ASSORTED SILVER DESK ITEMS, COMPRISING: Cartier: an American combined letter opener and magnifying glass, stamped 'Cartier', 'STERLING / 614', and trademark for Currier & Roby, New York, circa 1930, 22.5cm long; another magnifying glass with shaped handle, Charles Fox & Co. Ltd., London, 1912; a Continental 8 inch ruler, of square profile, one end concealing a pencil, import marked for Asprey & Co. Ltd., London, 1963; an American novelty combined propelling pencil and ruler, of square profile, with clip and engraved initials, extending to 12 inches, stamped 'STERLING', early 20th century; a novelty combined letter opener and penknife, the stainless steel blade concealed in the engine-turned handle, Mappin & Webb Ltd., Sheffield, 1963; a glass magnifying roller with octagonal silver terminals, J.N. Kuhn & Co., London, 1913, 25cm long; and a silver-mounted ink blotter, plain rectangular, Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd., Birmingham, 1940 (7)
We found 186062 price guide item(s) matching your search
There are 186062 lots that match your search criteria. Subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service.
Click here to subscribe- List
- Grid
-
186062 item(s)/page
A GEORGE III GOLD QUARTER REPEATING POCKET WATCH, JOHN HOLMES, LONDON, CIRCA 1818 full plate fusee movement with diamond endstone, push pendant activating two hammers on a gong, cuvette with winding aperture and signed 'John Holmes / Strand / LONDON / No.725', matted dial with raised Roman numerals within dot minute markers and serpentine hands, engine-turned case with bold foliate band, pendant and bow, 18 carat gold London hallmarks probably for Horace Gooch, 1818, 5cm diameter; together with a gilt-metal watch chain, terminating in a probably contemporary gold-cased suspension ring and key (for the hands) and an associated winding key (2)Following his death in 1797, the business of the celebrated clock- and watch-maker, John Holmes, was apparently continued by his son William at 156 Strand, until its purchase by George Yonge in 1816. (https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/1826-silver-open-face-duplex-signed-george-yonge-son.157993/#post-1257554, accessed 06.01.23)
A Hornby model railway train set with Caledonian Railway engine and three carriages with track and a group of Hornby boxed rolling stock and Diesel Shunter Class 08, R156, along with a large train print after Terence Cunco, Night King and Don Breekon GWR 150 year anniversary print, titled Night at Laira, Location:
A near complete 3 inch scale model of a Burrell General Purpose Traction Engine. Eleven and a half inch six spoke flywheel, worm and chain steering, spoked and streaked wheels, the steam chest with plaque "Chas. Burrell & Sons Limited Manufacturers Thetford England", boiler with black chimney and boiler door signed en-suite. The model is finished in green, black and red. Overall size 75cm high, 120cm long and 48cm wide. Note - Requires restoration and finishing , no boiler certificate. Est. £4000 - £5000.
Fire Brigade Medals (2), Fire Brigade Medal, obv. an early motorised fire-engine, with helmet and crossed axes above, ‘Valour at Duty’s Call’; rev. laurel wreath and engraved, ‘All England Championship 1933’, 38mm., silver, hallmarks, with ribbon; New Zealand, United Fire Brigades Association, Long Service Medal, for five years service, with three extra ‘2 years service’ bars attached to ribbon, engraved ‘R. N. Hermon Levin V.F.B. 29-10-96’ silver, stamped ‘STG’ on suspension; Lord Willingdon’s Medal for Good Recruiting Work, silver, 41mm, fitted with rings for suspension; Lord Wolseley Commemorative Medal, ‘To commemorate the triumphant return of British troops from Egypt 1882’, the last fair, with edge bruises and solder marks on reverse, the others very fine or better (4) £140-£180
A fine Southern Cross Medal group of fourteen awarded to Colonel F. A. Swemmer, South African Air Force, who flew Spitfires with 3 Squadron, S.A.A.F. over Italy during the Second War, and Mustangs as a flight commander of 2 Squadron ‘Flying Cheetahs’, in the Korean War South Africa, Southern Cross Medal, 1st type (495), minor blue enamel damage; South Africa, Korea 1950-53 (Lt. F. A. Swemmer) officially impressed naming; Permanent Force Good Service Medal, 30 Years (438); Permanent Force Good Service Medal, 20 Years (264); Permanent Force Good Service Medal, 18 Years (1313); Chief of Defence Force Commendation Medal (182); Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘P6771 F. A. Swemmer’; United States of America, Air Medal, bronze, with 2 oak leaf clusters, unnamed; U.N. Korea (Lt. F. A. Swemmer.) officially impressed naming; South Korea, Korea Medal, mounted as originally worn, generally very fine unless otherwise already stated (14) £1,600-£2,000 --- Southern Cross Medal. The original recommendation dated, 13 March 1967, states: ‘This officer has, over the years, rendered invaluable service to the SA Air Force and, as his record has shown, has always placed the interests of the Air Force far above his own. He was a flight commander during the war in Korea and completed 359 