The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals

Family Group: A Great War O.B.E. group of seven awarded to Major M. Higgin-Birket, Lancashire Fusiliers, a Boer War veteran who was wounded with the 2nd Battalion in 1914 and was three times Mentioned in Despatches for his services whilst on attachment as Cipher Officer with G.H.Q. Staff, British Salonika Force, 1915-17 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for London 1919; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. M. Higgin-Birket, 5/Lanc: Fus:); 1914 Star, with copy clasp (Major M. Higgin-Birket. Lan. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Major M. Hggin-Birket.); Serbia, Kingdom, Order of the White Eagle, Civil Division, Fourth Class breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, significant damage to blue pendalia enamel and upper right quadrant of red enamel; France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, reverse dated 1914-1918, with bronze star emblem on riband, generally very fine Four: Captain W. Higgin-Birket, Lancashire Fusiliers, who, having served with the 5th Battalion during the Boer War, was wounded and then missing, presumed killed, serving with the 2nd Battalion at the Battle of Armentières on 28 October 1914 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut: W. Higgin-Birket, 5/Lanc. Fus:); 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. W. Higgin-Birket. Lan. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. W. Higgin-Birket.) edge bruise to QSA, very fine (11) £1,400-£1,800 --- O.B.E. London Gazette 15 March 1918: ‘For services in connection with the war in Salonika.’ Serbian Order of the White Eagle, Fourth Class London Gazette 7 June 1919. Myles Higgin-Birket was born in 1873 at Richmond, Surrey, the son of William Higgin-Birket and Elizabeth Hilbro Higgin-Birket of Birket Houses, Winster, Westmorland and was educated at Heversham Grammar School and University College School, Hampstead. Commissioned Second Lieutenant into the 5th and 6th Battalions, Lancashire Fusiliers on 28 March 1898, he was advanced Lieutenant, 30 November 1899 and Captain, 16 March 1901. He served with the 5th Battalion in South Africa, 1901-02 where he was present at the Operations in Orange River Colony, June to July 1901 and the operations in Cape Colony, July 1901 to May 1902, receiving the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 5 clasps. He retired with the Honorary rank of Major on 10 May 1913 but rejoined for service with the Special Reserve as Captain (Hon. Maj. Ret.) in the 3rd Battalion of his old regiment, proceeding to France with the 2nd Battalion on 28 September 1914. Wounded on 12 November, Higgin-Birket returned to London and was attached to the Foreign Office, March to October 1915 before being posted to Salonika on attachment with the General Staff of the General Headquarters. For his services as Cipher Officer, G.H.Q., Salonika Force, Captain (Hon Major) Higgin-Birket was awarded the O.B.E., and personally decorated by the Crown Prince of Serbia with the Order of the White Eagle, 4th Class. For these services he was also three times Mentioned in General Milne’s Despatches (London Gazettes 6 December 1916; 21 July 1917; and 28 November 1917). After the war, from November 1918 to March 1920, he served as Camp Commandant G.H.Q. Salonika and G.H.Q. Army of the Black Sea, Constantinople. French Croix de Guerre unconfirmed. William Higgin-Birket, younger brother of the above, was born in 1878 at Richmond, Surrey. Commissioned Second Lieutenant into the 5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on 12 July 1900, he was promoted Lieutenant on 16 March 1901 and served with the 5th Battalion during the Boer War in South Africa, 1901-02, where he was present at the Operations in Orange River Colony, June to July 1901, and the operations in Cape Colony, July 1901 to May 1902, receiving the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 4 clasps. Higgin-Birket was advanced Captain on 5 September 1903 and was still serving with the 5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers on the outbreak of the Great War. Proceeding to France with the 2nd Battalion, he served with B Company on the Western Front from 14 September 1914. Having crossed the Aisne under heavy fire in September, his battalion, as part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division, was engaged during the Armentiéres and Messines operations in October, Higgin-Birket first gaining mention in the Regimental History for his part in the attack on Le Touquet on 18 October: ‘Early in the morning, “B” (Captain W. Higgin-Birkett) and “C” (Captain R. Luker) Companies advanced on the left of the Le Bizet-Le Touquet road, with “A” Company in support and “D” Company in reserve. The village was strongly held, the houses were loopholed and trenches were dotted about over open ground outside the village. Moreover the enemy was able to bring a cross-fire of artillery and rifles from the east bank of the River Lys and from the loopholed buildings of Frélinghien. As a result, progress was very slow, “B” and “C” Companies lost touch and a platoon of “A” Company was sent up to restore contact. But the enemy’s fire was so heavy that it was found necessary to reinforce this platoon...’(The History of the Lancashire Fusiliers 1914-1918, Volume I, by Major-General J. C. Latter, C.B.E., M.C. refers) On 28 October 1914, Higgin-Birket was reported missing presumed killed after he had been wounded in leading his Company in a successful counter attack against German infantry of the XIII Corps divisions and Infantry regiments 107 and 179 from XIX Corps. The German units had infiltrated through ruined buildings and overrun a battalion of the 18th Brigade holding a salient east of the La Bassée–Armentières railway near Rue du Bois: ‘Again, scarcely had the relief been completed when, at 2am on the 28th, the enemy attacked the 2nd Essex Regiment on the right of the battalion, which went to its support and helped to repel the assault. A second attack was made on the 1st East Yorkshire Regiment of the 18th Brigade, but it was held up in the wire between the first and second lines of trenches and was driven back by a counter-attack launched by the East Yorkshire Regiment and “B” Company of the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers. The enemy’s losses were estimated to be at least 200 killed. The battalion’s losses during the day were 4 men killed and Captain W. Higgin-Birket and 7 men wounded. Higgin-Birket had been hit in the head and started to walk back to the dressing station alone; nothing was ever heard from him again.’ (ibid) Captain William Higgin-Birket has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial, Belgium.