WW1 medal pair – British War Medal & Victory Medal – awarded to Private ROBERT POLLARD of the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)

Stock Reference – MM-MED-0072

WW1 medal pair – British War Medal & Victory Medal – awarded to Private ROBERT POLLARD of the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)

You are looking at WW1 pair of medals, British War Medal and Victory Medal, awarded to Private ROBERT POLLARD of the 6^th (Service) Battalion the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment).

The medals are inscribed ‘33683 PTE. R.POLLARD. R.LANC.R.’

ROBERT POLLARD originally enlisted into the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) at Barrow on the 10^th of December 1915, under the Derby Scheme it appears, and he may have initially returned to his day job until being called up to train for war service with the 73^rd Training Reserve Battalion, and he remained on home service until deploying to India, arriving there in May 1917. In November that year, he was transferred to the 6^th Battalion of the regiment who were already serving in the Mesopotamia Campaign, leaving Bombay for Basra, and with ROBERT appointed acting corporal for the duration of the voyage.

Following ROBERT’S arrival in Basra, in May 1918, the 6^th Battalion to whom he belonged were involved in operations against Ottoman (Turkish) forces in the Kirkuk area, initially managing to capture the city but being forced to withdraw a short while later......It was not until the ‘Armistice of Mudros’ in October 1918 that the allied forces were able to reoccupy the city.

On the 28^th of October 1918, ROBERT was invalided to India suffering from dermatitis, arriving in Bombay on the 3^rd of November, and following a brief period of time with the 4^th Reserve Battalion at Bangalore, he embarked for England in the January of 1919.

ROBERT POLLARD was born c1894 and at the time of his enlistment into the army, he was living at 33 Church Street in Barrow-in-Furness, and he was a Government Examiner by profession. He was the son of HANNAH POLLARD, whose address was recorded as 116 Briercliffe Road, Burnley.

SELLER NOTE = These medals appear to have some wear, especially around the outer rim, although all lettering is clear.

SELLER NOTE = Supporting documentation obtained and / or created during this research will be provided.