operational flying hours on fighter aircraft. In subsequent years he was a flying instructor at Central Flying School where he rose to the very responsible positions of Officer in Charge of Testing and Assessing, Chief Ground Instructor and Chief Flying Instructor. During all these years on flying instruction Major Swemmer established the proud achievement of never having had one of his own pupils suspended from flying training. On completion of his long and excellent instructional tour he took over 40 Citizen Force Squadron as Officer Commanding. Major Swemmer has always set an extremely high standard in flying efficiency and has always insisted that all the pilots under his command aimed at achieving the same standard. His perseverance and untiring efforts to maintain this ideal has benefited the SA Air Force to a considerable degree and was illustrated in a most convincing manner recently when his squadron won the Citizen Force Inter Squadron Competition. The keenness, discipline and high standard of flying displayed by the members of his squadron was a direct result of the prolonged and untiring efforts of the squadron commander himself. The zeal and enthusiasm shown was a complete reflection of Major Swemmer’s own enthusiasm and zeal.’ Chief of Defence Force Commendation Medal. The original recommendation dated, 25 May 1970, states: ‘Cmdt. Swemmer has been employed as a flying instructor in the SAAF since 1951. Appointed Chief Instructor, FTS DNTR, in January 1968, he has proved to be an extremely capable, conscientious and dependable officer. He organised his flying and ground training programmes in a manner that promoted maximum efficiency and flying safety, leading to the high standard of the trained pilots and the decreased accident rate of the FTS. As a flying instructor on Harvard, Vampire and Cessna aircraft for nineteen years, Cmdt. Swemmer has flown 4,237 hours. 1,859 have been flying instructional hours. he holds an A1 Category IRE Rating. Cmdt. Swemmer’s qualifications are the highest a flying instructor can obtain. His dedication to his work and the diligence shown by this officer has been an outstanding example to the junior flying instructors and helped to enhance the reputation of the South African Air Force.’ Frans Adriaan Swemmer was born in Standerton, South Africa in July 1920, and initially served as a Lieutenant with the S.A.I.C. from September 1939 - January 1942. He transferred to the South African Air Force for pilot training in January 1942, qualified as a pilot in May 1943, and served with 3 Squadron S.A.A.F. (Spitfires) in the Middle East and Italy. Swemmer received an official reprimand for: ‘Being guilty of an act in flying which was likely to cause loss of life to a person, in that he when on active service at or about 10.00 hours on 5 June 1945 at Camp Formido aerodrome when a pilot of His Majesty’s aircraft Spitfire No. CA.F. dived and flew the said aircraft over the runway of the said airfield at a height of approximately 50 ft., which act was likely to cause loss of life to himself as pilot of said aircraft.’ Swemmer was appointed as a Lieutenant to the Permanent Force in May 1946. He was posted to 2 (Flying Cheetahs) Squadron, with the original contingent of 49 officers and 157 men, he left Durban for Tokyo, Japan en route to Korea on 26 September 1950. Arriving at Johnson Air Base on 5 November, the squadron spent the next 10 days converting to F-51 Mustangs. Here the Americans tried to treat them like complete novices, whereas most had flown the Mustang previously, some during the Second War. It took a serious demonstration in acrobatic flying to show the Americans the error of their ways. By 12 November, the conversion was complete and the first pilots were on their way to Korea. On 16 November a further 13 officers and 21 other ranks left for K9 airfield at Pusan. The squadron was attached to the American 18th Fighter Bomber Wing, with whom they remained for the rest of the war. On 19 November, the advance detachment moved to K24 near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, flying their first combat mission the same day. Swemmer served as a Flight Commander with 2 Squadron during the Korean War, and completed 359 operational flying hours on fighter aircraft. He was involved in a flying accident, 4 March 1951, ‘0645 Hrs Lt. Swemmer took on an armed recce. Engine cut. The aircraft overshot end of runway and he crashed landed in rice paddy fields. Aircraft badly damaged.’ (Accident report refers) Swemmer was posted for service as an Instructor to the Central Flying School in July 1951, and advanced to Captain in December 1957. Swemmer advanced to Major in December 1962, and to Commandant in December 1968. He served as Officer Commanding 40 Squadron, January 1965 - December 1967, and was then posted as Chief Instructor, C.F.S., December 1967 - July 1970. Subsequent postings included as SO Ops, Light Aircraft Command, and Swemmer advanced to Colonel in October 1974. Colonel Swemmer retired in July 1980. Sold with extensive copied service papers, including a photographic image of the recipient in uniform.
