INCREDIBLE HISTROIC WWI COLLECTION TO PRIVATE WILLIAM HAMILTON RFC

For Sale is a historic WWI Collection of 45 items, to Private William Hamilton Royal Flying Corps and the Staffordshire Regiment. The Collection comprises of a an incredibly rare Mappin & Webb 15ct Gold, diamond and enamel locket, the enamel work is stunning and has been commissioned for his wife, made personally by the prolific and highly collectable Royal Gold and Silversmiths of London England. The locket comes with photograph inside, with a simple inscription to the reverse From Billy Flanders 1916-17-18, along with the original receipts from Mappin and Webb 1917. A Solid Silver Cigarette Case, Vesta and Cigar Cutter, accompanying these are personal letters, birth/death certificates, plus other items. A story of one man’s life, love, war and death. Please read below for full description and incredible story, Private Hamilton was gassed during WWI and was admitted to an Asylum in 1918, due to the atrocities that he had suffered during the war, he later died the following year due to Paralysis of the Insane and gangrene of the left lung (from the gas attack in the trenches). This is an incredibly sad story should be preserved.
Private Collection of Gold Locket, medals, documentation, photographs belonging to Private William Hamilton of the Royal Flying Corps. This very large group of 45 individual items belonged to Private William Hamilton serving with the Royal Flying Corps during WW1, after surviving the war unfortunately he succumbed to his wounds and died in hospital in 1919. The set comprises of a superb gold, Diamonds and enamel RFC locket was purchased by Private Hamilton from Mappin and Webb goldsmiths of Oxford Street London on the 6th of December 1917 the day after his wedding, comes with the original purchase receipt, along with a second receipt from the same company dated the following day for the inscription to the locket. The gold locket features a miniature of the RFC badge in enamel and gold with diamonds inset below the Royal crown, the quality is exceptional. Engraved on the reverse side of the gold case is a four line presentation inscription, From Billy, Flanders 1916-17-18. The locket opens to reveal a small photograph of William Hamilton, complete with brown leatherette presentation box. The collection also has a Silver hallmarked cigarette case with William Reeve Hamilton's initials to the lid, silver marks for Birmingham 1912. Silver vesta case, silver marks for Birmingham 1906. Silver cigar cutter, hallmarks for Sheffield 1909. Pair of WW1 trench art letter openers, one formed from bullet case and marked Somme / Ypres, the other one with carved wooden handle and brass blade marked Ypres Cathedral 1916 / 1917. Extending brass bullet pencil engraved. Set of three Enfield 303 bullet cases, one with head, reading glasses with case. Six printed tin bomb labels and one for flares, seven in total.WW1 silver service badge, FOR KING AND EMPIRE SERVICE RENDERED, membership number to the reverse side. The War and Victory medals in mint condition and both engraved, 27767 Pte W. R .Hamilton RFC together with their box of issue and certificate .The documents comprise, birth certificate, marriage certificate, death notification from Worcestershire Asylum where he resided for just over a year, burial letter along with photographs of his gravestone ,membership card British Red cross. various letters dated 1916 concerning Mr Hamilton's service with Volunteer Ambulance service in London regarding his attempt to be exempt from military service because of his important war work, unfortunately these attempts were not successful. Initially he served with the Staffordshire Regiment, then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, photograph of Hamilton in full RFC uniform, along with an additional photograph of British WWI Colleagues, two polytechnic magazines mentions Williams death. Personal letter to his newly married wife Olive, where he expresses his love and jealousy asking her not to go out with other men in his absence and stating how he loves her soul rather than her earthly looks. There is also a lovely pressed twig with flowers from Flanders dated 1917 which he sent to Olive before she became his wife in December 2017. Sadly, you will see that Olive and William married on 5th December 2017, William was then admitted to the Asylum just nine months later on 13th September 2018 and died the following year on 26th September 2019.
Condition: the silver has bumps here and there fully hallmarked to all items that was pre-WWI. This is not about the silver or the weight it is about a Personal Historic Collection. Documents have age marks here and there; in great condition please see photos

Code: 50607