Jacket, Service Dress, 1913 Pattern: Officer's, 11th Lancashire Fusiliers (25th Division)

Jacket Khaki single-breasted, open-collared four patch pocket jacket made of heavy duty cotton twill possibly 'Bedford cord'. The breast pockets are pleated but the skirt pockets are gussetted. Brass regimental pattern buttons close the jacket, pocket flaps, and epaulettes. Bronzed regimental pattern collar badges are attached. Above the left breast pocket are sewn medal ribbons, indicating the award of the Military Cross and the 1914/15 Star. Above the pointed left cuff is sewn three vertical wound stripes, worked in gold wire 'russia braid'. Above the right cuff are three blue overseas service chevrons, the lower showing signs of moth to its khaki backing. At the upper back of the jacket is sewn in red felt, a horseshoe-shaped badge (the battle insignia of the 25th Division), with, on the back of the turned collar, a rectangle of dark blue (the identification badge of the 74th Brigade). The epaullettes show signs of where metal rank pips have been pinned, indicating that the wearer was at least a captain. (Inside the ticket pocket, front waist, are two blue card London underground railway tickets - Piccadilly Circus, 3rd Class, price 3d.).

Officer's jacket, breeches and map case worn by Captain Gordon Potts MC of the 11th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Gordon was wounded three times on the Western Front, as shown by the gold wound stripes on the jacket. He was awarded the Military Cross for bravery during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917.

Gordon Alan Potts was posted to France in September 1915, and commissioned in June 1916 following the completion a six weeks' course near St Omer. As a subaltern he was assigned to D Company, 11th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers (25th Division), then on its way to participate in the Somme offensive. Not engaged in the first assault, the 11th Battalion fought at Ovillers between 7-10 July & 14-16 July, and in October at the Ancre Heights. It was there that Potts received the first of three wounds he was to sustain in the conflict (whilst directing a defensive screen forward of captured trenches on the 21st, he was sniped, a bullet catching him in the hind quarters). D Company's next large action was the Battle of Messines Ridge in 1917, but as Potts (now a captain) was ordered not to participate and was sent on home leave (company commanders of two of the rifle companies were to stay back, anticipating high casualty numbers). Returning to the Front, Potts was sent to the Ypres Salient, narrowly escaping death as shrapnel from an exploding shell killed the Adjutant but missed Potts and the C.O. Potts' next notable action is recorded as being on 10th August 1917, when his battalion having captured the Westhoek Ridge, observed parties of German infantry 1200 yards to the front in a wood, gathering for a counter-attack. There was no means of passing the vital information back to warn Brigade HQ of the impending attack as artillery was falling both in front and behind the trench line, destroying the telephone lines. Potts' batman volunteered and took the message, and soon a Sopwith Camel responded with a reconnaissance. British artillery zeroed in to disperse the concentration of German troops but their tenacity to regain the trenches persisted and they were only repeatedly stopped by well-directed defensive cross-fire. Night attacks and probes proved equally unsuccessful. Potts wrote to his fiancée, 'My own Company put about 250 of then out of action, and got the artillery onto about two battalions and wiped them out - good work". Potts was awarded his Military Cross for this action. During the Kaiser Offensive that began on 21st March, 1918, the 25th Div.were the Support Division for the Corps, central to the Third Army. Ordered up to battle, Potts (now Adjutant) got the Battalion in place without casualties. As the neighbouring Fifth Army withdrew at speed, the southern flank was open and they were in danger of being turned. The 2ic was wounded and Potts now led the Battalion, retiring in the confusing and rapidly changing circumstances in an attempt to stabilize the Line. He wrote on 28th March, 'We've had 7 very strenuous days getting mixed up with the Hun - I am still pretty well played out, but hope to get some sleep tonight and make up for some arrears about 14 casualties amongst the officers and none of the wounded left to the Hun. We've made him pay for the ground he's taken." Potts was wounded a second time on 12th April, this time a bullet wound to the upper left thigh when the 74th Brigade had been sent to plug the Line following the disintegration of the Portuguese, north of the La Bassee Canal. Potts later wrote that all of the officers apart from one were wounded at Battalion HQ around this time. Following treatment and convalescent leave in England, Potts was married, given one weeks' leave, later employed in England until posted to France in October 1918. Since the heavy casualty numbers inflicted during the Kaiser Offensive had left the British Army in poor shape (Potts' 11th Battalion has suffered the loss of 65 officers and 1500 men in three months), he was diverted on his way to join his former Brigade en route and sent to the 16th Battalion to become their Adjutant instead. In November whilst advancing over the Sambre-Oise Canal, the C.O. was killed and Potts wounded a final time. Fortunately the bullet that hit him had been close to the end of its flight, and it tumbled before hitting him in the back. Evacuated to Rouen, he was operated on and later sent back to England, finally demobilized 31st March 1919. Following the end of the First World War, Potts left Britain and went to Singapore, working in an Import/Export company and joined the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel and being awarded the OBE.

