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Click here to subscribeA late 18th century (and later) topaz demi parure, the closed-back silver diamond-set bows suspend interchangable pear-shaped topaz drops in yellow gold, with diamond-set hook fittings, with a matching late 18th century diamond-set silver bow brooch, suspending a larger orange topaz, earrings length 5.4cm longest, brooch length 4.5cm, fitted case
An important diamond parure, mid 19th century, comprising: a devant de corsage brooch, centring on a ten-petalled flower within undulating foliate scrollwork, suspending a detachable pendant and a festoon, set with rose-cut, cushion- and pear-shaped diamonds, measuring 8 x 11.7cm including festoon pendant, detachable brooch fittings; a necklace, composed of graduating floral motifs alternating with stylised ribbon bow links, set throughout with cushion-shaped diamonds, length 40.5cm, detaching into two bracelets, central section originally intended to be replaced with the devant de corsage and worn in combination as a single necklace; an impressive pair of earrings of elongated drop-shaped design, set with cushion-shaped diamond borders, centring on a line of cushion-shaped and antique pear-shaped diamonds, length 5.9cm, later tops circa 1910, hook fittings; and a small clip of radiating design set with cushion-shaped diamonds, 1.8cm diameter, each set in silver and gold, later rhodium plated, some later alterations to fittings, estimated total diamond weight approximately 65.00-70.00 carats, fitted case Provenance: Lord Lucius O’Brien 15th Baron Inchiquin (1864 – 1929) and Ethel Lady Inchiquin (1867 – 1940). She married the 15th Baron Inchiquin in 1896 who succeeded the peerage in 1900, thence by descent
A late Georgian mahogany framed library reading bow elbow chair with brass mounted and railed sliding fold-down reading surface, set on turned and reeded tapered front legs with brass caps and casters stamped BS&P - age related wear, remains of original seat upholstery and minor damage to one hinge (piece present)
A 19th century violin with two-piece back, length of back excluding button 35.5cm, cased, with a nickel mounted bow, branded 'Swiss Made'. Note: a non-transferrable ivory exemption certificate has been granted for the sale of this item.Buyer’s Premium 29.4% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price. Lots purchased online via the-saleroom.com will attract an additional premium of 6% (including VAT @ 20%) of the hammer price.
Maroon jacket, white shirt, black bow tie. One hundred years after the death of Lewis Carroll, creator of " Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," he is celebrated with this Character Jug of the Year of 1998.Series: Character Jug of the Year. Royal Doulton backstamp. Includes certificate of authenticity. Artist: David B. BiggsIssued: 1998Dimensions: 8"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Dark green cap and robes. Royal Doulton backstamp.The first Dick Whittington jug was styled on the character of a poor orphan boy who was employed in a London Kitchen, as described in a play dated 1605. He gave his cat to his employer to sell to earn money, but then ran away to escape his evil employer's cook who mistreated him. the Bow Bells rang as he fled and seemed to say, " Turn back, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London." He obeyed and found that his cat had fetched a huge sum, making a wealthy man.Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Geoff BlowerIssued: 1953 - 1960Dimensions: 6.5"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Variation One. Black hat, dark red bow tie. A character from Lewis Carroll's " Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," the Mad Hatter wears a watch that tells time in months, rather than in hours.Series: Alice in Wonderland. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Max HenkIssued: 1965 - 1983Dimensions: 7.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Black tricorn, red coat, white bow tie with gold spots. The forerunner of today's English publican, this cheerful man would hang a pine bough on the door of his home to let travelers know that refreshments were available. As the handle shows, these often ran to a good pint of a strong ale!Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Max HenkIssued: 1958 - 1982Dimensions: 7"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Variation Two. Yellow band on hat, yellow bow, maroon umbrella. In Charles Dickens' 1843 novel " Martin Chuzzlewit" Sairey Gamp is a gossiping, gin-drinking midwife and nurse.Issued 1986 in limited edition of 250. Royal Doulton backstamp. Includes certificate of authenticity. Artist: Leslie Harradine and Harry FentonIssued: 1986Dimensions: 6.25"HEdition Number: 199 Edition Size: 250Manufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Black coat and bow tie; grey hair.Mark Twain was best loved for his classic adventure stories, "Tom Sawyer" (1876) and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884), which told of life in his native Mississippi. The small jug modeled for "The Queen's Table," Royal Doulton's exhibit at the United Kingdom Showcase at Walt Disney's Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. The jug was sold exclusively to Epcot tourists visiting the exhibition during 1982. