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WORLD WAR I - SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION Album of manuscript and printed ephemera relating to the service career of Major Raymond Oliver Jourdain (1871-1942) of the 23rd (1st Sportsman's) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1914-1920 image 1
WORLD WAR I - SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION Album of manuscript and printed ephemera relating to the service career of Major Raymond Oliver Jourdain (1871-1942) of the 23rd (1st Sportsman's) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1914-1920 image 2
WORLD WAR I - SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION Album of manuscript and printed ephemera relating to the service career of Major Raymond Oliver Jourdain (1871-1942) of the 23rd (1st Sportsman's) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1914-1920 image 3
Lot 245

WORLD WAR I - SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION
Album of manuscript and printed ephemera relating to the service career of Major Raymond Oliver Jourdain (1871-1942) of the 23rd (1st Sportsman's) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 1914-1920

29 March 2023, 13:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

£800 - £1,200

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WORLD WAR I - SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION

Album of manuscript and printed ephemera relating to the service career of Major Raymond Oliver Jourdain (1871-1942) of the 23rd (1st Sportsman's) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, from his enlistment in October 1914 to his demobilisation in April 1920, containing some 200 items, including four manuscript maps ("Plan of centre Section of Zr. (Cambrin)", "Plan of Russell's Keep", "Plan of Trenches at Givenchy"), manuals ('Some of the Many Questions a Platoon Commander should ask Himself on Taking over a Trench, and at Intervals Afterwards', 'Defensive measures Against Gas Attacks', 'Chilled Feet and Frostbite, Prevention of'), copies of battalion orders ('When a serious bombardment has taken place... you will report to the orderly room by wire'), photographs, concert programmes, certificates, membership cards, receipts, menus, postcards, Christmas cards, newspaper cuttings, medal ribbons and much else, on 30 album leaves, half calf with metal regimental badge on front board, oblong folio (265 x 350mm.), 1914-1920

Footnotes

'I AM HERE FOR TWO PURPOSES – TO DO AS MUCH DAMAGE AS POSSIBLE TO THE ENEMY AND TO HOLD MY PART OF THE LINE AT ALL COSTS': RECORDS OF AN OFFCER IN THE 'SPORTSMAN'S' BATTALION.

The Sportsman's Battalion was one of Kitchener's 'Pals' battalions formed in the early months of the First World War, in this case made up of men up to the age of 45 who had distinguished themselves on the sports field and included in their ranks a number of retired officers, members of the peerage and several professional footballers and first-class cricketers. Raymond Oliver Jourdain joined their ranks at the age of 43. He saw action in the trenches at Cambrin and Givenchy until he was, as material in this album shows, wounded on 11 February 1916 and invalided out. In December he was employed in Directorate of Mobilizations at the War Office. Jourdain was awarded the 'Cavalier' Italian Order of the Crown in 1919, the certificate for which is included in the album.

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