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Lot 73

Six: Lieutenant F. W. Euridge, Royal Field Artillery 

1914 Star, with copy clasp (44810 Bmbr. F. Euridge. R.F.A.) official correction to first three letters of surname; British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut. F. W. Euridge.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Mahsud 1919-20, Waziristan 1919-21 (Lt. F. W. Euridge, R.A.); Delhi Durbar 1911, unnamed; France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre 1914 1916, with bronze palm, mounted court-style, nearly extremely fine (6) £400-£500 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2013. Croix de Guerre London Gazette 1 May 1917: Serjeant, Royal Field Artillery. Frederick William Euridge was born at Islington, Middlesex, on 15 August 1887. He joined the Royal Field Artillery in about 1908 and served in India prior to the outbreak of War, being transferred to the Army Reserve in November 1913. Upon mobilisation, he served in France and Belgium from 16 August 1914, rising to the rank of Sergeant. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 18 January 1917, and saw further service in India with the Waziristan and Mahsud Field Force 1919-22 with 134th Battery R.F.A. He retired in April 1923 and died at Ipswich, Suffolk, on 31 May 1927. Sold with copied research, all medals verified.

Lot 319

Pair: Colour-Sergeant J. T. Hammond, Royal Welsh Fusiliers India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (730 Corpl. J. T. Hammond, 1/R.W. Fus.); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (2268 Cr. Sgt. J. T. Hammond, R. Welsh Fus.) contact marks, generally very fine (2) £240-£280 --- Provenance: Llewellyn Lord Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2016. John Thomas Hammond enlisted in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers as a boy recruit in Dublin in April 1877, aged 14 years. Appointed a Bandsman in June 1880 and advanced to Lance-Corporal in January 1885, he was present in the Burma operations of 1885-87 (Medal & clasp). Having been promoted to Corporal in the latter period, he gained advancement to Sergeant in December 1887 and to Colour-Sergeant in April 1893. He was finally discharged at Carnarvon in May 1908, when he was described as ‘an excellent instructor and rifle shot’. For the medals awarded to Sergeant E. Hammond, believed to be the recipient’s father, see Lot 303.

Lot 218

The Second War and sporting medals awarded to Lance-Sergeant F. C. J. Jewell, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and one of the great athletic heroes of the Regiment 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; together with two Army Athletic Association medallions, unmarked silver, the reverses engraved ‘Army Championship 1937 Three Miles Aldershot Second’ and ‘Army Cross Country Team Championships, Windsor, 23 March 1939 Winning Team. 2/D.C.L.I. Pte. F. C. J. Jewell’.; a similar Aldershot Command Athletic Association medallion, unmarked silver, the reverse engraved ‘Command Cross Country Individual Championship, 1935-36 Winner Pte F. Jewell. The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.’; a smaller Eastern Command award, unmarked silver, the reverse engraved ‘Cross Country Championship 1939 Winning Team. Pte. F. C. J. Jewell. 2/D.C.L.I.’; and a Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs bronze medal, unnamed, very fine (8) £100-£140 --- Frederick Cyril James Jewell attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 14 November 1932. After completing training he was posted to the 2nd Battalion and sent to Gibraltar on 10 June 1933. Returned home to Blackdown and thence Shorncliffe in 1938, his unit went to France as part of the B.E.F. on 30 September 1939 and was withdrawn through Dunkirk on 1 June 1940. Transferred to the 30th Battalion on 4 September 1941, Jewell likely witnessed service in Algeria and Egypt before taking his discharge from the Colours on 2 February 1946.

Lot 322

Pair: Private C. Hosey, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers), who later received a few kicks from a one-legged ‘mad’ drunkard whilst serving as a Police Constable in Wiltshire Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal (3180 Pte. C. Hosey. 6/Drag: Gds); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3180 Pte. C. Hosey. 6th. Drgn: Gds:) mounted as worn on original ribands, contact marks and wear to naming, nearly very fine and better (2) £180-£220 --- Charles ‘Charlie’ Hosey was born in Farleigh Wick, near Bradford Upon Avon, Wiltshire, around 1875. A labourer by trade, he attested at Bath for the Corps of Dragoons on 4 September 1893 and was passed fit for service at Taunton the following day. Posted to South Africa from 3 November 1899 to 13 October 1900, and again from 11 March 1901 to 14 October 1902, he completed 12 years’ service as part of the Army Reserve and was discharged on 3 September 1905. Having married Hannah Bedford at Hinton Charterhouse, Somerset, on 30 December 1902, Hosey soon took employment as a Police Constable in his ‘home turf’ and set about raising a family. Despite the somewhat rural location of his policing, The Wiltshire Times of 10 October 1903 gives a rather interesting story regarding his early days on the beat: ‘A One-Legged Ruffian sent to Prison At the Devizes Police Court, on Saturday morning, before Messrs. R. D. Gillman (Presiding) and H. Biggs, a one-legged man named George Thornton, who said he was a shoemaker, was brought up in custody charged with being drunk and disorderly, and doing wilful damage to windows at the Waggon and Horses Inn, on the previous night. – P.C. Hosey said he was called to the Waggon and Horses, and there saw the prisoner being held by two men outside the inn. He was drunk and using filthy language. He became disorderly and abusive when witness took hold of him, and he was obliged to call on the assistance of a young man. They put Thornton on his crutch, and carried him up the street. When near Wadworth’s Brewery he got down in the road and refused to move. They procured a pair of trunks, and having with some difficulty put him on, they proceeded towards the Police Station. In the market place he succeeded in getting off the trunks, and when they were putting him back he kicked witness and the other man several times. They were obliged to get someone to hold him down as he was “perfectly mad.” – Inspector Collins remarked that he was the worst fellow that they had had in custody for the last twelve months…’ 

Lot 774

An Army Honour Roll Clasp. An excellent quality example of the type with 4 round pins on reverse, retaining all original gold finish. Unissued and still on the pale brown felt lining from the inside of the presentation case, extremely fine £600-£800

Lot 261

An impressive inter-War K.P.M. group of four awarded to Assistant Commandant C. L. Dunn, Burma Military Police, late Royal Fusiliers, who successfully put down an armed rebellion by capturing or killing the leader and his followers and taking control of a virtually impregnable Burmese fortress King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Capt. Cyril Leslie Dunn. I.A, Asstt. Commdt., Burma Mily. Police.); British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt. C. L. Dunn.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (Lieut. C. L. Dunn.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Waziristan 1921-24, Burma 1930-32, second clasp loose on riband, as issued (Capt. C. L. Dunn, 3-8 Punjab R.) ‘3’ of unit overstruck above ‘2’, mounted as worn, very fine and better (4) £600-£800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1930. The official recommendation published in The Gazette of India Extraordinary on 1 January 1930, states: ‘This Officer was in command of a party of Military Police from Loimwe that took action against a Muhso Hkunli (Pretender) who having collected armed followers was defying law and order in the Kengtung State in the Southern Shan States. The Assistant Superintendent in charge, having been unsuccessful in his efforts to make the Hkunli see reason and give up his warlike attitude was forced to call upon Captain Dunn and his party to attack the Hkunli and his followers in their bulletproof fort. It is reported that this fort must have taken years to complete; that it was perfect in its structure and its disposition and that special trenches had been dug for greater protection during rifle fire and for masking of men in case of an attack over the top. Owing to the disposition of the fort Captain Dunn was only able to make a reconnaissance from a ridge six miles away and found that the position could only be attacked from two sides. It was by this skilful reconnaissance (as there was no information available as to strength, etc., of the Hkunli’s followers) that Captain Dunn was able to make his plan of attack so that the fort was eventually taken without serious casualties and the Hkunli and many of his followers were killed. The operations commenced on the 9th March 1929 and ended on the 27th April 1929.’ Cyril Leslie Dunn was born on 10 February 1898, the son of Irish-born William Dunn of Stoke Bishop, Bristol. Privately educated, he served three months on the Somme from April 1916 with the 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, before being appointed to a commission in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers on 7 September 1915. Posted to the 7th Training Reserve Brigade at Dover, he embarked aboard a troopship to Egypt on 26 August 1917, arriving on 20 November 1917. Appointed Captain in the 3/8th Punjab Regiment on 28 May 1920 and transferred to India, Dunn rose to become Regimental Company Commander before taking appointment with the Burma Military Police on 9 February 1921. Furnished with excellent references and an appreciation of colloquial Burmese, he is later recorded in 1927 as Assistant Commandant of Military Police, South Shan States Battalion, Loimwe. Awarded the K.P.M. in 1930 as Assistant Commandant, Burma Military Police, Dunn retired in September 1934 and was transferred to the Indian Army Non Effective List in January 1936. Returned to India from Bristol in 1939 on War Reserve, further service during the Second World War was significantly hampered by illness, and Dunn was eventually released from duties at Bangalore on 2 April 1945 due to insomnia and chronic anxiety. Analysis of the recipient’s Army Service Record confirms overwork and excessive responsibility during long periods of service in India, a psychologist noting him 70% disabled with his career at an end. Sold with extensive copied research.

Lot 402

Five: Honorary Major E. L. Smith-Masters, Royal Signals, late Royal Engineers British War and Victory Medals (Capt. L. Smith-Masters.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Army Emergency Reserve Decoration, E.II.R., reverse officially dated ‘1954’ and privately engraved ‘Major E. L. Smith-Masters. R.E., R. Signals 1915-1944 France, Mesopotamia, N. Africa, U.K.’, with Second Award Bar dated ‘1954’ and Army Emergency Reserve top riband bar, the first four mounted as worn, the last loose in Royal Mint case of issue; together with the related miniature awards (the last a G.VI.R. rather than E.II.R. example), these similarly mounted, good very fine (5) £140-£180 --- Ernest Leslie Smith-Masters was born in Berkshire on 23 November 1889, the son of the Reverend John Ernest Cowburn Smith-Masters. Educated at Haileybury School, he was appointed to a commission in the Royal Engineers on 13 January 1915 and served in Mesopotamia from January 1916. Transferring to the Royal Signals, he was conferred with the Award of the Army Emergency Reserve Decoration in the London Gazette of 4 June 1954.

Lot 373

Four: Sapper R. Gates, Royal Engineers, who served as a Telegraphist on the Western Front 1914-15 Star (70119. Spr. R. Gates, R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (70119 Spr. R. Gates. R.E.); Imperial Service Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Roland Gates) very fine and better Three: Driver W. Postill, Royal Field Artillery, later Special Constabulary British War and Victory Medals (81371 Dvr. W. Postill. R.A.); Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Walter Postill) very fine and better (7) £80-£100 --- Roland Gates served as a pre-War telegraphist with the General Post Office and attested at Houghton Regis for the Royal Engineers Signal Service on 26 December 1914. Sent to France from 17 January 1915, he initially struggled with influenza before being posted to the cable section of ‘Q’ Signal Company on 29 April 1917. Posted to Germany with ‘E’ Corps Signal Company as part of the Army of Occupation, he was discharged to Army Reserve in 1919 and likely returned home to Camberwell shortly thereafter. Gates was later awarded the Imperial Service Medal in the London Gazette of 19 November 1948, whilst serving as Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist in Brighton. Walter Postill was born in 1896 and lived with his parents at 27 Windsor Crescent, Bridlington. A painter by trade, he attested for the Royal Field Artillery in his home town on 18 July 1915 and was posted to the 19th (R) Battery, R.F.A., on 14 December 1915. Sent to Mesopotamia from 20 January 1916 to 24 March 1919, his Army Service Record notes that he served with the 1/1st Sussex Battery and 6th Cavalry Brigade Ammunition Column before being transferred to the Army Reserve on 1 June 1919. It further includes a letter from his mother to the military authorities requesting news of him, adding: ‘We also have one other son missing since that month [November 1916] in France...’ Sold with copied research.