‘Have rejoined the Fleet, no damage or casualties, God Save the King!’ A Fine 1949 ‘H.M.S. Amethyst Yangtze Incident’ Naval General Service Medal awarded to Able Seaman E. N. Saunders, Royal Navy, who remained aboard H.M.S. Amethyst as part of a skeleton crew of about fifty men throughout its 101 day ordeal; he was a key member of the Damage Control Party which made the repairs that enabled Amethyst’s daring escape and dash to the sea Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Yangtze 1949 (D/SSX.815328 E. Saunders. A.B. R.N.) a few scratches to the obverse field, good very fine £2,800-£3,200 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2013. Eric Noble Saunders was born in Liverpool on 23 February 1928 and enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman on 21 August 1946, serving first in H.M.S. Raleigh, the basic training centre at Torpoint, Cornwall. Promoted to Able Seaman on 11 January 1948, Saunders transferred to the frigate H.M.S. Amethyst in the Far East on 8 July 1948. The Yangtze Incident In April 1949, during the Chinese Civil War, Amethyst was sent up the Yangtze River to Nanjing to relieve H.M.S. Consort as the guardship for the British Embassy (at that time Nanjing was the capital of the Nationalist republic of China). The south bank of the river was held by the Nationalists and the north bank by the Communists. About 09.30 on 20 April 1949 a Communist shore battery opened fire on Amethyst, hitting her bridge, wheelhouse and low-power room. Her Captain was killed and the frigate slewed to port and grounded on a sandbank. The shelling continued, ripping large holes in the hull (some near the waterline), the sickbay and the port engine room. Only one turret was able to bear on the hostile batteries; it fired under local control until it was disabled. Just after 10.00, the wounded First Lieutenant ordered the evacuation of all but essential personnel. Just over 60 men reached the southern shore. Shelling stopped at 11.00; 22 men had been killed and 31 wounded (the wounded were taken off by sampan the next day, and the evacuation of non-essential personnel completed). The ship had received over 50 hits, and People’s Liberation Army (P.L.A.) snipers continued to fire at any visible movement on board. Amethyst was refloated after midnight, but the Communist batteries fired on her whenever she attempted to get underway. Two days later, the British Assistant Naval Attaché, Lieutenant-Commander Kerans, came on board and took over command of the ship and the 50 or so crew members, including Saunders, who remained on board throughout the entire ‘Yangtze Incident’. Amethyst remained a hostage under the guns of the P.L.A.; vital supplies were not permitted to reach her. Negotiations with the Communists made no progress, because they insisted as a precondition that Kerans must begin by confessing that the ship had wrongly invaded Chinese national waters and had fired upon the P.L.A. first (in 1988 the Chinese commander, Ye Fei, admitted that it was his troops that opened fire first). According to Yangtse Incident by Lawrence Earl: ‘As early as mid-May Kerans reserved a corner of his mind for thinking about a possible break-out from the river in case his negotiations for a safe-conduct should fail. With this in his mind he decided to get the ship into seaworthy shape as soon as possible. He appointed Garns and Saunders, under the supervision of Strain, as a damage-control party, which soon became jocularly known among the ship’s company as the Wrecker’s Union. But Kerans did not mention to anyone his secret fears that a break-out might eventually become the only avenue to freedom. Garns and Saunders pitched in with great enthusiasm. They busily stuffed hammocks with mattresses and blankets and old clothing - anything they could lay their hands on that could be spared. Then they took these bulging, sausage-like wads and stuffed them into the gaping shell-holes. They used from one to three of these at a time, according to the size of the hole. After that they shored up the damaged area with planks, using the stock of timber - which they cut down to the proper sizes - which, fortunately, had been taken aboard in Malaya some time previously. In a month they had succeeded in adequately filling in eight holes along the waterline; but one waterline hole, dead astern and directly over the rudder, resisted all their efforts. Garns was a short, sandy-haired man of about thirty years of age [whose period of engagement in the Navy ended while Amethyst was trapped]. “Here I am, stuck,” he said sadly to Saunders. He had been in the Navy for twelve years. “One thing I can tell you, though: the Navy will never get me again after this. No, Sir!” Saunders grinned. “Don’t be an ass, Garnsey. Don’t you know you’ll never get out of this predicament? Don’t you know you’ll never be demobbed now?” Garns gave him a long, sideways look of suspicion. “You’ll be soldiering on, me lad,” he said, “long after I get back to Civvie Street. And, brother, am I going to have the laugh on you!” Kerans was feeling pretty good about the break-out now that the decision had been made. He had worked out all the angles, quietly and alone, during the long, tiresome wait. He drew up a list of seventeen petty officers and key ratings, and ordered them to meet in his cabin at about eight that evening. The seventeen trooped silently into Kerans’ small cabin. There was not much room to spare. The door was shut, and almost at once the air became stifling. “I’m going to break out tonight at ten,” Kerans said matter-of-factly. When Amethyst finally slipped her mooring, a brief maelstrom of firing, mostly inaccurate and causing much damage to the Communists themselves, enabled Kerans to steer Amethyst neatly through and under and around the wild barrage and make good his escape, [having suffered only one hit]. Reports came up from the engine-room that Amethyst was flooding badly from the one waterline hole, right in the stern, which Garns and Saunders had been unable to repair. Pumps were put into action to keep the water in check. Kerans prayed: ‘Dear God, don’t let it flood so badly that it will put paid to my steering”.’ Saunders was present throughout the hostage crisis and was instrumental in enabling the famous escape and dash down the Yangtze River that ended it (after 101 days) on the night of 30-31 July. Amethyst rejoined the Fleet and returned to England on 1 November 1949. The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, notified the ship’s company that their conduct had been ‘up to standard’. King George VI was more effusive: ‘Please convey to the commanding officer and ship’s company of H.M.S. Amethyst my hearty congratulations on their daring exploit to re-join the Fleet. The courage, skill and determination shown by all on board have my highest commendation. Splice the mainbrace.’ Saunders took part in the celebrations when the ship returned home and sat on Table 2 at the Celebratory Dinner at the Dorchester Hotel, London, on 16 November 1949. He married in Liverpool in 1951, and was discharged from the Navy on 14 December 1953, after seven years’ service. He died in Liverpool on 15 January 1968. Sold with copied research.
