A Fascinating and highly evocative WW1 medal duo set to Private Joseph Tilsley (Royal Warwickshire Regiment), including his cap badge, dog tag and button which saved his life when he was wounded in action.
The WW1 bullet pictured is not supplied in the set - it illustrates how he was saved by the button
Supplied with copies of research materials
This set was purchased with the lot for two Tilsley brothers and is evidently also from Warwick but I cannot find a link between them, it’s possible it belonged to a cousin, or the third brother, Harold Percy Tilsley, under the pseudonym Joseph. I can find no evidence for this though.
Private Joseph Tilsley (330800), 1/8 and 1/6 Battalions, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, WIA 11th October 1917
Joseph enlisted originally in the 1/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, likely sometime from late 1916 to the start of 1917 judging by h service number. He later transferred to the 1/6th, although it is unclear when this was, it is likely he took part in the Battle of Langemarck in August 1917, Battle of Polygon Wood in September 1917 and the Battle of Broodseinde in October 1917.
Joseph was then wounded during/in the aftermath of the Battle of Poelcappelle on the 11th October with a gunshot wound, being sent back to the UK, to the County of Middlesex War Hospital, St Albans. He likely survived the injury because of the button he was wearing which took much of the force of the bullet. He ended up surviving the war.