Lot 720

Memorial Plaque (4) (Ernest Cecil Beacham; William Trego; Percy Victor Roe; Percy Kitch) verdigris stains to the first, some polishing, generally very fine and better (4) £120-£160 --- Ernest Cecil Beacham, attested into the Royal Engineers for service during the Great War and served in Salonika, where he died on 25 December 1918. William Trego attested into the Royal Engineers for service during the Great War and served on the Western Front. He died of wounds on 15 May 1915 and is buried in Brandhoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. Percy Victor Roe attested into the Cheshire Regiment for service during the Great War. He was killed in action whilst serving with the 11th Battalion on the Western Front, on 1 June 1918, and is commemorated on the Soissons Memorial, France. Percy Kitch attested into the Army Service Corps for service during the Great War. He died at home on 31 October 1918 and is buried in Northmoor Green (St. Peter and St. John) Churchyard, Somerset. Sold with copied research.

Lot 241

A post-War O.B.E. group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. D. B. Thornton, Royal Corps of Signals, who served as the founding Officer and first Commandant of the Army School of Recruiting; he had previously been awarded the M.B.E. for his services with the British Army of the Rhine The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 3 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya, Cyprus, unofficial retaining rods between clasps (Maj. J. D. B. Thornton. R. Sigs.) very fine (6) £300-£400 --- O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1963. The original recommendation states: ‘17 October, 1960. Commandant, Army School of Recruiting. In 1960 it was found essential to inaugurate Courses for all Army recruiting and liaison staffs. This resulted in the formation of the Army School of Recruiting, of which Lieutenant-Colonel J. D. B. Thornton became the first Commandant in November, 1960. The opening of this School was undoubtedly one of the biggest of the factors which have contributed to the success of Army recruiting generally. Apart from organising the formation of the School, which in itself was a formidable task due to the need for urgency, Lt. Col. Thornton was charged with producing new recruiting doctrine and techniques which involved large scale research and a period of intensive thought and study. The difficulties of his problem were exacerbated by the fact that time was precious. All this resulted in an overall task of awesome proportions but Lieut. Col. Thornton faced it in such a determined and capable way, and with no thought whatever for the very severe strain he placed on himself, that it was completed well within schedule. The doctrine and techniques which he advised have been accepted virtually unchanged, and have undoubtedly been the basis of the startling improvement in Army recruiting figures in 1962. His duties have also included a very close liaison with the other two Services, the Ministry of Defence and Territorial Army. The results of his long hours of work and excellent organisational ability are directly reflected in the improvement of recruiting for the Regular Army and by his efforts he has given inspiration and been an example to all. Lieutenant-Colonel Thornton has been able to make a unique personal contribution to the future welfare of the Army. His devotion to duty and the excellent results he has achieved during a period so vital to the Regular Army are deserving of the highest commendation and recognition and well merit special consideration for appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.’ M.B.E. London Gazette 12 June 1958. The original Recommendation states: ‘This officer has been an inspiring leader and indefatigable worker in three and a half difficult years of reorganisation in Germany. His energy and farsightedness in tackling problems which might have proved insuperable to many; his insistence on the highest standards and his tireless efforts to promote the welfare of the Regiment have all set an example which few can hope to surpass. In every sphere of military activity, Major Thornton has set himself one aim - that of perfection. He has never allowed any matter to appear too detailed or too trivial to warrant his interest and attention. Foremost amongst his achievements has been the creation of excellent relations between the Regiment and the Staff, civilian and German organisations which have greatly lightened the administrative tasks of the Unit. In sport, too, especially cricket, his energy and infectious enthusiasm have created a similar wide circle of influence which can only but promote all that is best in the many sportsmen with whom he has come into contact. Both in his personal conduct and in his many achievements, Major Thornton has set the highest possible standards which have inspired officer and man alike to emulate.’ John Douglas Beauchamp Thornton was born in Cheshire on 20 May 1913 and was appointed to a commission in the Royal Corps of Signals on 24 March 1943. Raised Captain 27 May 1947, he served during the Jewish Revolt in Palestine and was appointed M.B.E. in the Queen’s Birthday Honours’ list in 1958. Awarded for service as Second in Command of the 5th Infantry Division Signal Regiment in Hereford and with the British Army of the Rhine, the citation notes: ‘his insistence on the highest standards and his tireless efforts to promote the welfare of the Regiment, have all set an example which few can hope to surpass.’ An energetic and enthusiastic cricketer, Thornton proved keen to promote sport as a means to bring out the best in his men. Such passion and ability to find ‘common ground’ with the younger recruits undoubtedly led to his later appointment as Commandant of the Army School of Recruiting and subsequent award of the O.B.E. Transferred from the Supernumerary List to the Special List on 21 May 1963, Thornton retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel on 20 May 1968. Sold with copied research.

Lot 231

A C.B. group of nine to Colonel Sir Arthur Davidson, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., King’s Royal Rifle Corps, later Assistant Private Secretary to King Edward VII, 1901-10, and afterwards Extra Equerry to the King and Equerry to Queen Alexandra The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with ribbon buckle, some loss to reverse central motif; Afghanistan 1878-80, 2 clasps, Ahmed Khel, Kandahar (Lieut: Arthur Davidson, 2/60th Foot); Kabul to Kandahar Star 1880 (Lieut: A. Davidson 2/60 Foot); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Lieut: A. Davidson. 2/K.R. Rif: C.); Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, this with additional fitment on lower reverse arm to aid mounting; Jubilee 1897, silver; Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911, mounted for wear, very fine or better (9) £3,600-£4,400 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006. Arthur Davidson was born on 12 November 1856, the son of W. Davidson of Welwyn, Hertfordshire, and was educated privately at Petersham. He joined the 60th Rifles in 1876 and served with the 2nd Battalion in the Afghanistan War from October 1878 to November 1880. There he took part in the advance on and occupation of Kandahar and Kelat-i-Ghilzie, and was present at the engagements at Ahmed Khel and Urzoo near Ghuznee, for which he was Mentioned in Despatches. He then served as Aide de Camp to Sir Donald Stewart at Kabul, and accompanied Sir Frederick Roberts in the march to Kandahar as Aide de Camp to Major-General Ross, and present at the battle of Kandahar, for which he was again Mentioned in Despatches. He then served in the Marri Expedition under General MacGregor and was in the first Boer War of 1881, with the Natal Field Force on signalling duty. In the Egyptian War of 1882 he was present at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir and was awarded the Turkish Order of Medjidie 5th Class. He next served in the Bechuanaland Expedition of 1884-85 under Sir Charles Warren on special service and as Acting Inspector of Army Signalling, for which he was for a third time Mentioned in Despatches. Davidson was appointed A.D.C. to H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge between 1890 and 1895; Groom-in-Waiting to the Queen from 1895 to 1896; Equerry-in-Waiting between 1896 and 1901; and created M.V.O. (4th Class) in 1896. As Equerry and Assistant Keeper of the Privy Purse, and Assistant Private Secretary to King Edward VII, between 1901 and 1910, he was created C.V.O. in 1901 and awarded the C.B. (Military) in 1902, K.C.V.O. in 1908, and K.C.B. (Civil) in 1910. Later appointed Extra Equerry to the King and Equerry to Queen Alexandra, he was awarded the G.C.V.O. in 1921 and was in receipt, amongst others, of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog, Japanese Orders of the Rising Sun, and Sacred Treasure and Greek Order of the Redeemer. Sir Arthur Davidson died on 16 October 1922.

Lot 260

A fine inter-War K.P.M. group of three awarded to Temporary Lieutenant Colonel A. C. E. Caiger, Indian Army and Burma Police, late County of London Yeomanry, who directed his men up a steep cliff face and then led a frontal attack against a ‘firebrand’ enemy and his outlaw supporters holed up in a converted Burmese monastery King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Capt. Arthur C. E. Caiger. I.A. Asst. Commdt. Burma Mil. Pol.) on gallantry riband; British War Medal 1914-20 (Lieut. A. C. E. Caiger); Victory Medal 1914-19 (Capt. A. C. E. Caiger.) good very fine (3) £600-£800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1923. The official citation published in The Gazette of India Extraordinary on 1 January 1923, states: ‘Late in 1919 information was received that a large body of outlaws intended to invade British territory from China. In December 1919 Captain Caiger was sent out to command an outpost to prevent these outlaws from crossing the border. In March 1920 a body of 47 armed men crossed the border and was driven out with loss, the leader, one Eing Da escaping. During the rains three temporary outposts were maintained on the Frontier under the command of Captain Caiger, who set to work to try and capture Eing Da and other leaders. In October he was rewarded by having one Man Chilu, a brother-in-law of Eing Da’s, arrested. By perseverance and tact he persuaded some loyal Shans to go far into China to obtain information about Eing Da, and on the night of the 31st December 1920 the Shans, acting under Captain Caiger’s orders, ran Eing Da to earth and arrested him. This left one dangerous firebrand named the Kyemong of Tawngma on the border. The temporary outposts were then withdrawn. On the 19th March 1922 a strong body of outlaws under the Kyemong of Tawngma descended on the Muse, in the Northern Shan States, burnt some houses and invested a monastery which was strengthened and converted into a Fort. Captain Caiger was despatched from Lashio with a party of Mounted Infantry, and by long and arduous marches, arrived on the 23rd March in time to take part in an attack on the enemy’s fort. He was detailed to lead the frontal attack and had to advance over an open plain and then to scale a steep cliff before he reached the fort. Captain Caiger led his men most gallantly under a very heavy fire from the fort and succeeded in driving out the outlaws with very heavy loss.’ Arthur Clarence Everett Caiger was born in West Ham, London, on 29 June 1895, the son of a bank manager. Educated at Whitgift School, he enlisted as a Trooper in the 3/3rd County of London Yeomanry on 26 August 1914 and was appointed to a commission in the 1/1st County of London Yeomanry on 8 November 1915. Transferred to the Indian Army 16 September 1917, he served as Captain in the Indian Army Service Corps (14th District Supply Company) from 27 July 1920 and was raised Major in the 18th Motor Transport Corps on 27 July 1934. Transferred to the Special Unemployed List 22 November 1937, Caiger was recalled to Special Command during the Second World War and was appointed General Staff Officer, 1st Grade, in the rank of Temporary Lieutenant Colonel on 15 October 1941. Appointed G.S.O. at the Directorate of Military Training and Assistant Director of Transport, Supplies and Transport Services on 21 November 1944, he retired in the spring of 1947. Sold with extensive copied research.