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Eric GriffithsIssued: 1983 - 1990Dimensions: 4"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Green hat and coat; maroon bow tie.Founder and chairman of the Pickwick Club, this gentleman is the elegant and genial hero of Charles Dickens' " The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club," first published in 1837.Series: Charles Dickens' Characters. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Leslie Harradine and Harry FentonIssued: 1948 - 1960Dimensions: 3.5"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Brown hat; dark green coat; blue polka- dot bow tie."Ten o'clock and all's well" was the familiar call of the Charlies, watchmen who originated during the reign of Charles II and were named after him. They enjoyed a history of almost two hundred years, before being replaced in the early 1800's by a version of the present-day policeman. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Charles NokeIssued: 1935 - 1983Dimensions: 3.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Variation Two. Black hat; maroon coat; black polka-dot bow tie.Royal Doulton and Higbee backstamp. Comes with Certificate of Authenticity. Artist: Charles NokeIssued: 1987 - 1987Dimensions: 3.25"HEdition Number: 139 Edition Size: 500Manufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Black hair; light green band; dark green coat; yellow and burgundy bow; green umbrella with brown handle.In Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, "Martin Chuzzlewit" Sairey Gamp is a gossiping, gin-drinking midwife and nurse. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Leslie Harradine and Harry FentonIssued: 1935 - 1986Dimensions: 3.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Age related wear.
Variation Two, black and orange handle. Dark grey hat; maroon coat; dark blue bow tie; black and orange riding crop.John Peel (1776 - 1854) was a famous English huntsman, known for his enthusiasm, skill, and hospitality. Fond of drink, he hosted a large, popular, post-hunt celebration. Peel has been immortalized in the song "D'ye ken John Peel," written by John Woodcock Graves. Artist: Harry FentonIssued: c. 1942 - unknownDimensions: 2.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Good
Brown hat; dark green coat; blue polka-dot bow tie."Ten o'clock and all's well" was the familiar call of the Charlies, watchmen who originated during the reign of Charles II and were named after him. They enjoyed a history of almost two hundred years, before being replaced in the early 1800s by a version of the present-day policeman. Artist: Charles NokeIssued: 1939 - 1983Dimensions: 2.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Good.
Black hair; light green band; dark green coat; yellow and burgundy bow.In Charles Dickens' 1843 novel, "Martin Chuzzlewit" Sairey Gamp is a gossiping, gin-drinking midwife and nurse. Series: Charles Dickens' Characters. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Leslie Harradine and Harry FentonIssued: 1939 - 1986Dimensions: 2.25"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Good.
Brown hat; dark green coat; blue polka-dot bow tie.Old Charley has the distinction of being produced in the most derivative forms of any Royal Doulton character jug. Royal Doulton backstamp. Artist: Charles NokeIssued: 1936 - 1960Dimensions: 2.75"HManufacturer: Royal DoultonCountry of Origin: EnglandCondition: Good.
SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND BROOCH AND EARCLIPSDesigned as a floral bouquet, set with carved sapphire and single-cut diamonds, tied by a similarly-cut diamond bow, the earclips of matching design, diamonds approx. 1.00ct total, length: brooch 4.5cm, earclips 2.3cm (2)For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
TWO DIAMOND-SET PENDANTS, EARLY-MID 19TH CENTURY1st: The rose-cut diamond bird, with a cabochon emerald eye, perched in a similarly-cut diamond tree, a top a blue enamel ground, beneath a rose-cut diamond bow, mounted in silver and gold, 2nd: The cluster of rose-cut diamonds within a scalloped, similarly-cut diamond border, mounted in silver and gold, lengths: 1st 4.2cm, 2nd 2.0cm (2)Footnotes:Please note this lot has VAT at a preferential rate of 5% on the Hammer Price and VAT at the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Taxidermy: A Cased Pair of European Eels (Anguilla anguilla), circa mid-late 20th century, a pair of skin mounts preserved and mounted within a naturalistic setting amidst reeds and grasses, set above a pebbled river bed, mounted against a pale green painted back drop, enclosed within a typical ebonised bow-fronted three-glass display case with verre eglomise border, 116cm by 18cm by 47cm.
Taxidermy: A Cased Perch (Perca fluviatilis), circa 1898-1904, by W.F. Homer, 157 Forest Lane, London, a large skin mount preserved and mounted within a naturalistic setting amidst reeds and grasses, set above a pebbled and grit covered river bed, mounted against a pale blue painted back drop, enclosed within a typical period ebonised bow-fronted three-glass display case with verre eglomise border, 56.5cm by 19cm by 31.5cm, un-labelled but upon restoration a Homer's letterhead was found to be glued to the verso of the fish specimen, the address displayed dates this fish to 1898-1904, a photograph of this discovery is applied to the verso of this case, approximate weight of fish in excess of 3lbs.
