Description
(British Army) First Day of the Somme 1 July 1916 – Victory medal.
Named to Private Alfred John Toates, service number 19771, 2nd Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment.
Died 01 July 1916 at the First Day of the Somme.
Privat Alfred John Toates is buried at theOvillers Military Cemetery. Burried at section VI.R.5.
-> https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/546297/alfred-john-toates/
The Victory medal is engraved with Piggott’s name and service number on the rim.
The medal comes with a page of research.
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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
