War And Victory Medals to Sgt. William Hughes

Sgt. William Hughes.

William his wife Eliza and their daughter Gladys.

First World War Pair Roll of entitlement.

Marion Dewes gave this First World War pair to me and acquired it when her God Mother Gladys Hughes passed away.  Gladys was the adopted daughter of William and Eliza Hughes.  it is believed that she was the daughter of William’s sister.  His brother Robert wrote one of the postcards that are shown with this group as it has been sent to: Dear Bro. & Sis.

With the pair of medals came photographs of William his wife Eliza and their daughter Gladys.  He was a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, (raob), as his jewel from his time at the William Lewis Lodge 2328.  It is engraved on the reverse - Presented to Bro. W. Hughes by the William Lewis Lodge No 2328. Raised to 2^nd Degree April 30^th 1925.  It is extremely rare that such jewels are kept together with his war medals and I am very pleased to have them.

In addition to the medals there were several badges to which he may have been entitled, but I have no documentation to support that idea.  These could have been items previously belonging to other people that he had collected.  They are however ...

   1.  Red Cross Members badge further engraved ‘Associate’.
   2.  Monmouthshire Regiment lapel badge.
   3.  Rifle Brigade Cap Badge.
   4.  Connaught Rangers lapel badge.

He enlisted into the 22^nd Battalion Rifle Brigade No 20035 sometime prior to 1916, as he did not serve abroad before that, as he has not got the 1914-15 Star.  He served in East Africa from 03/01/16 to 18/03/16, German South West Africa 19/03/16 to 23/01/17 and then Macedonia 24/01/17 to 20/07/17.  During this time he did a slight Unit change to the 22^nd Battalion Rifle Brigade (Wessex & Welsh) and was renumbered 204477.  He then came back to Britain and became a member of the Royal Defence Corps with the number 76935 and was promoted to Sergeant.  As he was back in Britain his medals were impressed with his substantive rank of Corporal and his Regiment as the Rifle Brigade.

Along with the medals and badges were several cartoon and ornate postcards that he sent to his daughter Gladys a few of which I have included below:

xmas card flags.jpg 46.13 kb	a little bit of britains future.jpg 38.93 kb	back to the front.jpg 43.77 kb	blanket tossing.jpg 50.13 kb
boer war memorial card to john smith pte 3273 2nd bn welsh r.jpg 60.03 kb	bulgars.jpg 77.36 kb	camp barber.jpg 55.55 kb	courbet.jpg 35.93 kb
despatch rider.jpg 67.54 kb	flags of allied nations.jpg 79.47 kb	full marching order.jpg 50.11 kb	has anyone here seen kaiser bill.jpg 44.92 kb
hms indomitable.jpg 26.96 kb	in loving memory 1.jpg 54.65 kb	in loving memory 2.jpg 48.32 kb	just before the battle mother.jpg 34.92 kb
king albert visiting the french forces.jpg 72.86 kb	little t.jpg 39.39 kb	morning tub.jpg 60.72 kb	nerves.jpg 57.00 kb
never mind fifi the british will look after us.jpg 46.12 kb	put em up.jpg 42.44 kb	received marching orders.jpg 66.52 kb	regimental pet.jpg 54.83 kb
rifle brigade.jpg 46.92 kb	salonique.jpg 72.55 kb	somewhere in france.jpg 48.31 kb	st pauls and zepplins.jpg 45.93 kb
the boy scout.jpg 42.41 kb	the gallant lads at halton park.jpg 127.82 kb	warships british and french.jpg 53.29 kb	9_lights_out.jpg 56.76 kb