Taxidermy: A Cased Northern Pike (Esox lucius), dated 1914, in the manner of John Cooper & Son's, London, a large skin mount preserved and mounted within a naturalistic setting amidst reeds and grasses, set above a pebbled river bed, set against a painted pale green back drop, enclosed within a typical ebonised bow-fronted three-glass display case with verre eglomise border, 113cm by 24.5cm by 47cm, applied gilt legend to front glass - "Pike, Taken by W.F. Grimmett, March 1914, Weight 21lbs".
Taxidermy: A Cased Pair of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio), dated October 1928, by W.F. Homer, 105 Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate, London, E7, a pair of large skin mounts preserved and mounted within a naturalistic setting amidst reeds and grasses, set above a pebbled river bed, mounted against a pale blue painted back drop, enclosed within a large typical ebonised bow-fronted three-glass display case with verre eglomise border, 93.5cm by 22cm by 62cm, taxidermist's paper trade label to interior upper left, bearing ivorine legend to interior upper right - "Carp, Caught by Harry Wyatt, Langport, Somerset, October 1928, Wgts 11lb 8ozs, 8lbs 8ozs", including an original black and white photograph of W.F. Homer in his workshop with the angler, together with an original newspaper clipping entitled "Bristol Angler's Exceptional Catch". Featured within "The Domesday Book of English Fish Taxidermist's" by Barry Williams.
Taxidermy: Who Killed Cock Robin, dated 2023, by A.J. Armitstead, Taxidermy, Darlington, Co Durham, an interesting diorama depicting the death of Cock Robin, portraying an adult House Sparrow with a bow and arrow underfoot, a mortally wounded adult Robin laid below upon grit covered groundwork, a single arrow to his left side, both mounted upon the remains of a small stone wall, set against a watercolour painted church yard scene back drop, enclosed within an oak framed wall hanging five-glass display case, 29cm 7cm by 37cm excluding outer frame, signed and dated to interior right, taxidermist's full paper trade label to verso.
A GOOD PAIR OF LARGE EARLY/MID 20TH CENTURY BRUSSELS NEEDLEWORK PANELS, cream ground, decoration with a flower filled basket suspended from a ribbon and bow, above a flower filled urn on a classical shell base, within an egg and dart border, mounted on a framed backing board. 13ft high x 3ft 4ins wide Provenance: Previously owned by Sir Rocco Forte, Rocco Forte Hotel Group.
Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Victorious with Rivoli (Andrew Covett.) good very fine £3,000-£4,000 --- Andrew Covett is confirmed on the roll as an Able Seaman aboard H.M.S. Victorious and was wounded in the action with and capture of the French 74-gun Rivoli on 22 February 1812 (London Gazette 12 May 1812 refers - Andrew J. Cowet). Approximately 67 clasps issued for this action. On 16 February 1812, the British 74-gun ship Victorious, Captain John Talbot, accompanied by the 18-gun brig-sloop Weazel, Captain John William Andrew, arrived off Venice, to watch the motions of the new French 74-gun ship Rivoli, Commodore Jean-Baptiste Barré, and two or three brigs of war, lying ready for sea in that port. Foggy weather made it the 21st before Captain Talbot was enabled to reconnoitre the port. On that day, at 2.30 p.m., the Victorious descried a brig in the east-north-east, and at 3 p.m., in the same direction, a large ship, with two more brigs, and two settees. The ship was the Rivoli herself; the three brigs were the Jéna and Mercure of 16, and the Mamelouck of eight guns; and the two settees were gun-boats; all about 12 hours from Venice, bound to the port of Pola in Istria, and at this time steering in line of battle; the two gun-boats and one brig ahead, then the Rivoli, and astern of her the two remaining brigs. The British 74 and brig were presently under all sail in chase, and soon began to gain upon the French squadron. At 2.30 a.m. on the 22nd, perceiving that one of the two brigs in the rear had dropped astern, and that the Rivoli had shortened sail to allow her to close, Captain Talbot hailed the Weazel, and directed