Lot 35

Three: Battery Sergeant-Major T. Colclough, Royal Artillery Afghanistan 1878-80, 1 clasp, Ali Musjid (6428 By. Qr. Mr. Sgt. T. Colclough, E/3 Bde. R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (6428. By. Qr. Mr. Sgt. T. Colclough, 3rd B. R.A.) test mark to edge; Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (B.S. Mjr: T. Colclough. R.A.) the first two with light contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine, the last good very fine (3) £400-£500 --- M.S.M. with annuity of £10 awarded 1 June 1914. He died on 18 February 1916.

Lot 55

Three: Battery Sergeant-Major W. E. Dickers, Royal Field Artillery, who served with 78th Battery in South Africa Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (28307 A. Br. W. E. Dickers, 78th Bty. R.F.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (28307 B.S. Mjr: W. E. Dickers. R.F.A.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (28307 B.S. Mjr: W. E. Dickers. B. 83/Bde: R.F.A.) edge bruising and contact marks to the first, nearly very fine and better (3) £240-£280 --- M.S.M. London Gazette 17 June 1918 (France). M.I.D. London Gazette 17 February 1915 (French’s despatch of 20 November 1914): ‘Sergeant, 68th Battery R.F.A.’ Sold with copied M.S.M., M.I.D. and Medal Index Cards which show entitlement to 1914 Star and clasp trio.

Lot 186

Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 2nd issue, large letter reverse, impressed naming (H. Sessford, Serjt. Royal Artillery.) fitted with original steel clip and rectangular bar suspension, good very fine £120-£160

Lot 239

A Field Marshal Montgomery ‘Arnhem’ Letter. A highly important and historical letter from Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery to Major General Roy Urquart, Commander of the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem. The letter, a fair office copy pen-signed by the Field Marshal, and dated 28 September 1944, just two days after the last withdrawal of the 1st Airborne Division, states: ‘I want to express to you personally and to every officer in your division my appreciation of what you all did at Arnhem for the allied cause. I also want to express to you my own admiration, and the admiration of us all in 21 Army Group, for the magnificent fighting spirit that your division displayed in battle against great odds on the north bank of the lower Rhine in Holland. There is no shadow of doubt that had you failed, operations elsewhere would have been gravely compromised. You did not fail, and all is well elsewhere. I would like all Britain to know that in your final message from the Arnhem area you said, “All will be ordered to break out rather than surrender, we have attempted our best and will continue to do our best as long as possible.” And all Britain will say to you, “You did your best, you all did your duty, and we are proud of you.” In the annals of the British Army there are many glorious deeds. In our Army we have always drawn great strength and inspiration from past traditions, and endeavoured to live up to the high standards of those that have gone before. But there can be few episodes more glorious than the epic of Arnhem, and those that follow after will find it hard to live up to the standards that you have set. As long as we have in the Armies of the British Empire officers and men who will do as you have done, then we can indeed look forward with complete confidence to the future. In years to come it will be a great thing for a man to be able to say: “I fought at Arnhem.” Please give my best wishes and grateful thanks, to every officer and man in your division.’ Signed: ‘B. L Montgomery, Field Marshal, C. in C., 21 Army Group, In the Field.’, mounted in a glazed display frame, generally good condition and a most important document £4,000-£5,000 --- The content and tone of this letter is full of emotion, for which Montgomery was not generally known, and it is obvious from this letter the huge impact that the final days of Arnhem had upon the rest of the British Army. Whilst the ‘legend’ of Arnhem has certainly grown over the years - thanks in no small part to the huge number of books, television programmes, and films on the subject - it is clear from the content of this letter that such adulation is not undeserved, and that the heroic defence of the perimeter and the bridge were clearly recognised at the very highest levels at the time.

Lot 286

A Second War ‘Anzio Beachhead’ Immediate M.M. group of eight awarded to Sergeant John Finnie, 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers Military Medal, G.VI.R. (3127966 Sjt. J. Finnie. R.S. Fus.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (3127966 Fsr. J. Finnie. R.S. Fus.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, mounted on card for display, light contact marks, otherwise good very fine (8) £1,000-£1,400 --- M.M. London Gazette 3 August 1944: ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy.’ The recommendation for the grant of an Immediate M.M. states: ‘Serjeant John Finnie, 2 Royal Scots Fusiliers, 17 Infantry Brigade, 5 Division, VI American Corps. Between 30th March and 3rd April 1944 in the BUON RIPOSO Valley Sjt Finnie was commanding the Signal Platoon, two Signal Officers in succession having been badly wounded. Owing to casualties only three other signallers remained to carry on at Bn HQ. Throughout these days Sjt Finnie was absolutely untiring in his work; heedless of his personal safety he in turn manned wireless sets, attended the switchboard and led line parties under almost continuous enemy shelling. In particular on 3rd April during a critical stage in the battle when Bn HQ area was being severely shelled, Sjt Finnie at great personal risk led a line party and worked in the open under direct fire from the enemy. Despite the fact that he was on one occasion knocked over and partially stunned by blast, Sjt Finnie sustained his work under continuous fire and succeeded in restoring communications. By his devotion to duty under fire and his unflagging energy Sjt Finnie thus ensured continuous communications and handed over an intact and efficient signal system to the relieving Bn. His conduct had a direct bearing in the holding of an important Sector of the ANZIO beachhead and was in the highest tradition of The Regiment.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 24 August 1944: ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy.’ John Finnie, according to an accompanying letter from the recipient himself, dated May 1967, ‘Joined the 1st Bn R.S.F. in Aug 1930. Served in Palestine, Egypt and India and demobilised in Nov 1937. Capped up as a Reservist in Aug 1939, and re-joined the R.S.F. but this time in the 2nd Bn. Was in action:- France and Belgium and Dunkirk. Madagascar 1942, India 1942-43. Syria, Iraq and Iran, Palestine, Egypt and N. Africa until Sicily. Sicily and Italy, from Italy to France, Belgium and Germany. Was in Lubeck when the War in Europe ended. Was demobbed in Nov 1946 with the rank of C.Q.M.S. “Mentioned in Despatches”, “Military Medal” and wounded in Italy.’ Sold with named Buckingham Palace enclosure for M.M., and above quoted letter, together with cap badge and copied research including original recommendation and extracts from the regimental history mentioning Finnie.

Lot 211

Pair: Second Lieutenant A. E. Painter, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry British War and Victory Medals (2.Lieut. A. E. Painter.) edge nicks to VM, generally very fine British War Medal 1914-20 (2) (Capt. C. J. Jarvis.; Lieut. K. A. Madge.) very fine (4) £80-£100 --- Archibald Ernest Painter was born in Tavistock, Devon, on 3 June 1888 and educated at Tavistock Grammar School. He initially served in the ranks with the 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, and was posted to France in November 1915. Remaining on the Western Front until June 1917, Painter was successful in his application for a commission and was gazetted to the 1/5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 21 December 1917. Released from military duty on 19 January 1919, it seems likely that he returned to his profession as a schoolmaster in Exeter. Sold with a file of copied research, including the recipient’s Officer Service Record; the former notes a second man with identical rank, initials and surname: Second Lieutenant Albert Ernest Painter of the Royal Engineers, who died of wounds on 14 April 1917 and is entitled to the BWM and VM. Cecil James Jarvis was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, on 13 July 1894, and attested at Minster for the Kent Cyclist Battalion on 21 August 1914. Recorded as a corn merchant and former Cadet Officer in the 2nd (Cadet) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he applied for a commission in the Army Service Corps in January 1915, his papers noting experience of horses, forage and transport work. Appointed Second Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry from 8 September 1915 (attached 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment), he suffered a shrapnel bullet through the left leg near La Vantie on 4 August 1916 and was removed to the 3rd London General Hospital soon thereafter. Operated upon, Jarvis spent the next three months in hospital before returning to light duties on 27 December 1916 with the Army Canteen Committee. Appearing before a special Medical Board at Caxton Hall in May 1917, it soon became clear that further treatment was required; sent to the Prince of Wales Hospital, he made a slow recovery and spent the final year of the war with the Army Canteen Service in Egypt. Sold with the recipient’s copied Army Service Record. Kenneth Alfred Madge was born on 6 November 1892 and worked as a land agent at Stratton in Cornwall. Attesting at Bodmin for the 4th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 17 September 1914, he was appointed Private in the 2/4th Battalion and sent to India from 9 October 1914. Posted to Lucknow and Bareilly on 31 December 1914, his papers note a tissue infection in April 1915 in consequence of a mosquito bite. Appropriately treated, he served in Aden from 28 January 1916 before being appointed to a commission in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers in the summer of 1917; the Indian Army List of October 1918 lists him as a Company Officer, attached 3rd Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles. Sold with an extensive file of copied research, with MIC confirming sole entitlement to the BWM and noting the recipient’s home address as Holyrood House, Chard, Somerset.

Lot 360

Three: Private A. W. Miller, Royal Marines Light Infantry 1914-15 Star (CH. 11241 Pte. A. W. Miller. R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (CH. 11241 Pte. A. W. Miller. R.M.L.I.) very fine Three: Private E. Addicott, Royal Fusiliers 1914-15 Star (10394 Pte. E. Addicott, R. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (10394 Pte. E. Addicott, R. Fus.) very fine Pair: Private J. Paramore, Royal Army Medical Corps 1914-15 Star (57905 Pte. J. Paramore, R.A.M.C.), Victory Medal 1914-19 (57905 Pte. J.Paramore. R.A.M.C.) nearly very fine, British War Medal 1914-20 (26607 Pte. H. J. Bowmer. G. Gds.) nearly very fine (9) £80-£100 --- Arthur William Miller, a carpenter from Baltonsborough, Glastonbury, Somerset, was born on 1 May 1877. He attested into the Royal Marines Light Infantry on 6 June 1895, and later served during the Great War in H.M.S. Rainbow and H.M.S. Niobe, before being discharged at the end of hostilities on 20 May 1919. Ernest Addicott, a carter from North Petherton, Somerset, was born in 1890. He attested into the Royal Fusiliers in January 1915, for service during the Great War and served at Gallipoli with the 2nd Battalion from 24 October 1915. Hospitalised the following January in Egypt with bronchitis, he was further hospitalised with influenza and pleurisy in France before returning Home, where he spent the rest of the War in hospital until his discharge in January 1919. He later died in 1971. Sold with copied research, British Legion and Royal Observer Corps badges, and an original photograph of Addicott in uniform.

