Home of the Infantry Regiments of Berkshire and Wiltshire
WW1 Wiltshire Regiment DCM group donation
It was with great pleasure that the museum has accepted a WW1 DCM group of medals awarded to CSM Wilfred Fidler. The medals were presented by Wilfred's daughter -in-law, as a wish of her late husband, John. Together with the medals was a letter of appreciation from the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Sholto Stewart Ogilvie. In it he recommended that Wilfred accept a posting to be part of the staff at a prisoner of war camp, after a considerably long period of service during the war without break. Whatever Wilfred's thoughts were, he was posted the next day!
Thanks to Lee Kuklinski for reminding us of the entry in the war diary: "During the whole of the attack in the Leipzig Redoubt on the 24th August 1916 and during the heavy bombardment after the attack this Non Commissioned Officer showed great coolness. He also rallied his men after the assault to make further progress. He also gained superiority over enemy's snipers during the consolidation of the new line Trenches."