Captain Andrew to pass the Victorious if possible, and bring the sternmost brig to action. Captain Andrew was so prompt in obeying the order, that at 4.15 a.m. the Weazel overtook the Mercure, and engaged her within half pistol-shot. After the action between these two brigs had lasted about 20 minutes, the brig that had been in company with the Mercure, the Jéna, shortened sail, and engaged the Weazel distantly on her bow. Thus opposed, the latter still continued a close and well-directed fire upon the Mercure until another 20 minutes had elapsed, at the end of which the French brig blew up. In an instant the Weazel lowered down her boats, but only succeeded in saving three men, and those much bruised. In the meanwhile, taking advantage of the darkness of the morning and the damaged state of the Weazel’s rigging, the Jéna had made off, and soon disappeared. At daylight, however, the British brig regained a sight of both French brigs, one a short distance astern of the other, and, having by this time refitted herself, she crowded sail in pursuit, sweeping occasionally, owing to the lightness of the breeze; but the Jéna and Mamelouck outsailed the Weazel, and kept gradually increasing their distance. At 4.30 a.m., just a quarter of an hour after the Weasel had begun her engagement with the Mercure, the Victorious, having a light air of wind on her larboard beam, arrived within half pistol-shot of, and opened her starboard guns upon, the Rivoli, who immediately returned the fire from her larboard broadside, and continued, with courses clewed up, but royals set, standing on towards the gulf of Triest. A furious engagement now ensued between these two line-of-battle ships, interrupted only when, for a few minutes together, the fog or the smoke hid them from each other’s view. In the early part of the action, Captain Talbot received a contusion from a splinter, that nearly deprived him of his sight, and the command of the ship devolved upon Lieutenant Thomas Ladd Peake, who emulated his wounded chief in bravery and judgement. After the mutual cannonade had thus continued for three hours, and the Rivoli, from the superior fire of the Victorious, had become unmanageable and reduced to such a resistance as two quarterdeck guns only could offer, Lieutenant Peake, by signal, recalled the Weazel, to have the benefit of her assistance, in case either ship, the Victorious herself being in a disabled state, and both ships at this time in seven fathoms’ water off the point of Groa, should happen to get aground. Having bore up in obedience to the signal, the Weazel stood across the bows of the Rivoli and, at 8 a.m., when within musket-shot distance, poured in her broadside. This the brig, wearing or tacking as necessary, repeated twice. Meanwhile the Victorious maintained a steady cannonade, and at 8.45 a.m. shot away the Rivoli’s mizen mast. In another quarter of an hour the French 74 fired a lee gun, and hailed the Victorious that she had struck. The Victorious had her rigging cut to pieces, gaff and spanker-boom shot away, her three topmasts and mainmast badly wounded, her boats all destroyed, except a small punt belonging to the ward-room officers, and her hull struck in several places. Out of her actual crew of 506 men and boys (60 of the men sick, but only a few absent from their quarters), she had one lieutenant of marines, and 25 seamen and marines killed, her captain (slightly), one lieutenant of marines (mortally), two master’s mates, two midshipmen, and 93 seamen and marines wounded; in total, 27 killed and 99 wounded. The Weazel had the good fortune not to have a man hurt, either in her forty minutes’ engagement with the Mercure, or her very spirited, and in all probability, not ineffective cannonade of the Rivoli. Captain John Talbot not only received a Small Naval Gold Medal for this action but was also knighted. Lieutenant Peake was promoted and Captain John W. Andrew of the Weazel was rewarded with a Post Captain’s Commission. Weazel’s part in this action was commemorated with a separate clasp inscribed ‘Weazel 22 Feby 1812’, but there were only 6 claimants for it including Captain Andrew.
