Great War Battle of Cambrai Prisoner of War group with accompanying Surrey County Council Education Committee Medal for Regular Attendance, awarded to Private W.G. Gatland, 6th Service Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. From Chelsham, later Warlingham, Surrey, Gatland was present out on the Western Front from June 1915, where his battalion formed part of the 37th Brigade in the 12th (Eastern) Division. He was serving in ‘C’ Company when he was taken prisoner of war during the fighting at Lateau Wood in the Battle of Cambrai on 30 November 1917, and was then interned in Munster Camp.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (G-835 PTE. W.G. GATLAND. THE QU|EEN’S R.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (G-835 PTE. W.G. GATLAND. THE QUEEN’S R.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Surrey County Council Education Committee Medal for Regular Attendance, bronze, obverse engraved to: ‘W. GATLAND’ with dated top brooch bar for 1905, and additional award bars for 1906, 1907 and 1908.
William George Gatland was born on 6 October 1895 in Chelsham, Surrey, the son of Walter William Gatland and Eva Aijsa Young. As of 1911 he was living in Warlingham. Gatland saw service during the Great War as a Private (No.G-835) with 6th Service Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. His battalion formed part of the 37th Brigade in the 12th (Eastern) Division, and Gatland was present with it out on the Western Front from 1 June 1915. At some stage he saw service with the 1st Battalion, but was back with the 6th Battalion and serving in ‘C’ Company when present during the Battle of Cambrai, being taken prisoner of war in the fighting at Lateau Wood on 30 November 1917, when the German’s counterattacked. Gatland then spent the rest of the war as a prisoner, being held captive in Munster Camp. On his return home he married Hilda Emily Peckett in Warlingham on 3 April 1920, and he died on 13 September 1956.
