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Click here to subscribeVictory Medal 1914-19 (10) (21523 Cpl. C. Adams. R. Berks. R.; 23956 Pte. W. B. G. Aldridge. R. Berks. R.; 202431 Pte. G. A. Barrett. R. Berks. R.; 200727 Pte. T. M. Clark. R. Berks. R.; 20146 Pte. T. H. Cousins. R. Berks. R.; 16786 Pte. G. Hamblin. R. Berks. R.; 15774 Pte. F. W. Horne. R. Berks. R.; 3532 Pte. G. W. Palmer. R. Berks. R.; 9160 Cpl. A. Roberts. R. Berks. R.; 17845 Pte. A. Walker. R. Berks. R.) generally nearly very fine and better (10) £100-£140
Miniature Medals: Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 1994, E.II.R. (3); Army L.S. & G.C. (33), V.R., 3rd issue, small letter reverse; E.VII.R. (6); G.V.R., 1st issue (11); G.VI.R., 1st issue, Regular Army (6); E.II.R., 1st issue, Regular Army; E.II.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (8); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C. (5), G.VI.R., 1st issue (4); E.II.R., 2nd issue; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (2); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue, generally extremely fine (44) £80-£100
Pair: Engineer-Admiral William H., Becket, C.B., Royal Navy British War Medal 1914-20 (Eng. Capt. W. H. Beckett. R.N.); Coronation 1911, unnamed as issued, mounted court-style, good very fine (2) £40-£50 --- C.B. (Civil) London Gazette 3 June 1919. William Herbert Beckett was promoted to Engineer Admiral on 30 September 1919.
Efficiency Medal, G.V.R., Canada (R.Q.M.S. (W.O. Cl. 2.) A. J. Hayhurst M.M. B.C. Dns.) nearly very fine £80-£100 --- M.M. London Gazette 18 November 1918. Arthur John Hayhurst was born in Yorkshire in August 1894. He served with the British Columbia Dragoons and the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. Hayhurst was wounded in action at Vimy Ridge, 9 April 1917. A Horse Breaker by trade, he died in August 1977, and is buried in the Vernon (Pleasant Valley) Cemetery, British Columbia, Canada.
A Great War M.M. group of four awarded to Gunner H. Triplow, Royal Field Artillery Military Medal, G.V.R. (82185 Gnr: H. Triplow. D.330/Bde. R.F.A.) minor official correction to surname; 1914-15 Star (82185. Dvr. H. Treplow [sic], R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals (82185 Gnr. H. Treplow [sic]. R.A.) good very fine (4) £300-£400 --- M.M. London Gazette 25 January 1918.
Indian Recruiting Badge, G.VI.R., silver and bronze, reverse officially numbered ‘6128’; Edward Prince of Wales Visit to Bombay 1921, oval bronze medal, the obverse with bust of Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), surmounted by Prince of Wales’ feathers, the reverse inscribed ‘Visit of His Royal Highness, Bombay, November 1921’, with small ring for suspension, the first with some scratches to reverse, centre polished, otherwise nearly very fine, the second, small edge dig, otherwise very fine (2) £60-£80
A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group award to Private A. Brown, 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, late Devonshire Regiment Military Medal, G.V.R. (43909 Pte A. Brown. 5/R. Berks: R.); British War and Victory Medals (315601 Pte. A. Brown. Devon R.) good very fine (3) £260-£300 --- M.M. London Gazette 4 October 1918. Albert Brown attested for the Devonshire Regiment for service during the Great War. He served on the Western Front with the 2nd Battalion before transferring to the 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, with whom he was awarded the Military Medal.
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.