Naval General Service 1793-1840, 2 clasps, Implacable 26 Augt 1808, Anholt 27 March 1811 (William Mear.) some edge bruising, otherwise good very fine £10,000-£14,000 --- Provenance: Glendining, February 1902; Dalrymple White Collection 1946; Spink N.C., December 1956; Christie’s, November 1985; Dix Noonan Webb, July 2015 and June 2020. William Mear is confirmed on the rolls as a Private, Royal Marines, aboard H.M.S. Implacable in August 1808, and was one of the detachment of Marines that took part in the defence of the Island of Anholt in March 1811. Approximately 44 clasps issued for Implacable and approximately 40 clasps issued for Anholt. Only two medals issued with this combination of clasps. The Implacable was originally the French line-of-battle ship Duguay Trouin, launched at Rochefort in 1797. She was present at Trafalgar and was one of the four ships that escaped, only to be brought to action and captured by Sir Richard Strachan on 4 November 1805, and taken into the Royal Navy as the Implacable. In August 1808, Sir Samuel Hood in Centaur, accompanied by Implacable Captain Thomas Byam Martin, joined Rear Admiral Nauckhoff and the Swedish fleet in Oro Roads and they all sailed from there on the 25th, in pursuit of the Russian fleet which had appeared off Sweden two days earlier. Due to their superior sailing, Centaur and Implacable were soon well in advance and closing on the Russians who appeared to be in disorder. By the morning of the 26th, Implacable was able to bring the leewardmost of the enemy’s line-of-battle ships, the Sewolod, 74, Captain Roodneff, to close action. After 20 minutes the enemy’s colours and pendant were lowered but the approach of the whole Russian force obliged Sir Samuel to recall Captain Martin. A Russian frigate took the crippled ship in tow but when the Russian Admiral hauled his wind, Centaur and Implacable gave chase and forced the frigate to slip her tow. The enemy ships again bore down in support but instead of engaging they entered the port of Rager Vik (also known as Port Baltic or Rogerswick). When boats were sent out to try and tow her in to harbour Centaur stood in and, after driving the boats off, ran across the bow of the Sewolod just as she was entering the harbour. The Centaur then lashed the Sewolod’s bowsprit to her mizen-mast and both ships soon drifted aground. The Russians refused to strike and the battle went on until the arrival of the Implacable finally induced the Russian ship to surrender. Implacable had to heave Centaur off. However, the prize was so firmly aground that after taking out the prisoners and wounded men, Sir Samuel ordered her to be burnt. Implacable lost six men killed and twenty-six wounded including two who did not recover and three who had limbs amputated. Centaur lost three killed and twenty-seven wounded, and the Sewolod 303 killed, wounded and missing. One of the most brilliant operations of the War was the defence of the Island of Anholt, in the Baltic, by Captain J. W. Maurice, R.N. with 400 Marines commanded by Major Torrens. This small party, being attacked by 1000 Danish soldiers, beat them off, and forced no less than 520 men to surrender, while the Tartar, 32, Captain Baker, and the Sheldrake, 16, Captain Stewart, pursued a Division of 12 Gunboats protecting their landing, and captured two and sunk a third. The Danish loss amounted to 35 killed and 23 wounded, the British only losing two killed and Major Torrens and 30 men wounded. The clasp eventually issued for the defence of Anholt is the only one which stems partially from the promotion of Royal Marine officers.
Miscellaneous Documents, booklets and ephemera, mainly of military interest. Comprising a Soldier’s ‘Brown Book’ Service and Pay Book, Regular Army Soldier’s ‘Red Book’ Certificate of Service, Record of Service Sheet, and Parchment Royal Warrant, on appointment as Warrant Officer, relating to Warrant Officer Class II, Company Sergeant Major A. M. Williams, Royal Engineers and Royal Signals, together with a group photograph supposedly including the recipient; a Parchment Certificate of Service (Army Form D.426), Parchment Certificate of Discharge (Army Form B.2077), and Certificate of Employment During the War (Army Form Z. 18), relating to Regimental Sergeant Major G. R. Marsden, 4th Dragoon Guards; a small bundle of letters home, mainly from India and Burma in the early 1890s, relating to Lance Sergeant R. Scott, Cheshire Regiment, including a parchment Camp Cookery Certificate issued by the Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General, Aldershot Camp, this all giving an interesting snapshot of military life on campaign in India and Burma; a R.A.F. Form 2520B Airwoman, Royal Air Force Service and Release Book, and letter from the Royal College of Music, London, relating to Flight Sergeant H. M. Klein, B.E.M., Women’s Auxiliary Air Force; a Home Guard Service Certificate, 1952-56, named to G. E. A. Bourne; two National Registration Identity cards, one named to W. J. J. Haynes, of