Lot 83

Army L.S. & G.C., W.IV.R. (Quar. M.S. W. Unsworth, Royal Hon. (sic) Artillery.) fitted with steel clip and ring suspension, minor edge bruise, otherwise good very fine £400-£500 --- Provenance: Glendining’s, March 1988, L.S. & G.C. medal only. L.S. & G.C. medal signed for by the recipient in 1832. The name, rank and regimental detail occupy so much space that no year of award is shown. William Unsworth was born in the Parish of Tyldesly, Lancashire, and attested for the Royal Artillery at Bolton on 5 January 1800, aged 17 years. He was appointed Bombardier in March 1808, and subsequently: Corporal in November 1809; Sergeant in May 1813; Sergeant-Major in January 1819; and Quartermaster-Sergeant in March 1822. He served for a total of 32 years 90 days, having deducted one year underage and added two years for Waterloo. During his five years’ service in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, he was present at 13 battles and 17 skirmishes. His papers list the following battles: Busaco, Redinha, Sabugal, Fuentes D’Onor, Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Waterloo. Had he lived to claim the M.G.S. medal, he would have had 10 clasps. In addition to the 17 skirmishes also listed, his papers record service at the occupation of Bordeaux, subsequent operations upon the Dordogne, and the investment of the Fortress of Blaize - and that he was wounded twice the same morning at the battle of Nivelle. He was in Ramsay’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, at Waterloo. Quartermaster-Sergeant William Unsworth was discharged on 31 March 1831, his character being described as ‘one who is spoken of in the highest terms for his general good conduct and conspicuous gallantry in the field.’

Lot 12

A Second War ‘Anzio’ Immediate M.C. group of six awarded to Captain R. Holley, 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery Military Cross, G.VI.R. reverse officially dated 1944; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, together with named Buckingham Palace enclosure for M.C. ‘Captain R. Holley, M.C., Royal Regiment of Artillery’, very fine (6) £700-£900 --- M.C. London Gazette 26 October 1944. The recommendation for the grant of an Immediate M.C. states: ‘Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Ronald Holley, Royal Regiment of Artillery (Wolverhampton). This troop commander has throughout the ANZIO fighting displayed an attitude of calculated courage and undramatic dash that is exceptional. He does not take unnecessary risks at an OP, but if he thinks he can benefit his infantry he stops short at nothing and behaves with complete disregard for his own safety. After the retreat from the Factory area in February he did several tours of duty in OPs near PANTONI both with 3 Infantry Brigade and the Commandos. Morale was heavily tested, weather conditions were atrocious and the enemy was very aggressive. By carrying all his equipment across flooded streams he was able to establish two OPs on the exposed lips of wadis both of which he personally occupied until they were knocked out by mortars. Prior to operation ‘ANT’ (22 May 44) which was the opening phase of the break-out from the bridge-head it was necessary to reconnoitre two forward OPs. Capt Holley was not satisfied with the scanty view and disregarding the local infantry’s warnings of snipers within 300 yards repeatedly exposed himself in daylight on the top of the road the better to judge what zone would be viewed were a tunnel to be driven through the embankment at that point. He occupied that OP during operation ‘ANT’ unperturbed by the explosion of a dump of mortar bombs close by which sent flame through the tunnel, burning some of his equipment and scorching all the occupants. During the advance of 18 Infantry Brigade to the TIBER on June 4th enemy resistance was met south of VALLERENEILO. Capt Holley immediately worked his way forward on foot entering the village ahead of all the infantry, and was able to report by wireless the existence of several MGs and the subsequent flight of the enemy. From there he went on to the TIBER, disregarding various parties of the enemy, in an attempt to prevent the destruction of the bridge at 6857. Although arriving simultaneously with elements of the Recce Regt he was too late to prevent it being blown, but immediately sent back a detailed report of the extent of the damage which was of great help in deciding where a crossing might be affected. His complete disregard of personal risk whenever it threatens to reduce the efficiency of his OP is both admirable and characteristic of his work during the last four months fighting.’

Lot 248

A Boer War D.C.M. group of three awarded to Lance-Corporal S. Fearnside, Scots Guards Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (8360 L. Corpl. S. Fearnside. 2nd Scots Gds:) officially impressed naming; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (8360 L. Corpl. S. Fearnside. 2nd Scots Gds:) contemporarily re-engraved naming; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (8360 Corpl: S. Fearnside. Scots Guards.) engraved correction to initial, mounted as worn on contemporary wearing bar, good very fine (3) £1,400-£1,800 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 31 October 1902. Initial not shown in Gazette but given as ‘F’ for D.C.M. announced in Army Orders as published in the Dundee Evening Telegraph, and as ‘W’ on the rolls for both campaign medals. M.I.D. London Gazette 29 July 1902. Stephen Fearnside was born on 10 November 1868, at Old Deer, Aberdeen, and originally attested for the Royal Artillery on 2 February 1887, a gardener by trade, and served one year 94 days with the 1st Brigade Field Artillery, before purchasing his discharge for £18. After a short period working as a porter for the Midland railway at Bredbury Station, he enlisted into the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards at Stockport on 27 August 1889, serving with them until 27 August 1896, when he transferred to the reserve. He was recalled to the colours upon the outbreak of the Second Boer War and joined the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards on 26 December 1899. He served with the battalion in South Africa from 15 March 1900 to 15 August 1902, being appointed Lance-Corporal in December 1900. He was transferred to the 3rd Battalion on 18 August 1902, and discharged at the end of the same month. Sold with copied discharge papers and other research.

Lot 690

Army L.S. & G.C. (2), V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (Gunr T. Davis. Coast Bde. R.A.); E.VII.R. (70284 C.Q.M. Sjt: H. J. Johnson. R.G.A.) naming faint in places on first, generally very fine (2) £80-£100

Lot 63

The Boer War pair awarded to Bombardier Alfred Delooze, “Q” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, who was seriously wounded in the ‘V.C. action’ at Sannah’s Post on 31 March 1900 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Driefontein, Transvaal (15103 Dr. A. Delooze, Q. B., R.H.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (15103 Bomb: A. Delooze. R.H.A.) good very fine (2) £600-£800 --- Alfred Delooze was born in India and attested for the Royal Artillery in Manchester on 24 April 1896, aged 22 years 9 months, a barman by trade. Posted to the Field Artillery Depot as a Driver, he transferred to “Q” Battery Royal Horse Artillery, on 23 October 1896, serving as a Driver with that battery in South Africa from 19 December 1899 to 6 October 1902. His papers confirm that he was ‘Seriously wounded at Sanna’s Post 31/3/00’, received the Queen’s medal with 3 clasps, and the King’s medal with 2 clasps. Delooze was appointed Acting Bombardier on 6 September 1900, and was posted to one-pounder Maxims on 6 March 1902. Transferred to 1st Class Army Reserve in April 1903, he was discharged on 23 April 1908. Resulting from De Wet’s ambush of General Broadwood’s Brigade at Korn Spruit (Sanna’s Post), “Q” Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, behaved with great gallantry and managed to save four of its guns from an apparently hopeless situation. The conduct of the battery was praised by Brigadier-General Broadwood in his report on the action. As a result of this report, Lord Roberts took the unusual step of ordering the battery to ballot for the Victoria Cross, to choose one officer, one non-commissioned officer, one gunner and one driver to receive the coveted award, there being no other fair way to choose four from so many who performed with such heroism that day. As a result, Major Edmund John Phipps-Hornby, Sergeant Charles Edward Haydon Parker, Gunner Isaac Lodge, and Driver Horace Henry Glassock were each awarded the Victoria Cross. Driver Arthur Delooze’s name would have been in the ballot for the Victoria Cross to the ‘Driver’. Sold with copied discharge papers.

Lot 202

A post-War B.E.M., M.S.M. group of seven awarded to Acting Chief Inspector J. Chaffin, War Department Constabulary, late Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 2nd issue (John Chaffin); 1914-15 Star (9148 Cpl. J. Chaffin. D. of Corn: L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (9148 Sjt. J. Chaffin. D. of Corn. L.I.) unit partially corrected on VM; Defence Medal; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (5429139 W.O. Cl.II. J. Chaffin. D.C.L.I.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.VI.R., 3rd issue (5421939 W.O. Cl.I. J. Chaffin. D.C.L.I.) edge bruising, contact marks and polishing to Great War medals, these good fine, the remainder good very fine (7) £400-£500 --- B.E.M. London Gazette 2 January 1950. John Chaffin was born in the Parish of Kingsland, near Southampton, on 29 March 1890. A labourer by trade, he attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on 19 October 1908 and served as a Private in South Africa from 10 February 1910 to 21 December 1912. Transferred to Hong Kong, he returned home to England on 20 September 1914 and joined the British Expeditionary Force in France on 19 December 1914. Raised Acting Sergeant two months later, his Army Service Record notes that he received a bullet wound to the right arm on 13 May 1915. Evacuated across the Channel, this marked the end of his Great War campaign. Remaining in the service of the D.C.L.I., Chaffin was awarded his 1st Class Certificate of Education at Ballykinlar in Northern Ireland on 5 April 1921. Posted to Egypt in March 1922, he was appointed Acting R.S.M. at the Small Arms School (Pachmarhi) in 1929 and permitted to continue in the service beyond 21 years soon thereafter. He finally took his discharge at his own request in 1935 and settled with his wife and son in Nottingham. Taking employment as a Constable in the city’s police force, he later served with the War Department Constabulary at Woolwich during the Second World War. Promoted Acting Chief Inspector in May 1941, he returned to Didcot (Berkshire) in March 1945 and was recognised for his valuable service with the War Department Constabulary in the New Year’s Honours List of 1950. Sold with the recipient’s original warrant for promotion to Warrant Officer Class II; and a file of copied research.

Lot 17

A Second War ‘Crossing of the River Arno’ M.M. group of five awarded to Lance-Bombardier T. H. Plummer, 26 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery Military Medal, G.VI.R. (1680141 L. Bmbr. T. H. Plummer. R.A.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted for display, good very fine (5) £500-£700 --- M.M. London Gazette 8 March 1945. The recommendation for the grant of an immediate M.M. states: ‘Gunner (L/Bdr) Thomas Henry Plummer, (26 LAA Regt) Royal Artillery. On 26 Aug 44, No 1680141 L/Bdr Plummer T H was in charge of a “smoke” site on the NORTH bank of the River ARNO which his Bty were engaged in smoking the approaches to and the bridges of at PONTASSIEVE. By mid afternoon a number of the men were badly affected by the smoke and some had to be evacuated. L/Bdr Plummer then took over the next site to his own and later assisted in lighting and portering generators to all six sites in his area. During the whole operation the area was being continuously shelled and it was by his courage, example, and disregard for his own personal safety that made the operation a success and denied observation of the crossing to the enemy.’

Lot 457

Ten: Major C. Cox, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, late Black Watch General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine, Malaya, second clasp loose on riband, as issued (2751837 Sjt. G. Cox. Black. Watch.) initial officially corrected - see footnote; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, these all privately engraved ‘132487 Major G. Cox. Black Watch’; U.N. Korea 1950-54 (132487 Major G. Cox. Black Watch) privately engraved naming; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Kenya (132487 Major G. Cox. Black Watch) renamed; Coronation 1953 (132487 Major G. Cox. Black Watch) privately engraved naming; Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue, Regular Army (Capt. G. Cox. Foresters.) mounted court-style for display, suspension loose on last, traces of lacquer, generally very fine (10) £240-£280 --- George Cox attested for the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch), and served with the 2nd Battalion in pre-War Palestine, the medal roll showing that his medal was initially issued with the incorrect initial ‘J’. He was commissioned temporary Second Lieutenant in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment on 25 May 1940, and was advanced Captain on 15 June 1943, and temporary Major on 10 July 1945. He was confirmed in the rank of Major on 19 September 1953, ands subsequently served on attachment to the King’s African Rifles. He relinquished his commission on 1 October 1956. Sold with copied research which indicates, despite what is engraved on the medals, that the recipient never held a commission in the Black Watch.