The important ‘Defence of Lucknow’ Indian Mutiny Medal awarded to James Luffman, a 15-year scholar at La Martinière School - a ‘Ragged Fusilier’, one of only two boys wounded during the siege and one of the six senior boys who bore arms Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Defence of Lucknow (James Luffman.) fitted with contemporary silver ribbon brooch; together with the Punjab 1848-49 medal awarded to his father with clasps for Chiliamwala and Goojerat (James Luffman.) this correctly impressed but with rank and regiment neatly erased, toned, good very fine (2) £2,000-£2,600 --- Luffman’s mutiny medal has always been associated with a two-clasp Punjab medal, also named to James Luffman. It has a well executed erasure both before and after the impressed naming consistent with the rank and regiment having been obliterated. Research by Major H. E. Dadley in conjunction with A. J. Farrington of the India Office Records confirms that the Punjab medal belongs to James’s father Staff Sergeant James Luffman, 3rd Company 1st Battalion Bengal Artillery, with the medal roll confirming the clasps for Chilianwalla and Goojerat. It further transpires that there is only one man named Luffman on the Punjab medal roll. Fifty-eight medals were awarded to the Foundation boys and staff of the La Martinière School and are highly prized for their uniqueness and rarity – this one to James Luffman more so as he was one of only two boys wounded during the Defence. These boys boarded at the school and came under the auspices of the Claude Martin Charities being deemed as being from straightened but deserving families. On 13 June 1857, at the command of Sir Henry Lawrence, the scholars all marched from the Martinière to the Residency on a journey that, over the next 6 months, would turn these schoolboys into men and earn for them the soubriquet “The Ragged Fusiliers”. The siege commenced on the 1st July 1857 when Luffman was just a few days shy of his sixteenth birthday. With the firing of the first shots most of the servants fled the Residency so the military authorities impressed the younger boys of the Martinière to undertake domestic chores including, sweeping the compounds, the drawing of water, grinding the daily rations of corn to make bread and some to cook the boys meals. Others tended to the sick officers and others to take messages between garrisons. Later, Brigadier Inglis requested that as many boys as possible should be sent to pull the punkahs over the sick and wounded at the General Hospital. For this purpose 36 were told off in reliefs of 12 each and changed every 12 hours. The boys’ health suffered greatly and two died. The junior boys were used as night watchmen and for digging the wells for the “filth” of the Establishment whilst six senior boys bore arms defending the Martinière Post, operating the semaphore system on top of the Residency Tower and in supervising the younger pupils. L. E. R. Rees wrote of their plight:
‘The poor Martinière pupils, who go about the garrison more filthy than others, and apparently more neglected and hungry even than we are, are made use of to drive away these insects (flies) from the sick in hospital, and others. That they, too, should contribute their share of usefulness is but just and fair; but that they should be placed in menial attendance upon the healthy great in the garrison is, in my opinion, far from right. But I shall say nothing more on this subject, lest I assume a tone of censure.’ The Martinière Post, after the Judicial Garrison, was the most exposed defence in the Residency. Johannes’ House kept up an incessant rifle fire from just outside the perimeter with “Bob the Nailer” causing the most nuisance. The Post was defended by men from the 32nd Regiment of Foot, civilians and six armed senior boys from the Martinière named as: James Luffman, Edward Henry Hilton, David Aratoon, John Hornby, George Roberts and Samuel Wrangle. The wounding of Luffman is best described by Edward Hilton from his book “The Tourist's Guide to Lucknow”. Hilton spent much of his latter years given tours to local visitors and is well placed to give the most accurate account. The boys who carried arms used to take 20 or 30 rounds and go to the top of the house in which we were located and fire through the loopholes at the enemy and at whatever seemed a fair target. There were pumpkins and other vegetables which would have made a welcome addition to our cuisine growing in Johannes’ garden outside the line of our defence. We found it very tantalising to know that we must not venture to forage in this garden for the vigilance of the enemy’s marksmen was untiring and they never lost an opportunity of picking off any member of the garrison who was so incautious to expose himself. Seeing that the coveted vegetables were not available for us we did our best to make them unfit for the enemy and found some diversion in firing at the gourds. This “sport” was put an end to by the following circumstances: ‘Shortly after the boy Smith had been hit by one of the enemy’s marksmen, known to the boys by the soubriquet of “Jim the Rifle” located in the Johannes’ warehouse facing our post, Luffman and myself, with the intention of avenging this, went on the the roof of the building in which we were quartered and which overlooked the enemy’s position to try and get a shot at the rascal; we both used the same loophole. While on lookout one of the lads, S. Hornby, came to the roof with a supply of ammunition, and, while our attention was thus diverted our mutinous opponent across the way fired at us. His bullet struck Luffman’s musket, [which was in the loophole], glanced along the barrel and lodged in his left shoulder. As already mentioned he fortunately recovered but our target practice had to be discontinued owing to the ammunition being put out of our reach.’ 
