WW1 British War & Victory Medal pair, 25054 Pte E.A. Sayer, Royal West Kent Regiment

WW1 British War Medal and Victory Medal pair named to 25054 Private Edward Albert Sayer, Royal West Kent Regiment. A fully researched First World War pair to a London picture frame maker who served in Mesopotamia and came home broken by malaria.

The medals are in good condition and correctly named. They are mounted for wear with the original ribbons and are not overly polished. The details are correctly impressed on the rim.

His story

Edward Albert Sayer was a picture frame maker and joiner from London. He signed on for the length of the war on 15 May 1916, aged 28, and was called up on 5 December 1916.

He sailed for India in March 1917 and joined the depot of the 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment, at Bangalore. From Bombay he sailed for Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and landed at Basra on 4 June 1917.

Broken by fever in Mesopotamia

Within three weeks he was in hospital with sand-fly fever. He joined his battalion in the field in July 1917.

In October 1917 he went down with jaundice. He was sent to hospital in Baghdad, then down river to Amara, and spent months in the convalescent depot there.

In March 1918 he was graded fit for base duty only. On 19 April 1918 he was compulsorily transferred to the 2nd Garrison Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, and worked as a tally clerk at Amara.

Home and discharge

He left Basra in October 1918 and reached home in November. An Army doctor found he had repeated attacks of malaria and was "extremely shaky".

He was discharged at Ripon on 4 February 1919 as no longer fit for service, with a 20 per cent disability pension. His home was 5 Fassett Square, Dalston, London. His wife was Gertrude Ellen Sayer.

Two regiments, two numbers

His medals are named to the Royal West Kents because that was his regiment when he first reached a theatre of war. His service papers are filed under his later Northumberland Fusiliers number, 76997. His medal index card shows both.

Service record

• 15 May 1916: enlisted, aged 28
• 5 December 1916: called up
• 9 March 1917: sailed for India
• 4 June 1917: landed at Basra, Mesopotamia
• July 1917: joined his battalion in the field
• October 1917: hospital in Baghdad and Amara with jaundice
• 19 April 1918: transferred to Northumberland Fusiliers, number 76997
• 17 October 1918: left Basra for England
• 4 February 1919: discharged with malaria

Naming on the medals

25054 PTE. E.A. SAYER. R.W. KENT R.