Bellmans Auctioneers & Valuers
Los 802
FREDERICK HAMILTON MARCH - an 'Australian Hero' (1881-1977). A ship's stowaway (from Sydney) at the age of thirteen, he spent some years in N. America - especially at General Motors (Detroit) working on cadillacs, returning in 1913 to his homeland with some of them, as a demonstrator / salesman. Later that year (with the future General Freyberg) he set out for the Mexican Revolution, but they then travelled back to England to enlist for WW1 - serving in the Royal Naval Division at Antwerp and Gallipoli. Later with the Australian Light Horse he served in Egypt and Palestine, and being seconded to Lawrence's Arab force he completed that tour of duty by driving the former into Jerusalem for the meeting with Allenby. Postwar saw him running a Cairo car hire business, and he was driving the Sudan Governor-General, Sir Lee Stack, in the city (1924) when the car was ambushed; all three occupants were wounded, Stack dying shortly afterwards. For his undoubted quick reaction & bravery at the time, March was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal (later superseded by the George Cross). During WW2 he served in the Middle East as a civil engineer (? possibly R.E. attached) Comprises: 18 line t.l.s. from R.V. Bardsley, Sudan Agency, Cairo (24/11/1924) writing on behalf of Lady Stack, with thanks for his courageous effort; 8 line t.l.s. from Field Marshal Allenby (as Egyptian High Commissioner), The Residency, Cairo (4/12/24) informing him of the gallantry award, Ceremonial Presentation 15 line t.l.s. (22/12/24) for the award; 5 line t.l.s. from Rudyard Kipling (20/2/29) written after a 'really interesting day and drive', Seramis Hotel, Cairo headed paper; 10 line a.l.s. from Allenby (20/2/30) of thanks and enquiring after him; 14 line t.l.s. (5/8/40) Shell Company (Egypt) informing him of a bonus 'in recognition of the wonderful work you did on the Sinai Road'; with 4 others of relevance; and a copy of Peter Sekuless's book - 'Fred: an Australian hero' (Univ. Queensland Press, 1981)