Lot 642

A 1914-15 Star awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. Locke, Inland Water Transport, Royal Engineers, late Army Service Corps, who was admitted in July 1917 to the ex-Officer’s Hospital at St Omer, suffering from an ulcer of an amputation stump, and was Mentioned in Despatches The War having significantly changed his outlook on life, Locke was caught ‘in flagrante’ with his French maid, but was - somewhat remarkably - forgiven by his wife, and ordered to resume his ‘conjugal rights’ by the Divorce Court 1914-15 Star (Lieut. R. Locke. A.S.C.) good very fine £60-£80 --- M.I.D. London Gazette 17 December 1918: ‘For distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty.’ Roderick Luck Locke was born at Hartlip, Kent, on 12 September 1875. Educated locally at Borden School, Locke travelled to South Africa where he married Eleonore Meyer Polson at Bloemfontein on 15 February 1906. Appointed to a commission with the Army Service Corps, he served as a Lieutenant in the Balkans from May 1915. According to The Globe Newspaper on 31 January 1921, Locke’s marriage began to crumble following cessation of the Great War: ‘The “Wanderlust”… Husband who preferred to remain in Cologne. Roderick Locke, said to have been a Captain in the Royal Army Service Corps and now living in Cologne, was respondent in the Divorce Court this afternoon, when Mrs. Eleanor Myer [sic] Locke of St. Charles’ Square, Notting Hill, secured a decree for restitution of conjugal rights. Petitioner said she married respondent at Bloemfontein in February, 1906, and lived with him afterwards in South Kensington, and later in Africa and Canada. On return from Canada her husband joined the Army Service Corps. In August, 1919, she joined him at Cologne, and there saw him familiar with his French maid. She forgave him, however, and lived with him, but afterwards returned to London. She wrote asking him to give up the idea of living as a civilian in Germany. He replied that he could not leave his business in Cologne, and that if she did not like living there they must live apart. “In any case,” the letter continued, “I prefer to be free, as my affairs tend to hold me as a man without a home. The war has increased in me the wanderlust, which has held me for the last 30 years, and I see no chance in it abating as I grow older.” “Choose your own life.” “The idea of a settled humdrum existence is still abhorrent to me. Choose your own life now, and my efforts will be directed towards helping you in every way, bar sharing it with you. I am very, very sorry, and I have suffered accordingly, but I cannot help it. Best of luck and happiness that you can screw out of this rotten old world – Yours, Rod.” Having listened to the full particulars of the case, His Lordship Sir Henry Duke granted a decree, to be complied with within 14 days. This was clarified in the Daily Mail: ‘A decree for the restitution of conjugal rights to be obeyed by her husband, Roderick Locke, within 14 days.’ Locke died at his home, 154 Woodlands Road, Hillary, Durban, on 26 August 1946. Remaining married to Eleonore, she later made a claim for a widow’s pension.

Lot 880

A French Marine Flintlock M.1786/An.IX 1800 Carbine. Overall length 114cm, barrel 76cm. Lock marked 'Manufr. Imp. de Charveleville'. A very rare gun, the only difference between this and the standard French Army AnIX carbine is that the Navy carbine’s centre band was brass and the Army’s was iron, brass not rusting. These carbines were usually issued to sharpshooters manning the upper platforms of French warships, and it might well have been a carbine of this pattern that was used to shoot Admiral Nelson, very good condition £800-£1,000 --- This is an age restricted lot: the successful buyer will be required to either collect in person, or arrange specialist shipping.

Lot 367

Three: Lieutenant P. E. Bryan, Royal Engineers Signal Service 1914-15 Star (74662 Sjt. P. E. Bryan. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. P. E. Bryan.) good very fine Pair: Sergeant W. C. Mather, No. 13 Signal Company, Royal Engineers, who served at Murmansk in 1919 British War and Victory Medals (62277 Sjt. W. C. Mather. R.E.) in named card boxes of issue, extremely fine (5) £80-£100 --- Philip Edmund Bryan was born in Islington, London, in 1888. Appointed Temporary Boy Clerk (General Post Office) in the London Gazette of 5 February 1904, he was advanced to a Civil Service Commission in the London Gazette of 21 September 1905. Taking residence at Herne Hill Road in Brixton, he later attested for the Royal Engineers and served in France as a Sergeant from 7 October 1915. Discharged to a commission, he remained with the Royal Engineers throughout the Great War and later applied for his 1914-15 Star in 1919 as a Lieutenant in ‘L’ Signal Company. Returning home to London, Bryan resumed his pre-War civilian employment as a telegraphist at the Central Telegraph Office (G.P.O.) and set about raising a family with his wife Ada. Walter Charles Mather was born in Woolwich in 1891 and lived with his parents at 8 Basildon Road, Plumstead, London. A wireless operator’s assistant, he attested for the Royal Engineers at Woolwich on 12 January 1915 and was posted to No. 13 Signal Company. Taking courses of instruction at Chatham, Bulford and Woking, he qualified as Proficient Electrician on 25 April 1915, and later became a wireless operator and instructor. Raised Skilled Electrician on 28 September 1917, he served with Headquarters, Eastern Command, from 25 June 1918 (50 Pall Mall, London), and is recorded upon his Army Service Record as being posted to Murmansk on 22 August 1919. Sold with copied Army Service Record.

Lot 619

King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (5774 Pte. J. McLaren. Scots Guards.) edge bruise, contact marks, otherwise very fine £50-£70 --- James McLaren, a printer from St. Cuthbert Edinburgh, attested into the Scots Guards Militia before enlisting into the Scots Guards on 9 August 1883. Serving in the Army Reserve until September 1899, he re-enlisted on 9 October 1899 and served in South Africa with the 2nd Battalion during the Boer War from 15 March 1900 to 4 August 1902. Also entitled to a Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Transvaal, and Wittebergen, he was discharged on 8 October 1903.

Lot 207

An unusual father and son Family Group: Three: Private J. Mulhall, 46th Regiment of Foot Crimea 1854-56, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (John Mulhall 46th Regt) depot impressed naming; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (3053 John Mulhall 46th. Foot) officially impressed; Turkish Crimea 1855, British issue (3053. J. Mulhall. 46th. Regt.) contemporarily engraved naming, pierced as issued and subsequently fitted with a Crimea-style suspension, all mounted upon contemporary top silver brooch buckles, the first two by E. & E. Emanuel, Portsmouth, edge bruising, nearly very fine and better Three: Sergeant H. S. Mulhall, Army Service Corps, late Royal Garrison Artillery 1914-15 Star (M2-046468 Sjt. H. S. Mulhall, A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals (M2-046468 Sjt. H. S. Mulhall. A.S.C.) mounted as worn, very fine (6) £600-£800 --- Only a detachment of the Regiment, 6 Officers and 225 men, made up of Sir George Cathcart’s Honour Guard and two companies of the Advance Party, were present at the Battle of the Alma on 20 September 1854, and the subsequent actions at Balaklava and Inkermann. John Mulhall was born in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1838. He enlisted in his home town for the 46th Regiment of Foot on 7 February 1854, giving a false age of 18 years. Posted to the Crimea with two advance companies of the Regiment, Mulhall took part in the battles of the Alma, Balaklava and Inkermann, and was present at the Siege of Sebastopol. At some time appointed Orderly to Major-General Sir Robert Garrett, Mulhall went on to serve for almost a year on the island of Corfu, followed by 5 years and 201 days in the East Indies. Awarded the LSGC Medal on 10 August 1872, he was discharged from the Army at his own request on completion of a second period of limited engagement, with over 21 years of service to the Colours. With his conduct described as ‘very good’ and five entries in the Regimental Defaulter’s Book, Mulhall relocated to Portsmouth; he is later recorded in 1891 as living and working at Fort Purbrook in Hampshire as a Barracks labourer. Horace Scammell Mulhall, son of the above, is recorded in 1901 as a Corporal in the Royal Garrison Artillery, stationed at Rowner Fort, Alverstoke. He transferred to the Army Service Corps and served in France from 4 September 1915. Sold with copied research including the Army Service Record of Private John Mulhall.

Lot 898

A French Cuirrassier's M.1807 Backplate. Nine brass studs along the bottom edge and six around the neck. There is a musket ball hole on the lower right side. By the size of the hole it would be reasonable to assume that this was caused by a British musket ball. It would have carried with it into the wearer’s body the scraps of steel from the armour, plus material from the liner and his uniform, almost certainly killing him, good condition, apart from the bullet hole £360-£440 --- As the British Army had not faced French Cuirrasiers in the Peninsula, it would be reasonable to assume that this was brought back from Waterloo. See Waterloo Witnesses by K. Hughes for many mentions of Cuirrasiers armour and its being a very popular souvenir.

Lot 222

Crimea 1854-56, 1 clasp, Sebastopol (Colr. Sert. Wm. Troop: 46th. Ft.) engraved naming, edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine £160-£200 --- William Troop was born in Ballybantry, County Antrim, Ireland, around 1817. He attested at Belfast for the 46th Regiment of Foot on 17 July 1835 and likely marched from Belfast to Enniskillen on 16 May 1836 when his Regiment was ordered to furnish detachments in aid of the civil power. Advanced Corporal on 8 January 1838, Troop witnessed postings to Gibraltar and Barbados, being encamped on the Savannah until 18 April 1842. Transferred to Stone Barracks, he was convicted by Regimental Court Martial of being drunk on duty, and was reduced in rank on 1 June 1842. Embarked for Nova Scotia aboard Resistance on 23 February 1845, Troop spent four months quartered in the South Barracks at Halifax before embarking with Apollo for Eastern Canada. Transferred to the steamer Canada at Quebec, the regiment arrived at Montreal on 23 July and proceeded aboard the Prince Albert for La Prairie. Arriving at Tête de Pont Barracks, Troop was raised Sergeant on New Year’s Day 1847. Sent to Nova Scotia, he finally returned home to England in the summer of 1848, and was thus present to witness the controversy relating to the bullying of junior officers which delayed the departure of the Regiment for the Crimea; the affair was later detailed in The Murder of a Regiment by Major Colin Robins: ‘Excessive ragging, to the point of bullying, of one officer by his colleagues was unfortunately not unknown in the Victorian army and Perry, goaded repeatedly by Greer, eventually attacked his tormentor with a silver candlestick.’ Sent to the Crimea, Troop was one of a handful of men to survive the winter of 1854-55 relatively unscathed and without a day of sickness. Returned to Winchester, Troop was discharged after 21 years of service in the rank of Staff Sergeant of Militia. He went on to serve a brief spell with the 2nd Royal Cheshire Militia at their Macclesfield Depot, before settling into family life at Crompton Road, Macclesfield. Sold with a file of copied research.

