Death Plaque & Pair to Keynton Berks / Warwick Reg. 1st Day Casualty Amiens 1918.

A WW1 memorial Plaque, British war and victory medal all correctly named to 26547 Private William John Keynton 1/5th battalion Royal Warwickshire regiment; it comes with a few pages of research, the commonwealth war graves commision certificate, soldiers died in the Great War register and medal index card, so below is a brief account of this man’s service history.
William John Keynton was born in Wootton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire around 1899. He enlisted into the Gloucestershire regiment or was drafted sometime during 1916/17 and was later transferred into the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment. Williams’s earlier service needs research when with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he must have seen action at the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, the Battle of Pozieres Ridge, the Battle of the Ancre Heights, and the Battle of the Ancre during 1916. During 1917 the German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Battle of Langemarck, the Battle of Polygon Wood, the Battle of Broodseinde, and the Battle of Poelcapelle. But here we join him after the February of 1918 when he was transferred into the 8th battalion Berkshires regiment, probably around the November of 1917; they formed part 53rd brigade of the 18th (Eastern) division. he was present at the battle St Quentin in the March of 18 his battalion was with the 5th army under Gough; then off to the Somme at Avre and the actions of Villers-Brettoneux, next came the Battle of Amiens, the battle opened on the 8th August 1918, William’s battalion, the 8th this time was with the Fourth Army under Rawlinson, this was a significant action of the war, Allied forces advanced over seven miles on the first day, one of the greatest advances of the war, with the 4th Army playing the decisive role.
The battle began in dense fog at 4:20 am on 8 August 1918 the British Fourth Army was in the centre of the advancing front supported by a battalion of 72 Whippet tanks. The attack was so unexpected that German forces only began to return fire after five minutes. In the first phase, seven divisions attacked: the British 18th (Eastern) and 58th (2/1st London), the Australian 2nd and 3rd, and the Canadian 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions. Parts of the American 33rd Division supported the British attackers north of the Somme. The attackers captured the first German position, advancing about 4,000 yards by about 7:30 am.

The British Fourth Army took 13,000 prisoners while the French captured a further 3,000. Total German losses were estimated to be 30,000 on 8 August. The Fourth Army's casualties, British, Australian and Canadian infantry, were approximately 8,800 of which William John Keynton was just one. He is now remembered with honour at the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France. He was the Son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Keynton, of Haw St., Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, he was aged just 19.
Both the plaque and the medal pair are in superb condition, both medals are named to the Royal Warwickshire regiment

Code: 24253