Brierly Hill, with a Gloucestershire Regimental Association Life Membership Card; an Army Booklet ‘Health Memoranda for British Soldiers in the Tropics’ 1941; and other ephemera; together with a British cast copy of the Sinking of the S.S. Lusitania Medal by K. Goetz, 55mm, unboxed, generally good condition £60-£80 --- Alexander Mitchell Williams was born in 1904, and enlisted at Cork into the Royal Engineers on 2 February 1920. He transferred into the Royal Signals on 6 November 1920, and remained in the Royal Signals for his military career. He served at Home, in Egypt, India and served with the B.E.F. in France from September 1939 to June 1940, the remainder of his Second World War Service being ‘at Home’. His Certificate of Service confirms that he had served 25 years and 253 days with the Colours and seven years in the Reserve, having a combined service of 33 years. He received the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1938, the 1939-45 Star and the Defence and War Medals. He was discharged from the Army Reserve in 1953. George Richard Marsden was born in Ashford, Kent. He enlisted into the Dragoons of the Line as Private No. 4802, 4th Dragoon Guards, at London on 13 May 1898. He transferred to the Army Reserve at Gosport on 20 April 1905, and was recalled for service in the Great War being promoted Regimental Sergeant Major on 13 October 1917. Robert Scott received the India General Service Medal 1854, with clasp Chin-Lushai 1889-90, for service in India as Colour Sergeant, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. Miss Hilda Minnie Klein was born in Bow, London, in October 1896. A talented pianist, she entered the Royal College of Music on 23 September 1915 and studied there for 19 terms. She won numerous prizes, became an Associated Board examiner and held a teaching post until the late 1960s. Miss Klein enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force at Harrogate on 30 September 1940. Promoted to Corporal on 24 January 1941, she was trained as a Photographic Interpreter (P.I.) and transferred to R.A.F. Medmenham in Buckinghamshire on 17 April 1942; the station was the R.A.F.’s Central Interpretation Unit, responsible for analysing air photographs and producing reports of enemy positions. The unit issued target maps to 617 Squadron prior to the Dambusters Raid, and kept close tabs upon the movements of the Tirpitz in Norway. For her services she was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 1 January 1945) and additionally awarded the British Empire Medal, Military Division (London Gazette 1 January 1946). She was discharged on 14 September 1945 and died at Hove, Sussex, on 7 June 1981.
A fine Second War submariner’s D.S.O. and D.S.C. group of eleven awarded to Captain Dudley Norman, Royal Navy, who won the D.S.C. when in command of H.M. Submarine H.44 for sinking shipping off the coast of Norway in 1940, and the D.S.O. when in command of H.M. Submarine Upright for sinking the Italian cruiser Armando Diaz in February 1941; he was afterwards the first Commodore of the Malaysian Navy Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially dated 1941, with integral top ribbon bar; Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1941, hallmarks for London 1940; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Jubilee 1977; Malaysia, Pingat Khidmat Berbakti; Denmark, silver medal for Galathea Deep Sea Expedition 1950-1952; Netherlands, Red Cross Decoration, silver-gilt and enamels, and Red Cross Medal of Merit, silver, medals unmounted, together with mounted group of eight miniature dress medals and a loose Jubilee 1977, generally good very fine (12) £4,000-£5,000 --- D.S.O. London Gazette 23 September 1941. Seedie’s Submarine roll confirms award ‘For sinking the Italian Cruiser Armando Diaz off Kerkenah Bank in the Mediterranean on 25 February 1941, and a supply ship.’ D.S.C. London Gazette 1 January 1941. Edward Dudley Norman was born on 2 August 1910, and went to Dartmouth in 1924. He joined the Submarine service in 1932 and served in submarines at Devonport, Gosport and Portland before undergoing the Submarine C.O.’s Qualifying Course in 1940. His first submarine command in March 1940 was the 1920-vintage H.44, in which he carried out several patrols in the North Sea, sank enemy shipping off the Norwegian coast, and was awarded the D.S.C. In December 1940, Norman went out to the Mediterranean to take command of Upright in the Malta-based flotilla, later dubbed ‘The Fighting Tenth’. Sailing for his second patrol in February 1941, Upright had to encounter a new hazard: Italian acoustic mines laid in the harbour approaches. Upright’s sailors detonated them by firing machine gun bullets into the water about 100 yards ahead of the boat. On 21 February, Norman took Upright inside the Tunisian harbour of Sfax to look for targets, but found none. “As we were then scraping along the bottom at periscope depth,” he said, “it seemed prudent to reverse course and retire to the