Lot 385

Three: Corporal W. W. Butt, 13th (County of London) Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion), London Regiment, later Labour Corps and Army Service Corps 1914-15 Star (4351 Pte. W. W. Butt. 13-Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (4351 Cpl. W. W. Butt. 13-Lond. R.) good very fine Three: Private E. Selleck, 13th (County of London) Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington Battalion), London Regiment and Machine Gun Corps 1914-15 Star (2581 Pte. E. Selleck. 13-Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2581 Pte. E. Selleck. 13-Lond. R.) court-mounted for display, minor staining to obverse of VM, good very fine (6) £80-£100 --- Wilfred Watkin Butt attested for the London Regiment and served with the 13th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 4 December 1915. Transferring to the Labour Corps on 19 July 1917, and later to the Army Service Corps, he was disembodied on 15 June 1919. Ernest Selleck attested for the London Regiment and served with the 13th Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 5 March 1915. Transferring to the Machine Gun Corps, he was disembodied on 9 February 1919. Sold with a brass cap badge and shoulder title for the 13th Battalion, London Regiment, the former polished.

Lot 287

A superb Second War ‘North West Europe’ crossing of the River Ijssel and attack on Arnhem M.M. group of five awarded to Corporal F. Walton, 2nd Battalion (Princess Louise’s Kensington Regiment), Middlesex Regiment, who maintained communication at his control post when all the buildings around around him were pounded by enemy artillery and shattered by ammunition dump explosions. Hit by shrapnel, he proceeded to save three carriers from a completely untenable ‘holocaust’ of fire and set a magnificent example of bravery to his comrades Military Medal, G.VI.R. (4616498. Cpl. F. Walton. Midd’x. R.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, minor edge bruising to MM, good very fine (5) £1,200-£1,600 --- M.M. London Gazette 12 July 1945. The original recommendation for an ‘immediate’ Military Medal by General H. D. Crerar, G.O.C.-in-C., First Canadian Army, later passed by Field Marshal and Commander in Chief Sir B. L. Montgomery, states: ‘On the night 12/13 April 1945, 49 (WR) Division forced the River Ijssel and attacked Arnhem. For the operation it was necessary for No. 12 4.2 Mortar Platoon to take up a very exposed position on the bank of the Neder Rijn immediately south of Arnhem to enable the Platoon to support both the assault river crossing and the attack on the town. It was also necessary to dump a large quantity of mortar ammunition, both High Explosive and Phosphorous Smoke. Corporal Walton was Driver Operator of this platoon. The platoon came under extremely heavy enemy arty fire, which set fire to a large ammunition dump. This ammunition immediately exploded, igniting the houses in the vicinity and the remaining dumps of ammunition. The house in which the Control Post was situated became a blazing inferno. Corporal Walton, entirely undaunted and regardless of his own safety, remained at his post operating his set and maintaining vital communication. He did not leave his post until the wall of the house collapsed and the No. 22 Set which he was operating was hit by shrapnel and completely destroyed, Corporal Walton being severely injured. The area, by this time, had become not only completely untenable but a holocaust. The mortar ammunition was exploding in all directions and naturally this brought down further accurate enemy artillery fire. Corporal Walton, although injured, showed unexampled bravery by running three times into the centre of the danger and personally driving away the only three carriers which had not already been destroyed. He faced almost certain death by entering the danger area to drive away the vehicles and during the time that he remained at his post operating the wireless set. By so doing he set a magnificent example of bravery. His devotion to duty was of the very highest order, far surpassing his normal responsibility.’ Frederick Walton was recommended on 22 April 1945 for the ‘immediate’ award of the Military Medal following the storming of the River Ijssel by assault troops of the Allied Armies tasked with the liberation of the Netherlands from the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Repeated delayed due to poor weather, the crossing of this heavily defended natural barrier was finally achieved by Canadian I and II Corps, with the British 49th Infantry Division taking Arnhem; using leapfrogging techniques, three infantry Brigades succeeded in capturing the city within four days. Less than two weeks after the battle a general truce brought major combat operations in Holland to an end, and on 4 May 1945, Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of all German forces in the Netherlands, preceding the end of the Second World War in Europe. Sold with original named Buckingham Palace enclosure and card box of issue for M.M., with medal entitlement slip, this hand annotated ‘4616498. Cpl. F. Walton, Middlesex Regiment, M.M. L.G. 12.07.45.’

Lot 14

A Great War ‘East Africa’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Technical Sergeant-Major J. Rankine, Royal Garrison Artillery Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (25534 Sjt: J. Rankine. R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (25534 T.W.O. Cl. 1 J. Rankine. R.A.) number officially corrected; Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (25534 T.S. Mjr. - A.C. J. Rankine. D.C.M. R.G.A.) very fine (4) £800-£1,000 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 11 May 1917 (East Africa): ‘For valuable services cheerfully given under adverse conditions. His work has been carried out with marked efficiency.’ (The award of the M.S.M. published in the Gazette of 1st February is hereby cancelled). M.I.D London Gazette 6 August 1918 (East Africa): Despatch of Lieut.-General Sir J. L. Van Deventer, K.C.B., dated 21 January 1818, for ‘Distinguished services during the operations from 30 May to December 1917.’

Lot 95

Military General Service 1793-1814, 4 clasps, Busaco, Albuhera, Badajoz, St. Sebastian (J. Ferrier, Serjt. R. Arty. Drivers.) sometime mounted, most of reverse legend missing, heavily pitted and naming indistinct in parts, fine £400-£500 --- John Ferrier served as a Sergeant in “E” Troop, Royal Artillery Drivers, ‘With the Army - unattached.’ (Vigors’ roll refers)

Lot 639

1914 Star (11724 S. Mjr. J. M. Maxwell. R.A.M.C.); British War Medal 1914-20 (330052 Pte. J. G. Thistel C.F.A.) unofficially renamed; Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (William Mackay); Victory Medal 1914-19 (2) (L-7566 Pte. G. J. Guile. R. Suss. R.; 803211 Pte. R. Clare. 4-Can. Inf.) surname corrected on last, nearly very fine (5) £80-£100 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- J. M. Maxwell attested for the Royal Army Medical Corps and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 20 August 1914. He was commissioned Lieutenant (Quartermaster) on 9 May 1915, and finished the War with the rank of Captain.

Lot 345

Five: Company Quartermaster Sergeant E. R. Hole, Royal Engineers, later Royal Signals 1914 Star, with clasp (23305 Cpl. E. R. Hole. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (23305 Sjt. E. R. Hole. R.E.); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Waziristan 1919-21, Mahsud 1919-20 (23305 Sjt. E. R. Hole, R.E.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (1850266 Sjt. E. R. Hole. R. Signals.) polishing to high relief, good fine to nearly very fine (5) £160-£200 --- Ernest Robert Hole was born in Chilworth, near Guildford, around 1888, and attested for the Royal Engineers at New Cross on 15 March 1906. An engine cleaner by trade, he soon acquired certificates in telephony and signalling, and was posted to France with the 6th Signal Company, Royal Engineers, on 8 September 1914. Raised Sergeant, he transferred to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in February 1917 and was later posted to the North-West Frontier of India during the Third Afghan War. Sent with a detachment of ‘L’ Company to Jubbelpore, he transferred to the Royal Signals and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1924. Raised Company Quartermaster Sergeant, Hole was discharged from service at Colchester on 1 March 1927, his reference offering a fitting testimony to a man who had served over 21 years with the Colours: ‘C.Q.M.S. Hole has proved himself to be a thoroughly reliable, hardworking, keen, efficient N.C.O. He is honest, sober and energetic with plenty of self confidence. He is trustworthy and painstaking in his work, with considerable experience and initiative, and moreover has the power of command. I can most strongly recommend him for any employment he wishes to take up.’ Sold with copied service record and research confirming entitlement.

Lot 328

Pair: Sapper H. March, Royal Engineers Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (1295 Sapr. H. March. R.E.) engraved naming; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (1295 Sapr. H. March. R.E.) the KSA with re-pinned suspension and slightly bent suspension bar, edge bruising, nearly very fine (2) £120-£160 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 1999. Harry March was born in Poplar in 1875 and attested at Woolwich for the Royal Engineers on 7 October 1897. A fitter by trade, he qualified Skilled Telegraphist (Line) on 4 July 1899 and served in South Africa from 21 October 1899 to 16 October 1902. Transferred to the Army Reserve at Weymouth in 1905, he was discharged upon termination of his first period of engagement on 6 October 1909. Sold with copied medal roll extracts and other research.

Lot 196

Special Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (3192 Gnr: T. Murphy. Wicklow R.F.A.) very fine £300-£400 --- Army Order 279 of November 1908. 31 medals issued to the Wicklow R.F.A.

Lot 375

Three: Private F. G. Berry, Devonshire Regiment 1914-15 Star (11581 Pte. F. G. Berry. Devon: R.); British War and Victory Medals (11581 Pte. F. G. Berry. Devon: R.) polished, some staining, good fine Three: Acting Sergeant C. W. Curtis, Somerset Light Infantry 1914-15 Star (1025 Cpl. C. W. Curtis. Som. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (1025 A. Sjt. C. W. Curtis. Som. L.I.), some staining, very fine Three: Private H. Slocombe, Army Veterinary Corps 1914-15 Star (SE-10893 Pte. H. Slocombe. A.V.C.); British War and Victory Medals (SE-10893 Pte. H. Slocombe. A.V.C.) very fine (9) £100-£140 --- Frederick George Berry, a motor cleaner from Teignmouth, Devon, was born in 1897. He attested into the Devonshire Regiment in September 1914, for service during the Great War and served on the Western Front from 22 September 1915, before later service in Salonika, where he contracted malaria and, in April 1917, received a wound to his arm and knee. Later further hospitalised due to malaria, he was discharged in January 1919. Charles Walter Curtis, a tailor from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was born in Paddington, London, in 1891. He attested into the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry in 1905 and served during the Great War with the 1/4th Battalion, first in India, then later in Mesopotamia from 29 August 1915. He died on 4 August 1917, two days after an operation to remove an abscess from his liver, and is buried in Basra War Cemetery, Iraq. Henry Slocombe, a farm labourer from Aller Moor, Somerset, was born in Blakeway, Wedmore, Somerset, in 1875. He attested into the Army Veterinary Corps for service during the Great War and served on the Western Front from 13 September 1915. He died in Rooksbridge, Somerset in 1935. Sold with card identity discs named to Slocombe; and copied research.

Lot 42

Three: Battery Sergeant-Major E. Flanagan, Royal Artillery Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, Tamaai (15587. Sergt. E. Flanagan, M/1st Bde. R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (15587. By. Sgt. Maj: E. Flanagan. R.A.) official correction to surname; Khedive’s Star, dated 1884, unnamed, the first two with contact pitting from star and naming weak in parts, good fine or better and very scarce (3) £300-£400 --- Sold with copied discharge papers which confirm all medals including single clasp ‘Tamaai’.

