1914-15 Star (65212 Pte A. COPELAND. 24/CAN:INF:); British War Medal (65212 SJT. A. COPELAND. 24-CAN. INF.); and Victory Medal (65212 SJT. A. COPELAND. 24-CAN. INF.). Naming is officially impressed. Un-mounted, spotting on the Star, gilt wear on the VM, contact marks, replacement ribbons, very fine.
Footnote: Arthur William Copeland was born on November 3, 1888 in Hampton, Middlesex, England, the son of John Copeland and Flora Miriam Copeland (nee Lawford) of "Oakfield," Oak Avenue, Hampton. He signed his Attestation Paper as a Private (65212) with the 24th Infantry Battalion "Victoria Rifles", on November 10, 1914 in Montreal, Quebec, at the age of 26, naming his next-of-kin as his sister, Mrs. A. Bell of Montreal, stating that he had previous service with the 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment in England, that he was not married, that his religion was Church of England and that his trade was that of Gardener. Private Copeland sailed from Montreal, Quebec aboard the S.S. Cameronian on May 11, 1915, arriving in England on the 20th. After four months additional training and orientation in England, Private Copeland received his orders to proceed overseas for service in the French theatre on September 15, 1915, disembarking with the 24th Infantry Battalion at Boulogne on September 16th. The following Summer, Private Copeland was in action on July 25, 1916, when a grenade exploded nearby. He suffered a shrapnel wound to his left leg and was admitted to No. 6 Canadian Field Ambulance on the 26th. The injury was not serious, as he returned to duty almost immediately. He was appointed Acting Lane Corporal on October 1, 1916, which was followed three days later by his promotion to the rank of Sergeant on October 4th. Sergeant Copeland was in action during the First Battle of the Somme, when he was "wounded slightly". However, during his evacuation to the regimental aid post, he suffered a severe head wound from an exploding shell. The Canadian Expeditionary Force Burial Register (Circumstances of Death Register) describes his downfall: "During a heavy bombardment of our trenches preparatory to an enemy raid, on the morning of April 11th 1918, he (Copeland) was wounded slightly in the back by a fragment from an enemy high explosive shell. His wounds were dressed and on the way to the regimental aid post, a shell exploded beside him, seriously wounding him in the head and other parts of the body, and he died the following day at No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station." 65212 Sergeant Arthur William Copeland died from the wounds he received on April 11th, at No. 3 Casualty Clearing Station on April 12, 1918, at the age of 29. He is buried in Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France, Grave Reference: I. L. 7. Gezaincourt is a village a little south-west of the town of Doullens, halfway between the main roads from Doullens to Abbeville and Doullens to Amiens. He is also commemorated on page 389 of the First World War Book of Remembrance. Private Hitchcox was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The medals, along with his Memorial Plaque and Scroll were forwarded to his father, John Copeland of Hampton. No Memorial Cross was issued.