open sea.” Four nights later, Upright was on the surface off Sfax, charging main batteries, when the officer of the watch sighted “a cruiser or a very large destroyer, escorted by two destroyers, one on each bow”. Norman estimated the target’s course and speed, fired four torpedoes, and then dived. “As I got below,” he said, “the periscope was going up. I got it on the right bearing in time to see the first torpedo hit, in the light of which I considered the target was probably a cruiser.” He had, in fact, sunk the 5,000 ton Italian cruiser Armando Diaz and was awarded the D.S.O. Invalided home from Malta with dysentery in July 1941, he took command, in October, of the German U-boat U.570, which had surrendered to an R.A.F. Hudson aircraft south of Iceland in August, and was renamed H.M.S. Graph. U.570’s cryptographic material had been ditched and many instruments smashed, but in a year’s trials under Norman, Graph gave the Allies priceless information about the construction, performance and weaponry of the standard Type VII U-boat. After Graph, Norman commanded Tuna and Alcide, one of the first of the long-range A Class patrol submarines intended for the Pacific. Norman left the Submarine Service in 1947 and had appointments in the Admiralty, with Nato, as Executive Officer of H.M.S. Heron, the naval air station at Yeovilton, where he learned to fly, and in command of the sloop Nereide on the South African Station. The Royal Malaysian Navy, which formed on independence in 1957, began modestly with the purchase of a handful of ex-Royal Navy minesweepers. But as its first Commodore, Norman laid the foundations of a small but efficient force which played a full part in the confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s. When Norman retired in 1960, he was awarded the Malaysian decoration, the Pingat Khidmat Berbakti. In retirement, Norman was secretary of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, and he played an influential role in establishing the first Whitbread Round the World Race. He died in 1998, aged 87. Sold with original warrant and statutes for D.S.O., award certificates for Coronation Medal and Netherlands Red Cross Decoration (16 January 1959), various correspondence, and an original photograph album compiled by Norman with 16 large black and white photographs of the captured U.570 on later trials as H.M.S. Graph, some captioned and dated 15 October 1941, showing interior images and various detailing around her, together with four larger loose photographs of the submarine.
An Order of St. John group of three awarded to Miss Mary C. Coulcher, C.B.E., Lady District Superintendent, St. John Ambulance Association, and Vice-President, Suffolk Branch, British Red Cross Society The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Officer’s (Sister’s) shoulder badge, silver, with heraldic beasts in angles, on lady’s bow riband; Coronation 1911, St. John Ambulance Brigade (Lady Supt. M. C. Coulcher.); Service Medal of the Order of St John, with two additional ‘5 Years Service’ bars (Lady Supt. Miss M. C. Coulcher. Ipswich Corps. 1909) contact marks to last, generally very fine (3) £300-£400 --- C.B.E. London Gazette 30 March 1920: Miss Mary Caroline Coulcher, O.B.E., Lady District Superintendent, St. John Ambulance Association, and Vice-President, Suffolk Branch, British Red Cross Society. O.B.E. London Gazette 7 January 1918: Miss Mary Caroline Coulcher, Vice-President and Lady District Superintendent, St. John Ambulance Brigade; Commandant, Broadwater Auxiliary Hospital, Suffolk. Miss Mary Caroline Coulcher was born in Lynn Regis, Suffolk, in 1852, the daughter of the The Reverend George Coulcher, and moved to Ipswich in 1870. She was one of the initial members of the St. John Ambulance Association movement in Ipswich, becoming Hon. Local Secretary of the Ipswich Centre, S.J.A.A., in January 1880, and was appointed to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1902. Appointed a Lady Supervisor, St. John Ambulance Brigade, in 1904, she served as a town councillor from 1909 to 1912, and during the Great War was Commandant, Voluntary Aid Detachment, Suffolk 22; Commandant of Broadwater Auxiliary Hospital, Ipswich, from 21 October 1914 to 12 February 1919, and also Commandant of Gippeswych (Isolation) Hospital, Ipswich, from 20 March to 6 September 1915. It was her enthusiasm and financial support that led to the town’s first motorised ambulance. She was also a Vice-President of the British Red Cross Society for Ipswich, and a member of the East Suffolk War Relief Committee Executive. For her services during the Great War she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1918, and was advanced a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1920. She died in Ipswich on 15 June 1925. Sold with copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient; and also details of the publicity behind the play Dread Zeppelin, for which she was one of the inspirations, and in which she features.