Lot 232

The important Second War C.S.I., inter-War C.I.E. and K.P.M. group of seven awarded to Sir William N. P. Jenkin, K.B.E., Director of Intelligence in Malaya, late Deputy Inspector-General of Police (C.I.D.), Government of India, who was knighted for his impressive service as a trained professional intelligence officer, and was called back from retirement in 1950 to lead what became a watershed period for the reorganisation, restructuring and training of the Malayan Police and its Special Branch The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, C.S.I., Companion’s neck badge, gold and enamel, with central onyx cameo of a youthful Queen Victoria, the motto of the order set in rose diamonds, suspended from a five-pointed silver star and silver ring suspension, with neck riband, in Garrard, London, case of issue; The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s 3rd type neck badge, gold and enamel, with short section of neck riband for display purposes, in Garrard, London, case of issue; King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (William Norman Prentrice [sic] Jenkin. Indian Police Service) on gallantry riband; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. N. P. Jenkin. R.A.F.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, edge knock to K.P.M., otherwise nearly extremely fine (7) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- K.B.E. London Gazette 14 August 1947: ‘Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Punjab.’ C.S.I. London Gazette 1 January 1946: ‘Indian Police, Deputy Director, Intelligence Bureau, Home Department, Government of India.’ C.I.E. London Gazette 3 June 1931: ‘Indian Police Service, Superintendent of Police, Punjab.’ K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1925. The original recommendation published in The Gazette of India Extraordinary on 1 January 1925, states: ‘On the 25th October 1923, Mr. A. F. Horton, Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, and Mr. W. N. P. Jenkin, Assistant Superintendent of Police, with a mixed party of additional police sowars, punitive police, and regular police, very skilfully rounded up Dhanna Singh, one of the most dangerous leaders of the Babbar Akali revolutionary gang, at Manbana village, Mahilpur Police Station of the Hoshiarpur District, and succeeded in depriving him of a loaded revolver and placing him in handcuffs before he could inflict any casualties on his captors. The struggle continued, however, and Dhanna Singh managed to explode a Mills’ bomb which was concealed on his person, thereby killing himself and five police officers on the spot and fatally injuring three others, including Mr. Horton. Mr. Jenkin though very seriously wounded, displayed conspicuous gallantry.’ William Norman Prentice Jenkin was born in Ashford, Kent, on 11 August 1899. He spent his teenage years in Dumbarton and attested for the Royal Flying Corps upon reaching the age of 18; sent to South Farnborough on 4 September 1917, he was appointed Flying Officer on 30 January 1918 and qualified as an R.E.8 Pilot on 5 August 1918. Posted to the Central Depot Pool of Pilots, he relinquished his commission on account of ill health in December 1918 and joined the Indian Police Service as Assistant Superintendent, Punjab, on 27 December 1919. Distinguishing himself in the capture of the Sikh revolutionary Dhanna Singh, Jenkin learned of the award of his K.P.M. from a hospital bed. Following numerous operations and year’s leave to Scotland, he returned to the Punjab and was raised Officiating Superintendent in April 1927. Appointed Central Intelligence Officer for the Punjab, Delhi and Sind, in 1935, he became Deputy Director of the Intelligence Bureau in March 1939 and Deputy Inspector General of the Punjab in May 1946. Awarded a Knighthood following a distinguished career in the Indian Police Special Branch, Jenkin took his retirement and returned home. The Malayan Emergency In June 1948 a state of emergency was declared in the British colony of Malaya and members of the Malayan National Liberation Army - the armed wing of the Malayan Communist Party - began attacking rubber plantations, mines and police stations, derailing trains and burning workers’ houses. The British reacted by introducing emergency legislation and imposing curfews and movement restrictions on the local population, but their activities were undermined by the guerillas having the benefit of local knowledge, as well as a general lack of reliable intelligence making its way back to the authorities. In consequence, Jenkin was invited out of retirement on 22 June 1950 to take up appointment as ‘Advisor of the Special Branch/CID’ - the first trained professional intelligence officer to take over the Malayan Special Branch. Raised Director of Intelligence in Malaya, he soon realised the vital importance of strengthening the Special Branch by increasing the intake of Chinese officers, a matter that had been recommended several times in the past, but with little done about it. In December 1950, under his watch, the authorities introduced a National Service Bill which successfully enabled the drafting of males aged 17 to 45, including those of Chinese origin, into the police or army; by 1951, 1223 Chinese men wore the uniform of the Malay police, for the first time comparing favourably with the numbers of men of Indian and Pakistani heritage already serving in the uniformed branch. In November 1951, Jenkin successfully pressed for a large increase in the strength of the Special Branch/CID by the further recruitment of 80 Chinese inspectors and 500 Chinese detectives. He further brought detention camps within the purview of the Special Branch, and stressed the importance of Special Branch Officers being able to interrogate detainees to obtain information of security value. Separating ‘hardened Communists from misguided sympathisers’, he encouraged his men to determine whether any detainees could be ‘turned’ and employed as Special Branch informants. Under Jenkin, the Special Branch of 1950 successfully began to assume responsibility for the surveillance and security control of Malaya’s coastal regions and the Malay-Thai frontier. Utilising his brainchild Directive No. 9., the Malay Special Branch soon began to liaise more with the army and MI5, resulting in numerous successfully co-ordinated counter-insurgency operations against the Min Yuen; between 1950 and 1951, Communist terrorist contacts rose 109.7%, with a further 18.9% increase in casualties and 63.3% increase in surrenders. Having successfully reorganised and strengthened the Special Branch in a little over a year and a half, Jenkin resigned his position and returned home. He died on 28 December 1983. Sold with extensive copied research.

Lot 357

Three: Private O. G. McLaren, Army Service Corps, late North Somerset Yeomanry, who was discharged as a result of shell shock 1914 Star (252 Pte. O. G. McLaren. 1/1 N. Som: Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (M22-080867 Pte. O. G. McLaren. A.S.C.) some staining, very fine (3) £120-£160 --- Ormiston Galloway McLaren, an electrician from Bath, was born on 7 July 1894. He attested into the 2/1st North Somerset Yeomanry in March 1910 and was served during the Great War on the Western Front from 2 November 1914. He was admitted to hospital suffering from frostbite. He transferred into the Army Service Corps in April 1915 for service as a Motor Driver and was later admitted to hospital in January 1917 as a result of bronchitis and shell shock. He was discharged as no longer fit for war service on 2 July 1917 and awarded a Silver War Badge, No. 126,006. Sold with copy service papers and copy medal index card.

Lot 193

Militia L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (4018 Gnr. T. O’Brien. Yorkshire R.G.A. Mil.) very fine £300-£400 --- Army Order 189 of August 1906. 7 medals issued to the Yorkshire R.G.A. Militia.

Lot 446

Pair: Battery Sergeant Major A. Rossiter, Royal Field Artillery British War Medal 1914-20 (2430 W.O. Cl.2. A. Rossiter. R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (93838 Gnr: A. Rossiter. R.F.A.) good very fine (2) £70-£90 --- Albert Rossiter was born in Cheddar, Somerset, in 1873 and attested into the Royal Field Artillery in October 1892. He served at Home and was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1911. Discharged in October 1913, he reenlisted, aged 41, into his old corps in February 1915, for service during the Great War. Appointed Battery Sergeant Major, he served in the Egyptian theatre from 11 December 1915 and was discharged ‘Class Z’ on 22 February 1919. He died in Preston, Lancashire, in 1951. Sold with a Royal Artillery cap badge and shoulder title; and copied research.

Lot 29

Pair: Battery Sergeant-Major J. Pooley, Royal Horse Artillery Crimea 1854-56, 4 clasps, Alma, Balaklava, Inkermann, Sebastopol (Sergeant John Pooley. R.H.A.) contemporary engraved naming; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (767 Batty. Serjt. Mjr. John Pooley B Bgde RHA.) regimental number impressed over ‘189’, the first good fine, the second very fine (2) £280-£340 --- John Pooley was born in the Parish of Debenham, Suffolk, and attested for the Royal Artillery at Ipswich on 21 September 1844. He served in the ‘expedition to Turkey from June 54 to June 56.’ He was discharged in the rank of Battery Sergeant-Major at Dublin on 7 August 1866, his trade then given as Veterinary Surgeon. Sold with copied discharge papers which confirm both medals.

Lot 3

A rare West Africa D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. G. Merriman, Royal Artillery, who was decorated for services which resulted in the capture of Tambi and Toniataba in 1892 Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1892 (Capt: R. G. Merriman. R.A.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. R. G. Merriman.) the first with minor chips to red enamel on obverse centre, otherwise very fine and better (2) £2,800-£3,400 --- Provenance: Buckland Dix & Wood, July 1993. D.S.O. London Gazette 9 August, 1892: 'In recognition of his services during the recent operations on the West Coast of Africa, resulting in the capture of Tambi and Toniataba.' Only 2 D.S.O.s were awarded for the capture of Tambi.

Reginald Gordon Merriman was born on 10 November 1866 at Aden, son of General Charles James Merriman, C.S.I., Royal Engineers (late Bombay Engineers), and Eugenia Sybilla, daughter of Colonel Richard Bulkeley, Indian Army. He was educated at the United Services College, Westward Ho!, North Devon, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he was the Tombs Memorial Scholar of 1884. He joined the Royal Artillery in December 1884, and served in the Expedition to the Tambaku country, West Africa, in 1892, being decorated for his services, particularly in the capture of Tambi. The fortified stronghold of Tambi on the River Scarcies was assaulted on 7 April 1892. Merriman was in command of the Battery of Houssa, and after breaches had been made in the walls by his artillery, the town was assaulted and captured. The expeditionary force was then reorganised for an attack against the stronghold at Toniataba which was captured on 28 April. The Insignia were presented by the Queen at Osborne on 10 January 1893. He was promoted Captain on 31 December 1893, and Major on 9 December 1903. Captain Merriman was Adjutant of the Kent Artillery, E.D. R.A., from 1895 to 1899, and held various staff appointments at home before being appointed Lieutenant-Colonel on 29 January 1913. During the Great War he served in France from August 1916 to January 1917 with the Siege Artillery.

