THE BOER WAR AND WW1 CAMPAIGN GROUP TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.W. ALSTON, WHO COMMANDED THE 2

THE BOER WAR AND WW1 CAMPAIGN GROUP TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL J.W. ALSTON, WHO COMMANDED THE 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH RIFLES IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS FROM 25/11/1914 AND WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHILST COMMANDING THE 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH RIFLES IN THE FRONT LINE NEAR KEMMEL, IN THE YPRES SALIENT, ON 15/4/1915. Five: Queen’s South Africa Medal, type 3, wreath points to “F” in Africa, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (officially engraved: Lt. J.W. Alston 2nd. R. I. Rifls) King’s South Africa Medal, 2 clasps, SA01, SA02 (officially engraved: Lt. J.W. Alston 2nd. R.I.Rifls) 1914 Star and bar (officially impressed: MAJOR. J.W. ALSTON. IR: RIF.) British War and Victory Medals (officially impressed: LT. COL. J.W. ALSTON). Original sew-on clasp on Star, official correction to letter “n” in surname on KSA, silver medals attractively toned, Boer War awards Extremely Fine, WW1 awards mint state.

Group accompanied by recipient’s original pair of Boer War miniature medals, mounted loose style, as worn, and ribbon bar for Boer War pair, along with boxes of issue for BWM and Victory Medal, along with an original forwarding letter for the WW1 trio “which would have been conferred upon Lieutenant-Colonel J.W. Alston had he lived, in memory of his services with the British Forces during the Great War”, and the original registered envelope use to forward his WW1 medals, this addressed to his widow, Mrs J.W. Alston, Blackwood, Ashstead, Epsom, Surrey.

Group also accompanied by biographical and service details, copied WW1 Medal Index cards, and extract from the regimental history. 25/11/1914

James William, born 30/2/1874 in Tooting, Surrey, was the son of Robert Douglas and Margaret Elizabeth (nee Hamilton) Alston. After passing out from Sandhurst, Alston was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Irish Rifles, 10/10/1894, Alston saw service exclusively with the Royal Irish Rifles, being promoted Lieutenant, 3/2/1897, Captain, 17/10/1902, Major, 28/10/1912 and Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, 25/11/1914. Alston first saw active service during the Boer War, taking part in the operations in the Orange Free State, March – May 1900, and the Orange River Colony, May – November 1900 (awarded Queen’s medal with 2 clasps and King’s medal with 2 clasps). During WW1 Alston first saw active service in France and Flanders, embarking for that theatre of operations on 5/11/1914. Lieutenant-Colonel Alston was killed in action on the afternoon of 15/4/1915, when he was hit by a lucky shot from a German sniper, while trying to observe the enemy’s position with a trench periscope. The German sniper marked his target using the reflection of the son in the glass of the periscope. His shot struck a sandbag on the parapet, ricocheted and struck Alston in the head above the left ear. He never recovered consciousness or spoke and died at 5.15pm that same afternoon.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alston’s death was to prove to be a salutary lesson for the Chaplain of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, Major Father Henry Vincent Gill, DSO, MC, who afterwards avoided the proximity of anyone using a trench periscope. That aversion probably saved his life, the Regimental History recording that later in the war he came upon a group of officers moving along the front line trenches with periscopes. He immediately moved away from them, but within ten minutes the group had been shelled (probably as a result of revealing their position by using the periscopes) and four officers and men were killed.

Lieutenant-Colonel Alston is buried in Dickenbusch New Military Cemetery, Belgium. For his services during WW1 he was awarded a 1914 Star and bar trio and mentioned in dispatches, London Gazette, 22/6/1915.