BWM. Best. Inniskilling Fusiliers. 1st Day lander, Gallipoli. Died of wounds at sea, 1915. Liverpool.

Correctly named 7921 Cpl J Best R Innis Fus

Please note although correctly named, the ‘F’ is mis-stamped ‘B’

James was born to William and Eliza in 1889. His address is as 1 Falkland Avenue, Liverpool.

The 1st Inniskillings disembarked at Avonmouth on 10 January 1915. The Battalion became part of 87 Infantry Brigade in the 29th Division and was reviewed near Rugby by HM King George V, on 12 March 1915, prior to embarking for Egypt on 17 March, where the Inniskillings would prepare and train for the assault landings on the Gallipoli peninsula.

During the initial landings around Cape Helles on 25 April 1915, 1st Inniskillings went ashore at X Beach. It then fought almost continuously throughout the nine-month campaign, taking part in successive battles at Helles to capture the village of Krithia and the heights of Achi Baba, all of which ended in hard-fought failure. 

James landed at Cape Helles with his Battalion on the 25th of March 1915 having head off to the Balkan theatre on the 17th of March.

He was wounded and evacuated to a hospital ship where he succumbed to his wounds and died at sea on the 4th of April 1915.

He is remembered on the Helles Memorial.

Please note, this medal came to us without a suspender and with a hole drilled at 12 o’clock. We have invested to have this medal professionally restored with a genuine suspender to return it as best as possible to its original state.

The medal does have an original silk ribbon.