James Austen Luffman was born on 5 July 1841, the eldest of three sons to Sergeant James Luffman, Bengal Artillery, and his wife Mary (née Bowers). Mary died on 4 August 1852, at Peshawar leaving James with the unenviable task of taking care of his three children. He sought assistance from the Claude Martin Charities who accepted the two elder brothers, James Austen and John Thomas, at the Martinière at Lucknow, with the younger, William Collins, being accepted at the sister Martinière School at Calcutta. The boys were orphaned on 11 June 1858, when their father died at Raneegunge, where he had been working as a Dak Agent for the Inland Transport Company. The Principal Registry of Probate, England, handed guardianship, until full age, to their lawful aunt Anne Still who, with her husband John, had been resident in India before returning to England living in Sudbury, Middlesex. At the denouement of the mutiny James Luffman joined the East Indian Railways together with “partners in crime” John Hornby and Edward Hilton, an understanding expected of all Martinière boys that they serve at least a year within the railway establishment. On 26 March 1859, he joined the Indian Police and performed non-gazetted appointments in and around Oudh until being gazetted on 16 January 1879 with the rank of District Superintendent of Police, a position he held until retirement on 25 October 1894. His record of service showed he worked variously in Bahraich, Hardoi, Partagarh, Jalaun, Gorackpur and Rae Barelli. It should be noted that at this time gazetted appointments in the police were generally filled by military officers or appointees from England making promotion and gazetting of locally enlisted officers discriminato...
An Albert Medal Second Class for Land awarded to Able Seaman J. Ramsay, Royal Navy, for his gallantry in saving the life of a Royal Marine who had fallen onto the tracks just as a train was approaching the platform at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station on 7 January 1908 Albert Medal, 2nd Class, for Gallantry in Saving Life on Land, bronze and enamel, the reverse officially engraved ‘Presented by His Majesty to John Ramsay, for gallantry in saving life at Temple Meads Railway Station, Bristol, on the 7th January, 1908.’ on 1st Class riband, minor dinting to reverse, nearly extremely fine and a scarce ‘Land’ award to a serving sailor £6,000-£8,000 --- A.M. London Gazette 28 July 1908: ‘Early on the morning of the 7th January last, when the 12.57 a.m. down mail train was approaching Temple Meads Station, Bristol, a Marine, W. Howat, belonging to His Majesty’s Ship Donegal, fell from the platform. Howat’s perilous position was observed by Ramsay, who at once jumped down to his assistance. The approaching train was only about sixty feet distant at the time, but he succeeded, though at the imminent risk of his own life, in dragging the fallen man back to the platform as the train passed the spot.’ John Ramsay was born at Glasgow on 6 April 1884 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 6 August 1901. He was advanced Able Seaman on 18 June 1903, and at the time of the gallant act for which he was awarded the Albert Medal Second Class was borne on the books of H.M.S. Vivid I. He was presented with his Albert Medal by H.M. King Edward VII on 21 July 1908. He was shore discharged on 5 April 1914, time expired, and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve the following day. Ramsay was recalled to the service following the outbreak of the Great War, and served during the Great War in a variety of ships and shore based establishments, most notably H.M.S. Illustrious from 18 August 1914 to 26 November 1915. He was invalided out of the service on 22 November 1917. Sold with copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient taken from The Fleet magazine, February 1909.
General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp (2), Palestine (4538361 Pte H E Prouse W York R) this a somewhat later issue; Near East (22574011 Pte. D. Bickerdike. W. Yorks.) last two letters of surname officially corrected, extremely fine (2) £80-£100 --- Sold with copied medal roll for Prouse which states that his medal was issued 13 June 1983.
‘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.
A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. pair awarded to Private F. Gosden, 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Military Medal, G.V.R. (D-14173 Pte. F. Gosden. 6/Dns:); British War Medal 1914-20 (Gs-12255 Pte. F. Gosden. 6-Dns.); together with the related miniature awards, good very fine (2) £360-£440 --- M.M. London Gazette 12 June 1918. Frederick Gosden served with the 6th Dragoons during the Great War on the Western Front from 17 February 1915.
A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Acting Sergeant T. G. Potts, Northumberland Hussars, later Lieutenant, Army Service Corps Military Medal, G.V.R. (806 A. Sjt: T. G. Potts. Nth’d: Hrs: -T.F.) good very fine £300-£400 --- M.M. London Gazette 14 December 1916. Thomas G. Potts attested for the Northumberland Hussars and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 5 October 1914. Awarded the Military Medal, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 4 April 1917. Sold with copied research.
