*British, WWI, Medal Pair to L-11541 Sjt F. Bevis, Middlesex Regiment, 1914–15 Star & British War Medal (Gunshot Wound to the Neck 1915) (2)*
A World War I medal pair awarded to L-11541 Sjt. F. Bevis, Middlesex Regiment, consisting of:
1914–15 Star – officially impressed “L-11541 SJT. F. BEVIS. MIDD’X R.” The bronze star retains a good tone with only light service wear. Ribbon original, showing period fading but still structurally sound.
British War Medal – officially impressed on the rim “L-11541 SJT. F. BEVIS. MIDD’X R.” Good, honest patina with original ribbon (faded with some staining). Medal itself is undamaged and shows attractive silver toning.
A neatly preserved, fully matching pair to a long-serving NCO of the Middlesex Regiment.
Historical Note: Frederick Bevis was already a seasoned soldier when war broke out, with eight years’ service behind him. At twenty-eight he entered the war as a regular of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own, serving with C Company, 3rd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. The battalion landed in France in early 1915 and was pushed straight into the bitter winter fighting around Ypres, holding exposed trenches near Zonnebeke and Polygon Wood during a period described in the battalion diary as unrelenting trench strain under constant artillery, sniping and bombardment.
It was in this harsh environment that Bevis was hit. On 3 April 1915 he received a gunshot wound to the neck—an immediately dangerous and often fatal injury in the conditions of early-war medicine. He was evacuated by No. 2 Ambulance Train and transferred to the Hospital Ship Asturias on 8 April after six days of treatment, surviving both the wound and the ever-present risk of infection. His pension record places him later in Richmond, Surrey, confirming that he lived beyond the war, but almost certainly carried the lasting effects of his neck wound for the rest of his life.
*Condition* Both medals are original and correctly named. 1914–15 Star: very good condition, light wear, original ribbon with typical fading. British War Medal: attractive patina, slight edge wear, original (but aged) ribbon with an old stain to the orange stripe visible in photos. No damage to suspensions; naming crisp and fully legible on both pieces. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
