British, WW1, Framed Medal Pair - War Medal & Victory Medal, Private Albert Grant, Royal Berkshire Regiment & Labour Corps, with Photograph, Cap Badge & Extensive Service and Family Research
*British, WW1, Framed Medal Pair - War Medal & Victory Medal, Private Albert Grant, Royal Berkshire Regiment & Labour Corps, with Photograph, Cap Badge & Extensive Service and Family Research*
An exceptionally complete and well-researched First World War medal group to Private Albert Grant (30532 / 97996), comprising his original British War Medal and Victory Medal, Royal Berkshire Regiment cap badge, original and copy portrait photograph, and an unusually comprehensive archive of copies of service papers and genealogical research. The group is professionally framed for display and accompanied by copies of the original documentation tracing Grant’s life from birth through wartime service and into post-war civilian life.
This is a particularly strong Labour Corps group, enhanced by clear regimental attribution to the Royal Berkshire Regiment, confirmed medal naming, photographic evidence of uniform, and a continuous documentary record rarely found intact.
Approx. Measurements: Frame - 34.4cm x34.2cm x 3.4cm deep.
Historical Note: Albert Grant was born on 18 February 1879 at or near Worth Matravers, a small rural village near Swanage, Dorset. He was the son of John Vincent Grant (born 1847 at Corfe Castle), a farm labourer, and Jane Nineham (born 1849 at Worth Matravers). Albert’s father died in 1882, when Albert was just three years old, leaving his mother to raise a large family under modest circumstances.
Census records from 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, and 1921 show Albert Grant consistently employed in manual labour, variously described as a farm labourer, general labourer, groundsman, and later working for a coal merchant in Swanage. These records place the family at addresses including Hill Bottom, Worth Matravers, Bell Street, Swanage, and later St Mark’s Place, Herston, reflecting a working-class life rooted firmly in the local Dorset community.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Albert was already in his mid-thirties — older than many recruits — and employed as a groundsman. He was formally attested on 11 December 1915 at Swanage, declaring his address as 1 St Mark’s Place, Herston, and confirming that he had not previously served in the military. His attestation papers show him aged 36 years and 10 months, underscoring the fact that he enlisted later than the initial wave of volunteers, responding instead to the increasing manpower demands of the war.
Albert was called up on 20 March 1916 at Dorchester, Dorset, and initially posted to the Royal Berkshire Regiment, receiving the regimental number 30532. His original British War Medal is correctly impressed “30532 PTE A. GRANT R. BERKS R.”, firmly confirming this regimental origin before his later transfer.
As the war progressed and the British Army reorganised its manpower resources, Albert was transferred into the Labour Corps, receiving the additional service number 97996. Like thousands of other soldiers transferred into the Labour Corps, Albert undertook physically demanding but vital support duties, including construction, road work, logistics, and general labour close to the front lines — work that was essential to sustaining front-line operations but rarely recognised in popular narratives of the war.
Service records show that Albert served in France from 20 September 1916. His surviving military history sheets record embarkation and disembarkation dates, and his presence with Labour Corps units attached to the British Expeditionary Force. The photographic portrait included with this group shows Albert in WW1 British Service Dress, wearing a Royal Berkshire Regiment cap badge and leather equipment consistent with the 1915–1916 period, strongly suggesting the photograph was taken shortly after enlistment or during early service.
In May 1918, after nearly two years of overseas service, Albert’s health deteriorated. On 20 May 1918, he was admitted to hospital suffering from suspected tuberculosis, a condition that affected many soldiers who endured prolonged exposure, physical exhaustion, and poor living conditions. He was subsequently invalided back to the United Kingdom via Boulogne, returning home on 16 June 1918, effectively ending his active military service before the Armistice.
For his wartime service, Albert Grant was awarded the 1914–1918 British War Medal and the Victory Medal, both of which are present in this group and correctly named.
Following the war, Albert returned to civilian life in Swanage. The 1939 Register records him living at 36 Priests Road, Swanage, still working as a labourer, reflecting a return to the same working-class life he had known before the war. He never married and remained closely tied to his family and local area throughout his life.
Albert Grant died at Swanage General Hospital on 2 March 1956, aged 77. His last known address was 1 Sunnydale Villas, Durlston Road, Swanage. His death certificate records the cause of death as a cerebral haemorrhage (stroke).
Contents: -Original 1914–1918 British War Medal, named to 30532 PTE A. GRANT R. BERKS R. -Original Victory Medal, correctly paired
-Original Royal Berkshire Regiment cap badge -Original portrait photograph of Albert Grant in uniform
-Sepia photographic copy of the portrait
Extensive research archive (printed copies) including:
-Attestation papers
-Descriptive report on enlistment
-Military history sheets
-Medal Index Card
-Census returns (1881–1921)
-1939 Register entry
-Death certificate and genealogical research
*Condition* The medals are in very good original condition, with clear, crisp naming and strong definition. The British War Medal retains attractive natural toning, while the Victory Medal shows even patination with no significant edge knocks. Ribbons appear to be later replacements but are correctly mounted. The cap badge displays honest wartime wear with good detail and no visible damage. The photograph retains good clarity and tonal contrast for its age. The frame is in good overall condition with light surface wear consistent with display. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