Lot 423

An extremely unusual ‘Casualty’ pair awarded to Private C. E. Coombes, Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was accidentally killed on parade in France when a comrade in the rank behind him accidentally discharged a rifle round into his back from point-blank range British War and Victory Medals (6232 Pte. C. E. Coombes. R. Scots.) nearly extremely fine (2) £80-£100 --- Charles Edward Coombes was born around 1888, the son of Samuel and Martha Coombes of 6 Church Street, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxford. Enlisting at Lutterworth in Leicestershire, he served on the Western Front from 7 September 1916 and was wounded in action on 23 April 1917, being evacuated home a week later. Returning to the fray on 10 September, his life was tragically cut short on 23 November 1917, just moments after retiring from the front line. Perhaps uniquely, the exact circumstances relating to his death are available in his Army Service Record. Called to parade, 'C' Company of the 6/7th Royal Scots Fusiliers formed up, with Coombes taking his place in the front rank of his platoon. It was then that a live round was discharged by No. 25382 Pte. David Andrews, striking Coombes from behind on the left side of the spine. Crying out in pain, Coombes staggered a few feet before collapsing. Subsequent medical attention proved futile. Witness testimony from Lance Corporal Nunn, adds: 'Immediately afterwards a shot went off and Private Coombes, who was in front staggered to the rear and fell. Pte. Andrews dropped his rifle, ran forward a few steps and threw himself down in tears. He seemed very, very much upset.’ Tried by Field General Court Martial, the case against Andrews appeared clear cut, the man declaring 'it was me!' at the scene and offering a written statement - supported by a number of further witnesses who testified to a failure to deploy the safety catch and check whether there was a round in the chamber upon returning from sentry duty. Sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labour, the punishment was later suspended - possibly on account of the statement by Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, in Command: '...Pte. Andrews is stated by all who know him to be a very careful man, therefore I consider that this was a special case of negligence, contrary to this man's ordinary character.'  Aged 29 years, Coombes now rests at Level Crossing Cemetery at Fampoux in the Pas de Calais, his headstone bearing the inscription 'R.I.P.'. Private Andrews appears to have survived the war after being transferred following this incident to the 1st and 12th Battalions of the Regiment.

Lot 240

A ‘Duplicate’ Great War D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel K. H. Bruce, Gordon Highlanders, who was wounded at Ypres, and was Mentioned in Despatches Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (2nd. Lieut. K. H. Bruce. Gordons.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908 (Lt. K. H. Brice. Gordons.); 1914 Star, with copy clasp (Capt. K. H. Bruce. Gordons.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Col. K. H. Bruce. Gordons.); Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, the named medals all stamped ‘Duplicate’, mounted for wear, lacquered, about extremely fine (7) £1,000-£1,400 --- D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1917 Kenneth Hope Bruce was born on 26 May 1879 and was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Gordon Highlanders on 23 May 1900, and served with the 2nd Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War. Promoted Lieutenant on 22 January 1902, he saw further service in India with the Mohmand Expedition in 1908, and was promoted Captain on 17 October 1908. Bruce served during the Great War with the Staff on the Western Front from 4 October to 2 November 1914, and then again from 12 October 1915 to 2 June 1917, and was wounded at Ypres. Subsequently serving with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine from 20 June 1917 to 28 June 1918, for his services during the Great War he was promoted Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel; was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917); and was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. Following the cessation of hostilities he was appointed Assistant Adjutant General, General HQ, British Army of the Rhine on 3 June 1919. He died in London on 27 February 1970.

Lot 242

A Second War M.B.E. group of six awarded to Major E. Speechley, Royal Signals, who was further Mentioned in Despatches for services in North West Europe The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type, breast badge; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Decoration, E.II.R., reverse officially dated 1955, with Army Emergency Reserve top riband bar, mounted as worn, very fine and better (6) £240-£280 --- M.B.E. London Gazette 24 January 1946. The original recommendation states: ‘During the period 22 July 1944 to 8 May 1945 this officer has displayed devotion to duty of a high order. As officer commanding a Line Company responsible for the provision of extensive line communications for 2nd Tactical Air Force H.Q.’s, his grit and determination were an inspiration to the officers and men under his command. Throughout the campaign he was continuously in the forward areas reconnoitring line routes and supervising the building of main arteries. He has spared no effort to ensure the provision of the vital communications at the required moment.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 10 May 1945: ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe.’ Ernest Speechley was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1907. Appointed to a commission in the Royal Signals on 21 January 1939, he was raised War Substantive Captain on 25 September 1941 and for his services during the Second World War was Mentioned in Despatches and appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Further recognised with the award of the Emergency Reserve Decoration in the London Gazette of 28 June 1955, Speechley retired from the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers on 26 June 1957. He died at Skelton, York, in August 1977. Sold with a fine selection of original documentation including named Buckingham Palace enclosure for M.B.E.; Mention in Despatches Certificate and War Office letter regarding issue of emblem; forwarding letter regarding Emergency Reserve Decoration from the Army Medal Office, Droitwich, dated 2 January 1956; a newspaper cutting regarding the award of the M.B.E., noting the recipient as a footballer in the Royal Artillery T.A. and York Post Office teams; with three large contemporary photographs of the recipient in military uniform.

Lot 691

Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (914. Pte. W. Hooper, 2-6th Foot) minor edge bruise, nearly extremely fine £80-£100

Lot 303

Three: Sergeant E. Hammond, Royal Navy, later Royal Welsh Fusiliers Crimea 1854-56, 2 copy clasps, Sebastopol, Azoff, copy clasps both loose on riband, unnamed as issued; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse (1810 Sergt. E. Hammond, 1-23rd Foot); Turkish Crimea 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed as issued, pierced as issued with small ring suspension, slight abrasions to obverse of first, generally very fine (3) £260-£300 --- Provenance: Llewellyn Lord Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, September 2016 (LS&GC only, when erroneously paired with an India General Service Medal). Edward Hammond was born in Tonbridge, Kent, in 1833 and joined the Royal Navy, serving in H.M.S. Agamemnon during the Crimea War. The award of the Azoff clasp not clear from roll but is recorded in the papers. He joined the 17th Regiment of Foot on 31 January 1859 aged 26, and transferred as a Sergeant to the 23rd Regiment of Foot in January 1870. He is shown as Sergeant Master Cook in the Army Worldwide Index of 1871, and was discharged in July 1880. For the medals awarded to Colour-Sergeant J. T. Hammond, believed to be the recipient’s son, see Lot 319.

Lot 475

Six: Attributed to Lieutenant-Colonel F. Knibbs, Royal Army Education Corps 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued; together with the recipient's riband bar; buttons; and rank and unit insignia, all mounted on a card board with hand-written inscription ‘Lt. Col. F. Knibbs M.I.D. Royal Arty. & RAEC. 1935-63’, but with no other documentation, nearly extremely fine Four: L. T. Muller, Union Defence Force 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘153690 L. T. Muller’, good very fine Four: D. C. F. Nel, Union Defence Force 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘228440 D. C. F. Nel’, good very fine Five: D. C. Walter, Union Defence Force 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘229206 D. C. Walter’, good very fine (lot) £80-£100 --- Sold with a single unnamed Defence Medal; and a King’s Own Scottish Borderers cap badge.

Lot 210

Pair: Corporal A. C. Westlake, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1914-15 Star (9541 Pte. A. C. Westlake, D. of Corn: L.I.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (9541 Cpl. A. C. Westlake. D. of Corn. L.I.) polished, nearly very fine Pair: Private W. D. Verrent, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1914-15 Star (16832 Pte. W. D. Verrent. D. of Corn: L.I.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (16832 Pte. W. D. Verrent. D. of Corn. L.I.) the first abrasively cleaned, good fine Four: Private G. H. T. Rickards, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, later Somerset Light Infantry British War and Victory Medals (24591 Pte. G. H. T. Rickards. D.C.L.I.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, staining to VM, good fine and better Pair: Private A. Wyles, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, later Labour Corps British War and Victory Medals (23609 Pte. A. Wyles. D. of Corn. L.I.) very fine Silver War Badge ‘B53569’ [awarded to No. 6132 Sergeant F. G. King, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry]; together with a Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (Depot) unmarked silver medal, the reverse engraved ‘A. E. Pedrick 5432295 Boxing.’ generally very fine (12) £100-£140 --- Archibald Carlisle Westlake served in France from 19 December 1914 and was later discharged due to wounds on 25 May 1919. A resident of Myrtle Road in Hounslow, he married Miss Emily Eliza Margarete Pearson whilst home on leave in April 1917. William David Verrent was born in County Kerry, Ireland, on 12 February 1895. He served in France from 3 September 1915 and is listed as a casualty in the West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser on 2 October 1916. Further noted as a resident of St Ives, he was discharged in consequence of wounds on 24 August 1917; online family research indicates that he may have lost a leg at the Battle of the Somme and made use of crutches for the remainder of his life. George Henry Thomas Rickards was born in Brixton on 5 October 1890, the son of a Mayfair valet. He later worked as a shipyard labourer and died on 13 March 1969, his last address recorded as 32 Orchard Grove, Brixham, Devon. Frederick George King was born around 1867 and attested for the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry at the age of 47 years on 11 September 1914. Posted as Corporal to the 8th Battalion, D.C.L.I., he was raised Sergeant and discharged from the Army in consequence of sickness, later being issued SWB ‘B53569’ under AO 291/18, paragraph 2c. Albert Edward Pedrick was born in Holborn in 1902. A labourer, he enlisted in London on 10 March 1922 and was discharged on 9 March 1934 having completed 12 years of service with the Colours.

Lot 404

Five: Sapper R. T. Anderson, Northern Cyclist Battalion, later Royal Engineers British War and Victory Medals (126962 Spr. R. T. Anderson. R.E.) with flattened named card box of issue; Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (126962 Spr. R. T. Anderson. R.E.); Defence Medal; Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R., 1st issue (Ralph Taylor Anderson) in Royal Mint case of issue, nearly extremely fine (5) £240-£280 --- Ralph Taylor Anderson was born in Sunderland around 1897 and attested for the Northern Cyclist Battalion on 26 May 1914. Attending camp at Bridlington in July 1914, he was appointed Bugler on 14 April 1915 and transferred to the Divisional Signals on 5 June 1915. Posted overseas with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 10 October 1916, his Army Service Record notes transfer to Salonika in 1917 and employment in line construction. It further records bouts of ill health in consequence of malaria and scabies. Released from service in 1919, Anderson was later awarded the Imperial Service Medal in the London Gazette of 23 November 1956, for his work as First Class Technician in the Newcastle-on-Tyne telephone area. Sold with two Safe Driving Competition Awards, both unnamed, one bearing clasps ‘1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948’ to riband; the recipient’s driving licence (2), dated 21 August 1961 to 20 August 1964, and 20 August 1973 to 19 August 1976, the latter confirming his address at 2 Pollen Road, Altrincham, Cheshire.

Lot 632

India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (4181809 Fsr. F. Turley. R.W. Fus.) minor edge bruising, good very fine £80-£100 --- Fred Turley was born in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, on 22 September 1901 and attested for the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Wrexham on 19 February 1921. He served with the Regiment in India from 22 November 1921 to 19 April 1927, and with the Waziristan Field Force from 3 April 1922 to 2 April 1923. Advanced Corporal, he qualified as a Physical Training Instructor, but sustained a bad knee injury which hospitalised him and ultimately led to his discharge, physically unfit, on 20 May 1927. Sold with the recipient’s Regular Army Certificate of Service Red Book; various Regimental sports group photographs, these mounted on boards; and a postcard photograph of the recipient.

Lot 69

Six: Driver A. H. Barnes, Royal Horse Artillery Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 6 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen (27982 Dr: A. H. Barnes, P, B, R.H.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (27982 Dvr. A. H. Barnes. R.H.A.); 1914-15 Star (27982. Dvr. A. H. Barnes. R.H.A.); British War and Victory Medals (27982 Dvr. A. H. Barnes. R.A.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (27982 Dvr: A. H. Barnes. R.H.A.) mounted as worn, first pair good fine, otherwise very fine (6) £200-£240

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