Service dress jacket of Captain Gordon Potts of the 11th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers. On 19 August 1917, after Westhoek Ridge was taken, enemy troops were seen massing for a counterattack in a nearby wood. Captain Potts sent his batman to inform Brigade HQ. It took the combined efforts of the artillery and Captain Potts's company to scatter the troops and stop them reforming. Potts wrote "My own Company put about 250 of them out of action, and got the artillery onto about two battalions and wiped them out - good work".

Gordon Alan Potts was posted to France in September 1915, and commissioned in June 1916 following the completion a six weeks' course near St Omer. As a subaltern he was assigned to D Company, 11th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers (25th Division), then on its way to participate in the Somme offensive. Not engaged in the first assault, the 11th Battalion fought at Ovillers between 7-10 July & 14-16 July, and in October at the Ancre Heights. It was there that Potts received the first of three wounds he was to sustain in the conflict (whilst directing a defensive screen forward of captured trenches on the 21st, he was sniped, a bullet catching him in the hind quarters). D Company's next large action was the Battle of Messines Ridge in 1917, but as Potts (now a captain) was ordered not to participate and was sent on home leave (company commanders of two of the rifle companies were to stay back, anticipating high casualty numbers). Returning to the Front, Potts was sent to the Ypres Salient, narrowly escaping death as shrapnel from an exploding shell killed the Adjutant but missed Potts and the C.O. Potts' next notable action is recorded as being on 10th August 1917, when his battalion having captured the Westhoek Ridge, observed parties of German infantry 1200 yards to the front in a wood, gathering for a counter-attack. There was no means of passing the vital information back to warn Brigade HQ of the impending attack as artillery was falling both in front and behind the trench line, destroying the telephone lines. Potts' batman volunteered and took the message, and soon a Sopwith Camel responded with a reconnaissance. British artillery zeroed in to disperse the concentration of German troops but their tenacity to regain the trenches persisted and they were only repeatedly stopped by well-directed defensive cross-fire. Night attacks and probes proved equally unsuccessful. Potts wrote to his fiancée, 'My own Company put about 250 of then out of action, and got the artillery onto about two battalions and wiped them out - good work". Potts was awarded his Military Cross for this action. During the Kaiser Offensive that began on 21st March, 1918, the 25th Div.were the Support Division for the Corps, central to the Third Army. Ordered up to battle, Potts (now Adjutant) got the Battalion in place without casualties. As the neighbouring Fifth Army withdrew at speed, the southern flank was open and they were in danger of being turned. The 2ic was wounded and Potts now led the Battalion, retiring in the confusing and rapidly changing circumstances in an attempt to stabilize the Line. He wrote on 28th March, 'We've had 7 very strenuous days getting mixed up with the Hun - I am still pretty well played out, but hope to get some sleep tonight and make up for some arrears about 14 casualties amongst the officers and none of the wounded left to the Hun. We've made him pay for the ground he's taken." Potts was wounded a second time on 12th April, this time a bullet wound to the upper left thigh when the 74th Brigade had been sent to plug the Line following the disintegration of the Portuguese, north of the La Bassee Canal. Potts later wrote that all of the officers apart from one were wounded at Battalion HQ around this time. Following treatment and convalescent leave in England, Potts was married, given one weeks' leave, later employed in England until posted to France in October 1918. Since the heavy casualty numbers inflicted during the Kaiser Offensive had left the British Army in poor shape (Potts' 11th Battalion has suffered the loss of 65 officers and 1500 men in three months), he was diverted on his way to join his former Brigade en route and sent to the 16th Battalion to become their Adjutant instead. In November whilst advancing over the Sambre-Oise Canal, the C.O. was killed and Potts wounded a final time. Fortunately the bullet that hit him had been close to the end of its flight, and it tumbled before hitting him in the back. Evacuated to Rouen, he was operated on and later sent back to England, finally demobilized 31st March 1919. Following the end of the First World War, Potts left Britain and went to Singapore, working in an Import/Export company and joined the Straits Settlements Volunteer Corps, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel and being awarded the OBE.