LOUISE JINKS FOR TROIKA POTTERY; a Cornish tin mine table lamp with green glazed engine house and brown chimney, height excluding fitting 22cm, signed 'Troika Cornwall' with painted initials to the underside.Condition Report: Firing cracks to the underside although the piece still does ring true, but otherwise good condition with no chips, other cracks, or restoration.
ROBERTS & DORE; an Elizabeth II hallmarked silver pin dish set with an Elizabeth II crown, Sheffield 1980, with an assortment of hallmarked silver, including two pedestal bonbon dishes, an Art Deco style ashtray with engine turned decoration, twin handled tapering cup, sugar tongs, and salt spoon, approx. 9.27ozt/288g, with two white metal napkin rings.
JOHN ROUND & SONS LTD; five hallmarked silver dinner forks, various years including Sheffield 1908, with a hallmarked silver Art Deco style napkin ring with engine turned decoration, combined weight approx. 8.38ozt/260g, with three hallmarked silver fish servers with ivorine handles, glass salt bottle with hallmarked silver collar, and a hallmarked silver and glass collar, also a hallmarked silver cheroot holder with remains of a cheroot.
Pocher. 1/8th scale kit-built from metal and plastic kit of 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, generally good plus to good, ex-display and would benefit from light cleaning, approx. length: 51cm/20 inches, red plastic body, unattached engine cover, engine part-complete with loose part, spoked wheels and rubber tyres. Some loose or missing parts including aero screens but contents unchecked for completeness or correctness. Viewing highly recommended. BUYER MUST COLLECT.
An Edward Medal for Industry awarded to Mr. W. C. Simmons, a Porter with the London and South Western Railway Company, for his gallantry in saving the life of a woman, intent on suicide, who had jumped in front of an express train at Bournemouth Railway Station on 20 August 1912 Edward Medal (Industry), G.V.R., 1st issue, with 2nd type reverse, bronze (Walter Charles Simmons) very fine £1,000-£1,400 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, February 2015 E.M. London Gazette 17 December 1912: ‘On the afternoon of Tuesday, 20 August, 1912, as an express passenger train was entering Bournemouth Station, a woman jumped from the platform in front of the engine. The driver promptly applied the brakes and sounded the whistle; but was unable to stop the train until the engine had passed the spot where the woman jumped down. Simmons's attention was attracted by the whistle when the engine was about 12 yards away, and, without an instant's hesitation, he jumped off the platform on to the permanent way, and succeeded in lifting the woman clear of the rails and holding her against another train, which was stationary on an adjoining line, neither of them sustaining injury. There is no doubt whatever that the rescue was effected by Simmons at the risk of his life, and any delay or hesitation would, in all probability have resulted in fatal consequences.’ Walter Charles Simmons was employed by the London and South Western Railway Company as a Porter at Bournemouth Railway Station.
