the following day, 2nd July, the men falling back to their original start line in the British front line trenches.The fighting around the Quadrilateral was a Victoria Cross action, Drummer Walter Potter Ritchie of the Seaforth Highlanders being decorated for most conspicuous bravery and resource, when on his own initiative he stood on the edge of an enemy trench, and under heavy machine-gun fire and bomb attacks repeatedly sounded the charge, thereby rallying many men of various units who, having lost their leaders, were wavering and beginning to retire.Captain Wilson did not see active service again after being wounded on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. The November 1918 Monthly Army List records him as being employed at the War Office.