Britain, WW1, Medal Pair to G-15021 Pte. T. G. Gardiner, Royal West Kent Regiment, British War Medal & Victory Medal, With Original Issue Box, Packets and Unused Ribbons (2)
*Britain, WW1, Medal Pair to G-15021 Pte. T. G. Gardiner, Royal West Kent Regiment, British War Medal & Victory Medal, With Original Issue Box, Packets and Unused Ribbons (2)*
A very appealing and wholly original First World War medal pair awarded to G/15021 Private Thomas G. Gardiner, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. The pair comprises his 1914–18 British War Medal and Victory Medal, both correctly named on the rims in crisp impressed capitals: "G-15021 PTE. T. G. GARDINER. R. W. KENT. R." The set is accompanied by Gardiner’s original named card box of issue, stamped in red B. War and Victory and fully titled to "PTE. T. G. GARDINER, R.W. Kent R.", together with the two original small issue envelopes and both unused medal ribbons still in excellent, unused condition. A matching pair with box and packets is increasingly scarce, particularly in such complete form.
Historical Note Private Thomas G. Gardiner served with the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) during the Great War, his service recorded in the Medal Index Cards held under WO 372/7/202283. The Royal West Kents fought in every major theatre on the Western Front, enduring some of the heaviest action at Loos, the Somme, and the 1918 German Spring Offensive. Although Gardiner’s detailed battalion history is not attached to the card, his entitlement to the standard War and Victory pair places him firmly among the hundreds of thousands who served overseas in the bitter final years of the conflict. The regiment’s battalions suffered devastating casualties in the last phases of the war, particularly during the relentless fighting of 1917–18, and the survival of his medals with their original box provides a tangible and poignant link to that service.
*Condition* Both medals remain in very good condition with clean detail and unpolished patina. Naming is sharp. The Victory Medal retains attractive original gilding. The British War Medal shows light natural toning. The original ribbons are unused and bright, showing no fading. The named card box is intact but flattened from storage, with the typical small splits and age wear associated with century-old paper packaging. Both small inner tissue envelopes survive, likewise showing handling wear but complete. A particularly desirable example for collectors seeking regimentally identifiable West Kent medals with full issue accoutrements. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