A particularly fine Second World War Mosquito navigator's D.F.M. group of four awarded to Pilot Officer L. J. Etheridge, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who completed 50 sorties over France, Holland and Germany in 1944-45, an action packed tour that included a brace of crash-landings back in England after damage sustained in action - once on one engine with a hung-up 500lb. bomb: so, too, the spectacular daylight raids on the S.S.-occupied Chateau de Fou in August 1944 and S.S. barracks at Arnhem in the following month Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (1603309. F/Sgt. L. J. Etheridge. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, generally good very fine (4) £3,000-£4,000 --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, March 2008. D.F.M. London Gazette 8 May 1945. The original recommendation states: 'Flight Sergeant Etheridge has completed 50 sorties with his pilot, Flight Lieutenant Gasson, including three daylight operations. This N.C.O. has proved himself to be an excellent operational Navigator. He has never failed to bring his pilot to the target area, often despite poor weather conditions and without navigational aids. Some of the sorties in which he was engaged involved very deep penetrations into enemy territory, where accurate navigation, without Gee facilities, was vital to the success of the missions. The results obtained by this Navigator and his pilot have been outstandingly good as the following examples will show. On the night of 6-7 August 1944, a moving light was attacked in France and due to the fact that the attack was pressed home to a low level the port engine was hit by a ricochet and caught fire at 1500 feet. The port propeller was feathered and the graviner switch operated. The return flight was made on one engine and Flight Sergeant Etheridge's accurate navigation brought them safely to England. It was found that height could not be maintained with the result that the English coast was crossed at 400 feet and a crash landing made at Ford. On the night of 4-5 October 1944, when carrying out a patrol over Holland and Germany, two trains were found in a railway station at Millingen, which were attacked with bombs and cannon. A large explosion followed the attack and later a fire started. During the same patrol a tug and six barges were found and successfully strafed. Flight Sergeant Etheridge also took part in the successful daylight operations against the chateau south of Chatellerault on 2nd August, trains at Chalons on 25 August 1944 and on the barracks at Arnhem on 17 September 1944. Flight Sergeant Etheridge possesses great determination and coolness in times of crisis. His fine offensive spirit, which is equal to that of his pilot, has gone to make an ideal Mosquito crew. In view of his fine operational record, I strongly recommend him for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal.' Laurence James Etheridge was born in Hampshire in January 1921. He commenced his operational career with 107 Squadron, a Mosquito unit of 2nd Tactical Air Force's 138 Wing, operating out of Lasham, in July 1944, when, with his New Zealander pilot, Flight Lieutenant L. Gasson, he completed an offensive patrol over Vire-Falaise-Trouville sector on the night of the 24th-25th. Indeed it was to prove the first of a spate of such patrols in support of the Allied landings, 107’s Mosquito VIs targeting enemy troops, transport and communications, often with great success, according to the Squadron's Operational Record Book (O.R.B.), by means of bombing and cannon fire delivered from altitudes as low as 500-1000 feet. Success was also dependent on a bright moon, a case in point being Etheridge's third sortie - against targets in the upper reaches of the Seine, from Rouen on the night of 30-31 July - when 107's Mosquitoes strafed and bombed a variety of trains, bridges, roads and in fact, any moving lights, but not without interference from the usual flak concentrations which had a habit of 'creeping up on the unwary'. Etheridge's next sortie was of the daylight variety, one of a series of famous strikes against the S.S. and Gestapo, in this case an attack on troops of the notorious 158th “Security” Regiment - who had recently murdered members of the S.A.S. - in the Chateau de Fou, south of Chatellerault on 2 August, a spectacular raid captured on camera, and one in which his aircraft, Mosquito A-NT. 136, formed part of the third wave - never the best place to be with aroused defences: ‘In the woods to the immediate south of the Chateau, one large explosion was seen after a cannon attack, possibly from motor transport. Bombs landed all round the Chateau but no direct hit was claimed. Strikes were obtained on the roof in a cannon attack and a small fire was seen to start inside. Aircraft ‘D’ sustained the loss of one engine over the target and crash landed at Thorney Island - crew unhurt. The trip back was uneventful except for a little flak soon after leaving the target, which was successfully avoided by all except F./O. Staple in Aircraft ‘J’ ... It is doubtful if the Chateau was entirely destroyed but troops possibly hiding in the woods would have been eliminated’ (107’s Squadron Operational Record Book refers). Two days later Etheridge was part of a Squadron effort to lend support to the Army in the Caen sector, when 'much activity was seen in the battle zone and flak was very considerable', while on the night of 6-7 August, as cited above, he and Gasson were compelled to return from France on one engine, the other having been set alight by a ricochet from their own low-level cannon-fire - not mentioned, however, is the fact they were carrying a hung-up 500lb. bomb as they made their crash landing at Ford in Sussex and that said bomb exploded just two minutes after they had scrambled clear of the wreckage. Notwithstanding such a close-call, both were back in action over France, chasing trains out of Paris, the very next night. So, too, on the 8th-9th, evidence indeed of 107's constant operational agenda, another three nights of successive operations taking place between the 12th-15th, in one of which further trains were shot up in the Falaise sector. And as if this "three-nighter" agenda were not punishing enough, Etheridge and Gasson were called upon to carry out two sorties on the night of 16th-17th, both of them strikes against barges on the Seine - such was the ferocity of the flak that neither could see the results of their attacks. Bad weather then having intervened, their next sortie was flown on the night of 23-24 August, on a line between Cap D'Antifer and Lens, another on the 24th-25th, and a daylight operation against railway targets at Chalons in the afternoon of the latter date - a spectacular mission in which a number of oil-trains were hit, exploding 'with a terrific mushroom of flame and black smoke', but a mission, too, in which most of the participating aircraft were also damaged by return fire: a vivid portrayal of 107’s Mosquito VIs on a low-level railway strike over France, by David Pentalnd, is available as a limited edition print from Cranston Fine Arts. The Squadron now having moved to Epinoy, France, September started with a deep penetration sortie into Holland and Germany on the night of the 5th-6th, severe jamming preventing the use of GEE and making Etheridge's navigation role all the more difficult, while on the 9th-10th eight of 107s aircraft destroyed a brace of ammunition trains between Metz and Morhange, taking it in turns to carry out devastating cannon and machine-gun attacks. A successful sortie to Holland followed on the night of the 11th-12th, a less successful one on the 13th-14th, while on the 17th Etheridge and Gasson, piloti...
