A 26mm hallmarked silver (Mappin & Webb,1914) Emma Cunliffe-...

Hammer

£40

A 26mm hallmarked silver (Mappin & Webb,1914) Emma Cunliffe-Owen tribute medallion for men of the 'Sportsmans' Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers City of London (PALS) Regiment. Obverse with twin coat-of-arms and regimental number 3202. inscribed in raised letters on reverse. Attached to a white metal Albertina.

Private 3202 Bertie Leigh Ellis, 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, later Labour Corps, 14-15 Star entitlement.

Born in Kensington in 1863 to Sir Francis Phillip Cunliffe-Owen, director of the South Kensington Museum, and a German Baron grandfather, Mrs. Emma Cunliffe-Owen boasted a diverse heritage. Legend has it that during a stroll down Bond Street, she encountered two big-game hunters who prompted her to raise a battalion, leading her to telegram Lord Kitchener in 1914. Alongside her husband Edward, she established a recruiting office at the Hotel Cecil, seeking physically fit men proficient in shooting and riding. Despite an initial call for "upper and middle class" sportsmen, her efforts drew volunteers from all walks of life, prompting the War Office to request a second battalion. Thus, the 23rd and 24th (Service) Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers emerged, affectionately dubbed the ‘1st and 2nd Sportsman’s Battalions.’ Mrs. Cunliffe-Owen commemorated their service with silver medallions inscribed with a heartfelt message: ‘God guard you,’ alongside her signature.