A notable campaign group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel P. R. Oliver, ‘The great Peter Oliver of Everest’, 13th Frontier Force Rifles, Indian Army, who was killed in action in Burma on 25 February 1945 - an internationally renowned mountaineer who made a number of notable ascents in the Himalayas he participated in the British Everest expeditions of 1936 and 1938, and his illustrations were used in a number of books on Himalayan mountaineering India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37 (Capt. P. R. Oliver, 1-13 F.F. Rif.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, good very fine and better (5) £700-£900 --- Peter Roderick Oliver was born at Monsoorie, India, on 29 August 1907, the son of Major E. W. Oliver, Indian Army, and was educated at Sherborne School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Indian Army on 1 September 1927, and was posted to the 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles (Coke’s) on 1 November 1928. He served as a Company Officer until March 1930 when he was appointed Quartermaster, retaining that post until attached to the South Waziristan Scouts from December 1933-February 1937. Frank Smythe wrote: ‘For some years he was attached to the South Waziristan Scouts, a force of levies recruited to guards the North-West Frontier, in which he saw much varied service and participated in a number of skirmishes.’ Relinquishing this appointment, he rejoined the 1st/13th as a Company Officer, then officiating Company Commander, serving with them on the North West Frontier from 9 October to 16 December 1937, before being appointed Station Staff Officer, Fort Lockhart (on the North-West Frontier) in February 1939, a post he held until August 1939. Mountaineer Peter Oliver was elected to the Alpine Club in 1933. The foremost mountaineer of his generation, Frank Smythe, wrote: ‘His qualifications included three seasons’ climbing and exploration in the Himalayas, and one season without guides in the Alps. His first climbs were made with E. H. Marriott in the Kanawar Kailas group, Baspa valley; thenceforward part at least of his leaves were spent in the hills. In 1930 he visited the Dhaula Okar range above Dharmsala in the Kngra valley and recorded his experiences in Vol. III of The Himalayan Journal. These ascents, made either alone or with an unskilled orderly, involved both rock climbing and snow and ice work. Like the good mountaineer he was quickly becoming, he records how, when descending a steep snow slope overlaid with loose hail, he took the greatest care to drive his crampons into the firm substrata...’ Oliver made a number of notable ascents in the Himalayas, and participated in the British Everest expeditions of 1936 and 1938. He was a talented artist and his illustrations were used in a number of books on Himalayan mountaineering, and was immortalised as ‘Peter Oliver of Everest’ by Jon Masters in Bugles and a Tiger: ‘Scouts on the move were a magnificent sight. The British Officers were indistinguishable from the men – all brown as berries, all wearing khaki turbans, gray shirts flapping loose outside khaki shorts, stockings and nailed sandal... Several famous mountaineers, including the great Peter Oliver of Everest, had served with Scouts at one time or another.’ Second World War Oliver was appointed GSO III in 5th Indian Division (which was formed in India in 1939) on 17 July 1940, and was advanced to Staff Captain of the 9th Infantry Brigade in the same division on 14 July 1941. He returned to India in March 1942 following active service with the famous 5th Indian Division in the Sudan (September 1940 to January 1941), Eritrea (January to June 1941), and the Western Desert (June 1941 to March 1942). He was promoted to Acting Major in April 1941 and temporary Major in July of the same year. Back in India Oliver went to the Tactical School. His next appointment was to HQ, 2nd Division in June 1943 as DAQMG, at which time he was promoted Acting (afterwards Temporary) Lieutenant-Colonel. Then, in September 1944 he was made second-in-command of the 8th Battalion of his regiment before proceeding to take command of the 9th Battalion in November 1944. The 9th Battalion Frontier Force Rifles was the Machine Gun Battalion of the famous 17th Indian Division and Colonel Oliver led the battalion into Burma in January 1945. As a Machine Gun Battalion, companies were parcelled out to brigades as operations required, leaving the C.O. with undefined duties. As such, Colonel Oliver was attached to Divisional HQ during the advance on Meiktila. The Adjutant of the battalion later wrote: ‘I always thought Peter took over the battalion somewhat reluctantly - his consuming desire was to get into Combined Operations, and I think he found commanding a Machine Gun Battalion something less than romantic.’ Killed in Action Douglas Monghir, another brother officer in Oliver’s Battalion in Burma, wrote: ‘Peter Oliver was cast in the mould of a Boy’s Own Paper hero of the Empire, lean, tanned, tall and handsome... Before he joined us he had a party in the Regimental Centre in Abbottobad and said “I shall either be killed or win a VC”.’ At Taungtha on 25 February 1945 Colonel Oliver met his death in action. The 5th Indian Division was was advancing on the village in a pincer movement and the fighting became confused. Divisional HQ found itself involved in the battle and Oliver, who was then in charge of the Divisional Headquarters Column, went in his jeep to find the leading troops of the Divisional HQ escort, who had taken a wrong turning, and ran into a Japanese ambush: ‘Unfortunately he ran into a party of Japs with an L.M.G. and was killed while returning their fire from the edge of the road. His body was brought back by Subadar Saif Ali and a small party, and he was buried the next morning just outside Taungtha’. According to his obituary in The Journal of the Alpine Club: ‘Together with his driver and his orderly he left the jeep and engaged the enemy with his rifle. The sound of his firing warned the vehicles [that had taken a wrong turning] and by taking a diversion they managed to escape. Having accomplished his purpose, he decided to return, but before he could regain the jeep he was shot in the neck and body by machine gun fire and instantly killed.’ Oliver was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches for Burma (London Gazette 9 May 1946), and is buried in Taukkyan War Cemetery. Sold with an original named group photograph of 1st Battalion (Coke’s) 13th Frontier Force Rifles officers, c.1932 (including Oliver); a pencil sketch by Oliver depicting men of Coke’s Rifles moving stores, initialled ‘PRO’ and identified on reverse as ‘Sketch by Peter Oliver of Cookies’; a superb research file including copies of original service records, extensive correspondence from former Frontier Force Regiment officers with whom Peter Oliver served in the 1930s and ‘40s (mid-1980s, from which some of the anecdotes and details below are extracted), and various obituaries &c.; and a copy of Everest: The Unfinished Adventure by Hugh Ruttledge (Hodder & Stoughton, 1st Edition, 1937), being a full record of the 1936 Everest Expedition, illustrated with Oliver’s sketches (including a self portrait) and containing references to him throughout, as well as several photographs. Note: Various diaries, sketches and artefacts (including the ice axe used by him in the 1938 Mount Everest Expedition) are held in the Sherborne School archives. Other papers and diaries, including WW2 era correspondence to his mother and...
Coronation 1911, County and Borough Police, unnamed as issued; Huntley & Palmers Limited Fire Brigade Long Service Medal (3) (G. Griffin; W. Hole; J. Stevenson); National Fire Brigades Union Long Service Medal, with five ‘Five Years’ clasps and one ‘Twenty Years’ clasp (J. C. Spencer Windsor Fire Brigade); Volunteer Fire Brigade Contest Medal, held at Wokingham June 6th 1881, silver; High Wycombe Volunteer Fire Brigade, 2nd prize awarded at Maidenhead, 6 July 1874 (Foreman G. Tottle) silver, suspension broken; together with a silver fob (J. Brown. M.O.S. F.B. Burghfield) and a metal F.B.A. Windsor 1887 Diamond Jubilee commemorative medallion, generally very fine £120-£160
A Second War ‘North West Europe’ O.B.E. group of nine awarded to Colonel H. T. Goodeve, Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type, breast badge; British War and Victory Medals (Major H. T. Goodeve.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, mounted as originally worn, generally very fine (9) £280-£340 --- O.B.E. London Gazette 1 February 1945 (North West Europe). M.I.D. London Gazette 26 October 1916. Henry Tatham Goodeve was born in Chesley Ontario Canada in January 1888. He was the son of Arthur S. Goodeve, Railway Commissioner, Grand Trunk Railway, and was employed as a Broker. Goodeve served for 6 years with 102nd Regiment, Rocky Mountain Rangers prior to serving with the Royal Canadian Army Pay Corps during the Great War. He advanced to Colonel and served during the Second World War. Goodeve had two brothers, who also served during the Great War - Lieutenant Arthur Erskine Goodeve, who served with the PPCLI, and was killed in action at Courcelette, 17 September 1916; and Lieutenant Stewart Marcon Goodeve, who served with the Royal Flying Corps, and was killed in action, 20 November 1917.
