A gallantry medal, posthumously awarded to a Crossgates war hero who was killed in action during the First World War, is set to fetch

£200 at auction.

Sergeant Hugh Forrester, who was born in the village on October 23,1893, served with the 6th Battalion Cameron Highlanders.

He died in combat in France at the age of 23 on April 24, 1917 and, eight weeks later, was posthumously awarded the Military Medal for “acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire”.

It is not known exactly how or where Sgt Forrester was killed, or whether his body was ever recovered, but he is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France.

This suggests that he was probably killed during the Battle of Arras, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the First World War in which 158,000 British and Allied troops were killed or wounded.

The battle lasted five weeks and also claimed the life of Edward Thomas, famous for poems such as Adlestrop.

Now, nearly 100 years later, Sgt Forrester’s Military Medal is up for sale and it is expected to fetch between £160 and £200 at Spink in Bloomsbury, London, on Thursday November 24.

Auctioneers Spink say that the medal is in “nearly extremely fine” condition.

If Sgt Forrester had not been killed in action, his medal would be worth about a third less, somewhere between £100 and £140.

Fortunately the medal has not been polished as that would have reduced the medal’s value.

Sgt Forrester was one of the earliest recipients of the Military Medal, which was introduced in March 1916 and is a silver medal.

It is inscribed “For Bravery In The Field” and features an image of King George V.

Hugh was the youngest of six children of coal miner Andrew Forrester and his wife Jane.

In 1901, the family were living at Dunfermline Road, Crossgates but later moved to Morton Place, which no longer exists.

According to the 1911 census, Hugh Forrester was an apprentice plasterer, sisters Helen and Isabella were teachers; his brother, Alexander, was a marine engine fitter; and sister Euphemia was a clerk at a warehouse.