A scarce Edward Medal Second Class for Mines awarded to Mr. Archer Cartwright, Under Manager of the Russell Colliery, for his gallantry during the Dudley Colliery Fire on 17 April 1910 Edward Medal (Mines), E.VII.R., 2nd Class, bronze (Archer Cartwright) mounted with the original investiture hook, good very fine £1,500-£2,000 --- E.M. London Gazette 5 August 1910: Mr. Archer Cartwright, Under Manager, Russell Colliery [in a joint citation with Isaiah Walker, Miner, Russell Colliery; Samuel Slater, Miner, Russell Colliery; and Anthony Willets, Miner, Russell Colliery] ‘On the 17th April 1910, an underground fire, in which the lives of two workmen were lost, occurred at the Russell Colliery, near Dudley, Staffordshire- a district where the workings are peculiarly liable to spontaneous combustion. The fire broke out at a point about 114 yards from the bottom of the downcast shaft, and when it was discovered by smoke issuing from the upcast shaft, the Manager of the mine, accompanied by several workmen, proceeded to the spot to try and put the fire out. After working for a considerable time in the heat and smoke, two of the party, Archer Cartwright (Under Manager) and Anthony Willets, were sent to the surface for tools, leaving the Manager and two workmen to proceed with the work of fighting the fire. In their absence, both the Manager, who, feeling the effects of the smoke, had walked back a short distance, and the two workmen were overcome by the noxious atmosphere. Willets, on his return, found the Manager unconscious and dragging him, in spite of his very heavy weight, to the bottom of the shaft, brought him safely to the surface. Willets and Cartwright and a third man named Samuel Slater then descended the shaft in order to try and rescue the two workmen who had succumbed. They found them and attempted to carry them back; but Willets, who was already exhausted by his previous efforts, gave signs of giving way, and Cartwright and Slater also feeling ill-effects, they were all compelled to return and leave the two unfortunate workmen. On their way back, Willets fell down unconscious, and Cartwright and Slater, being unable to help him, made their way with difficulty to the surface. They were able, however, to tell Isaiah Walker of Willets’ condition, and he volunteered to try and bring Willets out. Descending the mine alone, and crawling on his hands and knees under the smoke, Walker managed to reach Willets, whom he found lying on his face about 27 yards from the shaft. Seizing him by the shoulders, Walker managed to drag Willets to the shaft bottom, and then took him up in the cage. Walker again went down the shaft in the hope of reaching the two workmen left in the mine; but this time he was unsuccessful, and was forced to come back.’ The Dudley Colliery Fire ‘On Sunday morning a fire, which resulted in the loss of two lives, broke out in No. 5 Pit, Windmill End, known as the Russell Hall Colliery, Dudley. The victims were John Davies and Tom Robinson. It appears that four men were working in the mine on Saturday night, namely Sam Slater, Isaiah Walker, Sam Brookes, and Joe Hughes. They came up between twelve and one o’clock for their supper, and when they got back down to the bottom of the shaft they noticed something was wrong. There was a smell of fire in the main roadway. They reported this, and immediately went down again. It was then found that the timber in the mine was in flames, and they worked on the fire until four o´clock on the Sunday morning, when the two unfortunate men, Robinson and Davies, relieved them. The manager (Mr. Alderson), and the under-manager (Mr. Cartwright) were also in the workings, together with a miner named Willets. Brookes and Slater went home, but Slater and Walker remained in case they should be wanted. About five o’clock they became anxious and went down again and rendered further assistance. Willets and Mr. Cartwright meanwhile returned to the bank for tools to make a sand dam, the fire having got out of hand, and the emitted fumes being too overpowering. Willets was the first to return, and upon going into the workings found Mr. Alderson lying on the ground in a state of semi-consciousness. With great difficulty he managed to drag him to the pit bottom, and he was quickly conveyed to the bank. It was then recognised that the position of the other two men must be serious, for they were further in the workings than Mr. Alderson. Willets, although suffering somewhat from the effects of the fumes himself, pluckily returned again to the pit in company with Mr. Cartwright and several others. The fumes were so deadly that the rescue party could not endure them for many minutes together, and had to be drawn to the top with great speed. Mr. Cartwright found the bodies of the two men lying in the roadway, and tried to drag them away, but he had to beat a hasty retreat for his own safety. At six o’clock Dr. Dando, who resides nearby, was sent for, and he pluckily descended the shaft as soon as he arrived. The rescue party then attempted to put in a sand dam, which they accomplished with great difficulty. The two men, Robinson and Davies, were found dead at about 9:30 a.m. Many deeds of splendid heroism are reported. Mr. Alderson, the manager, and Mr. Cartwright, his deputy, were overcome on several occasions; in fact, at one time as many as six of the rescue party were lying unconscious in the engine house. Dr. Dando remained down the pit for more than three hours, rendering what assistance he could to the relief parties. Eventually he was overcome by the fumes, and had to be conveyed to the top in a tub. Artificial respiration was resorted to in each case, and when the men came to themselves they reeled as though they were drunk. Most of the men were sent home to bed, and Dr. Dando speaks very highly of the heroism displayed. When called, Dr. Dando lost no time in getting to the pit, hurrying from his house with his dressing gown, wasting no time in getting dressed. The men speak of his actions with the greatest admiration. “I had to restrain a number of the men”, said the doctor in an interview, “from going back in their endeavour to fetch their comrades. It would have been certain death to them. I was proud of these men. I have never seen anything to equal it. They were nobly led by Mr. Alderson, and I cannot say how it is that he is alive today. I am sure that greater deeds of heroism have never before been seen upon a battlefield. When the men were making the dam to keep back the foul air they could not hold the shovel for more than a minute. They then had to go back to the bottom of the shaft to get air, and then rush back again. They worked splendidly. Of course, as the dam was constructed the danger from the foul air became less, and they could proceed with less difficulty.”’ (Dudley Herald, 23 April 1910 refers). Archer Cartwright was born in Lye, Worcestershire, in September 1882, and was presented with his Edward Medal by H.M. King George V at Buckingham Palace on 2 August 1910. Sold with a large quantity of copied research.
