THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO CAPTAIN (LATER LIETHE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO CAPTAIN (LATER LIEUTENANT COLONEL) B.O. WARE, 1ST BATTALION LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT, WHO WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MENTIONED IN DISPATUTENANT COLONEL) B.O. WARE, 1ST

THE 1914-15 STAR TRIO AWARDED TO CAPTAIN (LATER LIEUTENANT COLONEL) B.O. WARE, 1ST BATTALION LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT, WHO WAS SUBSEQUENTLY MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES FOR PALESTINE DURING THE 1930S AND COMMANDED THE 9TH BATTALION LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT 1940-43. Three: 1914-15 Star (Lieutenant) British War and Victory Medals (Captain). Medals polished, generally Almost Very Fine.

Ware was wounded in action on the Somme, 18/8/1916, during an attack on the German positions in High Wood.

With photocopied Medal Index Card and London Gazette extracts.

Basil Ormond Ware, born 3/5/1896, was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 11/4/1915. He first saw action in France, entering that theatre of operations on 18/11/1915.

The 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment went into the front line at High Wood on 17/8/1916. The following morning two companies of the battalion attacked the enemy front line on the north-western edge of the wood at 2.45pm. The Official History of the Great War records that the right company advanced too soon and was almost annihilated by the British artillery barrage. The left company, however, reached the objective without much opposition. Confused fighting followed, after which the gains made were consolidated.

The following account of the action during which Ware was wounded is taken from the Regimental history, based on an account written by Major N.C. Phillips of the 1st Loyal North Lancs:

“In conjunction with attacks by the French and ourselves from Thiepval to the Somme, the Battalion attacked the German line from the right of the 1st Northamptonshire to the north-west corner of High Wood, and also a trench running along its western edge. At zero time – 2.45 p.m. – the right platoon, which was detailed to attack the trench and to form a strong point at the north-west corner of High Wood, left its trenches and was seen to advance into our own bombardment, which was not timed to lift until later. The remainder appear to have followed too quickly and suffered a similar fate .. … The left platoon delayed its assault until about 3.2 p.m. and, advancing close under our barrage, entered the German trench without difficulty, assisted by the Northamptonshire attack on our left. By the time the third line got in only one officer had not become a casualty he, realizing that on the right the trench was unoccupied, extended his men down the trench to within 200 yards of High Wood and commenced to consolidate the position. A further advance was made later, and our right now rests within 120 yards of the north-west corner of High Wood. At 4 p.m. two platoons of the 2nd King’s Royal Rifles were placed at my disposal to hold the old front line between Sutherland Avenue and Leith Walk and later in the day two companies of the same regiment were sent up, one of which relieved the company in support, which had been working hard all day carrying up stores to the occupied position, the other remaining in reserve near Battalion headquarters and carried up water, ammunition, rations, bombs, etc., to our forward line. During the night patrols were pushed out to the north-west corner of High Wood and also to our front without being able to establish touch with the enemy: our advance on the right was stopped by an artillery barrage set up in answer to signal lights the moment our patrols attempted to approach High Wood. The casualties this day were again very heavy, Captains M. A. Cross, D. O. Tripp, D.S.O., and thirty other ranks were killed Lieutenant E. F. Nichol, 2nd Lieutenants B. O. Ware, F. Stephenson, G. H. Harrison, J. P. Heaton, A. E. Bulling and 110 non-commissioned officers and men were wounded, while fifty were missing. These losses reduced the strength of the Battalion to no more than seven officers and 310 other ranks, and consequently on the 27th of the month “A” Company was amalgamated with “B” under the command of Captain Leake, and “C” with “D” under that of Captain Saunders.

Ware was promoted Lieutenant, 4/12/1917 and Captain, 16/8/1927, Major, 1/8/1938, Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, 4/7/1940, and Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, 4/10/1940. He retired from the Loyal Regiment on 14/8/1947 with the rank of Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel

Lieutenant-Colonel Ware also saw service in Palestine, 1936-39 (mentioned in dispatches, London Gazette, 23/7/1937, also entitled General Service Medal with Palestine clasp). The 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment saw service in Palestine, 24/2/1936 to 14/3/1937. In Palestine, Ware commanded C Company, 1st Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, initially seeing service at Haifa, and later at Nablus and Nazareth. Whilst based in Nazareth Wares C Company were involved in what might have been a particularly difficult situation. During a raid on the village of Cana, the police conducting the raid were stoned by Arab women from the roofs of their flat topped houses. As the police extricated themselves, the police officer in charge fired his pistol and killed one of the women. The Loyals Regimental History takes up the story: To prevent the dead woman being treated as a martyr, a platoon of Loyals were called upon to surround the village while the body was being buried. Captain Ware, who resented his troops being employed for such a purpose, fully expected trouble on his being approached two days later by a deputation from the village. What, then, was his astonishment on being thanked by the village elders for his help in disposing of a notorious courtesan who had been a thorn in their flesh.

Amongst the officers with whom Ware served alongside in Palestine with the 1st Loyals was the then Brevet-Major G.W.R. Templer

During WW2 Ware commanded the 9th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, which was formed at Lancaster on 4/7/1940. The initial cadre of the new battalion was drawn from the Infantry Training Centre of the Kings Own Royal Regiment, the Loyals regimental history recording that the officers of this wartime raised battalion were either, like Ware, WW1 veterans, or inexperienced youngsters. Initially, the 9th Loyals, with the 7th and 8th Loyals, formed the 15th Infantry Group. Later, having been joined by the 12th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the three Loyals battalions and the Welsh Fusiliers battalion formed the 215th Infantry Brigade.

In August 1941 the 9th Loyals were notified that they were selected for conversion into an armoured unit. By November 1941, parties of the regiment were being instructed in Churchill tanks by the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment at Tidworth, and on 22nd November 1941, the 9th Loyals became the 148th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps. The battalion received its Churchill tanks in December 1942, and on 27th June 1943 Major S.B.C. Simmons of the Royal Tank Regiment took over command of the battalion. The 9th Loyals/148th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps subsequently took part in the Normandy landings and the campaign in north-west Europe 1944-45.