Three: Petty Officer J. E. Merrett, Royal Navy, who was killed on 6 August 1914, when H.M.S. Amphion struck a mine off the Thames estuary and sank with the loss of 132 men killed; she was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the Great War 1914-15 Star (167481, J. E. Merritt [sic], P.O.1., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (167481 J. E. Merrett. P.O. R.N.) very fine (3) £240-£280 --- John Edward Merrett was born on 2 April 1877 at Devonport and joined the Royal Navy as Boy 2nd Class on 7 June 1892, serving in H.M.S. Impregnable. Advanced Ordinary Seaman, H.M.S. Centurion, 2 April 1895, he was promoted Able Seaman in the same ship on 1 May 1896, and Leading Seaman, H.M.S. Defiance, on 28 October 1898. Advance Petty Officer 1st Class, H.M.S. Defiance, 10 March 1905, he transferred to H.M.S. Amphion, 2 April 1913, and was serving in her on the outbreak of the Great War. He was consequently present at the first naval engagement of the War when Amphion sank the German mine-layer Königin Luise on the 5 August 1914: the very next day, however, Amphion became the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the War, when she struck one of her victim’s mines. The following is an account of Amphion’s all too brief wartime career: Great Britain declared war on Germany at 23:00 hours on 4 August 1914. In the early hours of the following morning Amphion sailed from the port of Harwich together with four destroyers of the 3rd Flotilla. By daylight on 5 August they were well out in the North Sea sweeping towards the Heligoland Bight. A few hours after leaving port one of the destroyers received a report from a fishing vessel who had seen an unknown vessel “throwing things over the side” about 20 miles north of Outer Gabbard. At 10:25 am Amphion sighted an unknown steamer and sent destroyers Lance and Landrail to investigate. The steamer was, in fact, the German Königin Luise, a former Hamburg-Holland passenger ferry which had been converted into an auxiliary mine-layer. On the night of 4th August she had left her home port of Emden with cargo of 180 mines and steamed south through the North Sea to lay mines off the Thames Estuary. She resembled the steamers of the Great Eastern Railway that plied between Harwich and the Hook of Holland, and had hurriedly been painted in their colours of black, buff and yellow to disguise herself. As the two British destroyers approached her, Königin Luise made off at 20 knots altering her course, before disappearing into a rain squall where she laid further mines. The destroyers pursued and at 10:30 Lance opened fire, the first naval shots of the Great War (the forward gun, which fired the shot, is preserved in the Imperial War Museum). They were soon joined by Amphion, which had won the Fleet Gunnery Prize for 1914, and the German came under a very accurate fire. Königin Luise was only lightly armed and offered little resistance. When her efforts to escape into neutral waters, and to draw the British ships onto her minefield were unavailing, Commander Biermann gave the order to scuttle her. At 12:22, on fire amidships and with smoke and steam pouring from her, Königin Luise rolled over to port and sank. 56 of a crew of 130 were rescued by Amphion. Half of these prisoners were incarcerated in a compartment in the cruiser’s bow for the grim reason that “if we go up on a mine, they might as well go first.” During the action, gun crews from the disengaged side of Amphion crossed over to watch the firing and showed their appreciation of good salvoes by cheering and applauding. After the action Captain Fox mustered all hands and reprimanded the men for leaving their posts. He reminded them that they were at war and each man had to stick to his own duty. The ship’s company saw sense of this and rather enjoyed the lecture. Returning to Harwich, Amphion then sighted another ship of the same appearance and colours as Königin Luise but this one was flying an enormous German flag. The destroyers opened fire. Captain Fox recognised her as a genuine Great Eastern Railway steamer and signalled to cease fire; at the same time, the vessel hauled down the German colours and raised the red ensign. She was the St. Petersburg, flying the German flag because she was carrying the German ambassador Prince Lichnowsky and his staff to neutral Holland. Her identity and mission established, she was allowed to proceed. At 06:45 hours on 6 August Amphion struck one of the mines laid by the Königin Luise. It exploded just beside the forebridge and broke the ship’s back. The explosion practically destroyed the bridge; all the occupants, including Captain Fox, were badly burnt, and smoke and flame poured from the slits in the conning tower. All the focsle gun crews were killed, as were many men on the forward mess decks, where the hands were having breakfast. Of the 21 German prisoners in the forward compartment, all but one were killed. Despite his injuries Captain Fox took charge. The ship was well down by the bows and attempts to extinguish the raging fires failed. Abandon ship was ordered. As most of Amphion’s boats had been destroyed, the destroyers sent their boats to rescue the crew. There was no confusion or panic; the survivors fell in on deck and, within twenty minutes of the first explosion, all survivors were aboard the destroyers. Unfortunately, although Amphion’s engines had been stopped, she still had way on, and at 07:03 hours, just as the last boatload of survivors had been taken off, she struck a second mine. Her magazine detonated in a huge cloud of pale yellow smoke and the fore-part of the ship was completely disintegrated, showering the attending destroyers with debris. One 4 inch shell fell on board the Lark, killing two of Amphion’s men and a German prisoner. Amphion then suddenly slid astern and sank at 07.05. One officer and 150 men were lost.’ Merrett was among those killed, the first British casualties of the Great War, and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
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