1914-15 Star (271284, W. H. C. Critchley, E.R.A.3., R.N.); Victory Medal 1914-19 (2) (305945 E. Coombes. Sto. 1. R.N.; J.12788 F. A. Vyvyan. A.B. R.N.) last officially re-impressed, nearly very fine (3) £70-£90 --- H.M.S. Amphion At the start of the Great War, H.M.S. Amphion was leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, assigned to the Harwich Force, defending the eastern approaches to the English Channel, under the command of Captain Cecil H. Fox. In the morning of 5 August, Amphion and the 3rd Flotilla sortied into the North Sea to patrol the area between Harwich and the Dutch island of Terschelling for German activity. At 10:15 a ship in the black, buff, and yellow colours of the Great Eastern Railway’s steamers that plied between Harwich and the Hook of Holland was spotted. Fox sent the destroyers H.M.S. Lance and H.M.S. Landrail to investigate and shortly afterwards another destroyer reported that a trawler had seen a suspicious ship, ‘throwing things overboard, presumably mines’ H.M.S. Amphion led the flotilla to investigate and observed that the fleeing ship was deploying mines even then. At 10:45, Lance opened fire at a range of 4,400 yards. The target was S.M.S. Königin Luise, a former Hamburg-Heligoland excursion boat that had been converted to an auxiliary minelayer by the Germans. They had planned to mount a pair of 8.8-centimetre (3.5 in) guns on board, but they did not have the time to do so; her only armament was a pair of lighter guns and 180 mines. On the night of 4 August, she had departed Emden and headed into the North Sea to lay mines off the Thames Estuary, which she began to do at dawn. The fire from the destroyers was ineffective until Amphion closed to a range of 7,000 yards and began hitting the German ship at about 11:15. By noon, Königin Luise was sinking and the three British ships rescued 5 officers and 70 ratings. The flotilla proceeded onwards with their patrol until they reached the Dutch coast around 21:00 and turned for home. Fox was uncertain as to the locations of the mines laid by Königin Luise and laid a course that was seven nautical miles west of where he thought the mines were. He guessed wrongly and led his flotilla over the danger area. At 06:35, Amphion struck a mine that detonated underneath her bridge. The explosion set her forecastle on fire and broke the ship’s keel. The destroyer H.M.S. Linnet attempted to tow the cruiser, but a deep crack across her upper deck showed that she was hogging badly and Fox ordered his crew to abandon ship. Shortly afterwards, her forward magazine exploded, throwing one 4-inch gun into the air that narrowly missed Linnet. One of Amphion’s shells burst on the deck of the destroyer Lark, killing two of her men and the only German prisoner rescued from the cruiser. Amphion then rapidly sank within 15 minutes of the explosion losing 1 officer and 131 ratings killed in the sinking, plus an unknown number of the crew rescued from Königin Luise. She was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the Great War. William Henry Charles Critchley was born in Devonport on 13 March 1888 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 4 January 1904. Advanced Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class on 1 January 1912, he joined H.M.S. Amphion on 2 April 1913, when the ship was first commissioned, and served in her from the outset of the Great War. He survived Amphion’s sinking, and saw later Great War service in H.M.S. Faulknor at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. Advanced Chief Engine Room Artificer on 1 March 1919, he was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 22 January 1922, and was discharged to pension on 12 March 1928. Mobilised from 28 September to 3 October 1939, he was recalled for service during the Second World War on 23 August 1939, and served in the U.K. until his release on 16 August 1945. He died in Plymouth, aged 63, on 1 November 1951. Edwin Coombes was born in Torquay, Devon, on 28 January 1885 and joined the Royal Navy on 8 February 1904. Advanced Stoker First Class on 1 July 1906, he joined H.M.S. Amphion on 2 April 1913, when the ship was first commissioned, and served in her from the outset of the Great War. He was killed when Amphion struck a mine and sunk on 6 August 1914, and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. Francis Alfred Vyvyan was born in Plymouth, Devon, on 19 August 1894 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 19 July 1911. He joined H.M.S. Amphion on 2 April 1913, when the ship first commissioned, and was advanced Able Seaman on 21 February 1914. He served in Amphion from the outset of the Great War and was killed when she struck a mine and sunk on 6 August 1914. