Submariner hero's four medals to be auctioned

FOUR war medals awarded to a Bristol war hero are to be sold off at auction next week.

The medals belonged to Clifton-born Leading Stoker William Henry Faux – one of Bristol's first submariners – who was killed in action during the First World War when his submarine strayed into a minefield in the Humber Estuary.

Now nearly one hundred years later, his medals – a silver 1900 China War medal, 1914-1915 Star and British War and Victory medals – are set to fetch between £160 and £200 at Spink in Bloomsbury, London, on Thursday.

William Faux, the second of nine children of Chew Magna-born coachman, Benjamin Faux, and wife Sarah, was born at Clifton in 1875 and he grew up there.

In 1881, the Faux family – Mr and Mrs Faux and children Charlotte,William, Benjamin junior, Florence and Alice – were living in Clifton Wood Crescent,Clifton.

Then, sometime between 1881 and 1891, the family moved to Waterloo Street,Clifton, and by 1891 Mr and Mrs Faux had four more children: Frederick, Charles, Dora and Frank.

In the 1891 Census, Mr Faux described himself as a 'grocer and fly driver', a carriage driver.

His son William – whose medals are up for sale – was then working as a billiard marker.

But in March 1899 – at the age of 23 – he joined the Royal Navy and between May 1900 and October 1902 he served in HMS Terrible.

In the First World War, he served in HM Submarine C29.

C29 was involved in the so-called German U-boat trap tactic, which involved a trawler towing the submarine.

When a U-boat was sighted, the towline and communication line was slipped and the submarine would attack the U-boat.

But on August 29, 1915, this tactic went horribly wrong when C29's trawler, Ariadne , strayed into a minefield in the Humber Estuary and C29's 17 men – including William Faux – were all killed.

arch support holmes air purifier superfeet insoles