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Elgin National Watch Co. gold plated lever set hunter pocket watch, circa 1880, signed adjusted movement, no. 815635, with patent pinion, compensated balance and regulator, hinged cuvette, signed dial with Roman numerals, minute track and subsidiary seconds, blued steel hands, within an engine turned and engraved case, 54mm-Movement - currently functioning.Dial - faint hairlines, light surface marks.Glass - light surface marks.Hands - mild surface corrosion.Case - wear and scratches to the inside front cover, surface marks, faint mild bruise line to the back cover, rubbing to the bow.Crown - .-Condition reports are provided for general guidance only. Please view images and further information can be obtained upon request. Gardiner Houlgate do not guarantee the working order or time accuracy of any lots. Due to the opening of the wristwatch case backs, it is recommended watches are re-sealed by professional technicians to ensure any stated water resistance is retained
American Waltham 'Hillside' silver lever pocket watch, Birmingham 1896, signed movement, no. 7260833, with safety barrel, compensated balance and regulator, hinged cuvette, signed dial with Roman numerals, minute track and subsidiary seconds, within an engine turned case with engraved cartouche, case maker 'A.B', 49mm (crown requires attention)-Movement - currently functioning.Dial - light surface marks, scratch at the ten position.Glass - light surface marks.Hands - light surface marks.Case - mild bruise mark to the edge of the back cover, tarnishing, some mild rubbing to the edge of the engine turning.Crown - needs attention as not winding or adjusting the hands.-Condition reports are provided for general guidance only. Please view images and further information can be obtained upon request. Gardiner Houlgate do not guarantee the working order or time accuracy of any lots. Due to the opening of the wristwatch case backs, it is recommended watches are re-sealed by professional technicians to ensure any stated water resistance is retained
19th century 18ct fusee lever pocket watch, hallmarked Chester, the three-quarter plate movement signed Edw'd Watson, King Street, Cheapside, London, no. 4334, with steel three arm balance and regulator, signed dial with Roman numerals, minute track and subsidiary seconds, within an engine turned case, 73.9gm, 47mm (requires repair)-Movement - not functioning and requires repair.Dial - light surface marks, hairlines at the three/four position and to the centre.Glass - light surface marks.Hands - light surface marks, not matching.Case - hallmarks rubbed and indistinct, some small mild indentations to the case back, mild rubbing to the engine turning, replacement bow not gold.-Condition reports are provided for general guidance only. Please view images and further information can be obtained upon request. Gardiner Houlgate do not guarantee the working order or time accuracy of any lots. Due to the opening of the wristwatch case backs, it is recommended watches are re-sealed by professional technicians to ensure any stated water resistance is retained
Edwardian silver lever pocket watch, Birmingham 1901, three quarter plate movement signed Frank Lewis, Stonehouse, Plymouth, no. 209304, with compensated balance and regulator, hinged cuvette, signed dial, within an engine turned case, case maker 'JR' (Rotherham & Sons), 48mm-Movement - currently functioning.Dial - light surface marks.Glass - surface scratches.Hands - replacement hands, holes to the infill, surface corrosion.Case - some mild surface scratches to the case sides.Crown - adjusting the hands (stiff) but not winding - requires some attention.-Condition reports are provided for general guidance only. Please view images and further information can be obtained upon request. Gardiner Houlgate do not guarantee the working order or time accuracy of any lots. Due to the opening of the wristwatch case backs, it is recommended watches are re-sealed by professional technicians to ensure any stated water resistance is retained
William IV silver fusee lever pocket watch, Chester 1836, the gilt half plate movement signed Townley & Luilliam, Liverpool, no. 982, with engraved balance cock, diamond endstone, steel three arm balance and regulator, hinged cuvette, the dial with Roman numerals, minute markers and subsidiary seconds, gilt hands, within an engine turned case with applied gold hinges and engraved initials, case maker 'EK' (Edward Kirkman), 50mm, key-Movement - currently functioning.Dial - hairlines and light surface marks.Glass - light surface marks, small blemish to the outer edge.Hands - light surface marks.Case - engine turning rubbed, surface scratches.-Condition reports are provided for general guidance only. Please view images and further information can be obtained upon request. Gardiner Houlgate do not guarantee the working order or time accuracy of any lots. Due to the opening of the wristwatch case backs, it is recommended watches are re-sealed by professional technicians to ensure any stated water resistance is retained
Loading...-
186062 item(s)/page