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (Surgeon C. S. Brewer, R.N.V.R.) naming officially re-impressed, good very fine £60-£80 --- Charles Samuel Brewer qualified at Liverpool in 1882 and served at H.M.S. Eagle (later Eaglet), R.N.V.R. training base at Liverpool, from 1914 to 1918. He was appointed Hon. Staff Surgeon R.N.V.R., 11 February 1915, and is also entitled to the British War Medal (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander on roll). He was appointed an O.B.E. in June 1919.
Five: Havildar Hukam Sing Thapa, 1/3rd Gurkha Rifles India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37 (1723 Hav. Hukam Sing Thapa. 1-3 G.R.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Indian Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue (1723 Nk. Hukam Sing Thapa, 1-3 G.R.) good very fine (5) £80-£100
A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. group of three awarded to Lance-Corporal C. Ashford, Essex Regiment Military Medal, G.V.R. (8587 L.Cpl. C. Ashford, 1/Essex R.); British War and Victory Medals (8587 Cpl. C. Ashford, Essex R.) good very fine (3) £200-£240 --- M.M. London Gazette 6 January 1917. C. Ashford attested for the Essex Regiment and served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War at Gallipoli from 25 April 1915, the first day of the campaign, and would have been part of the 1st Battalion’s assault on Hill 138. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Faussett, they managed to capture the objective and make a small foothold, but the cost was high, with 3 officers and 15 other ranks killed and a further 8 officers and 87 other ranks injured. Proceeding to the Western Front, the battalion took part in the Battle of the Somme, and suffered over 200 casualties at Beaumont-Hamel on 1 July 1916 - many men did not get any further than the British wire. On 27 July the regiment transferred to the Ypres sector, arriving at Saleux on 7 October and from there marching to Corbie and later, Longueau. Via the Pommiers Redoubt, the men took up positions north of Delville Wood on 10 October and then took over the front line trenches on the outskirts of Gueudecourt the next day. On 12 October they attacked to the north of the village, storming with the Newfoundlanders a section of Hilt Trench; some men made it even further to Grease Trench. On capturing their objectives, the Essex were relieved and returned to Bernafay Wood, before being posted to the line north of Flers on 26 October, Mametz on 30 October, Sandpit Camp on 15 November and Trones Wood three days later. Awarded the Military Medal, most likely for the Battle of the Somme, Ashford later transferred to the Northamptonshire Regiment and Labour Corps.
A Great War M.M. group of three awarded to Gunner H. J. Abbott, Royal Garrison Artillery Military Medal, G.V.R. (159556 Gnr: H.J. Abbott. 282/Sge: By: R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals (159556 Gnr. H.J. Abbott. R.F.A.) extremely fine (3) £240-£280 --- M.M. London Gazette 12 June 1918. Sold with a postcard photograph of the recipient in uniform.
The Second Afghan War Medal awarded to Private Charles Croft, 66th Foot, who was killed in action at the battle of Maiwand, 27 July 1880 Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (B/274. Pte. C. Croft, 66th. Foot.) light hairline scratches to obverse field, otherwise nearly extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 --- Charles Croft attested for the 66th Regiment of Foot and served with them in Afghanistan. He was killed in action at the battle of Maiwand, 27 July 1880, ‘one of the grandest examples of heroism in the annals of war’, where the Regiment lost its Colours and 10 officers and 275 other ranks were killed. He was buried on the battle field where he fell, and is commemorated on the ‘Maiwand Lion’ Memorial in Forbury Gardens, Reading. Sold with copied casualty roll extract.
Pair: Aircraftman Second Class W. J. Fullager, Royal Air Force Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1920 (157915 A.C.2. W. J. Fullagar. R.A.F.); Imperial Service Medal, E.II.R., 2nd issue (William John Fullagar) in Royal Mint case of issue, good very fine and better, scarce (2) £600-£800
A Great War ‘Fampoux, April 1917’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Colour-Sergeant J. Connell, 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, for gallantry on the first day of the battle of Arras Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6667 Sjt: J. Connell. 1/E. Lanc: R.); 1914 Star (6667 Pte. J. Connell. 2/E. Lan: R.); British War and Victory Medals (6667 C. Sjt. J. Connell. E. Lan. R.) medals unmounted, very fine or better (4) £1,000-£1,400 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 18 July 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He took command of the remainder of his platoon and carried on with the consolidation. His fine example under heavy fire was of the greatest value at a critical time.’ Annotated Gazette states: ‘North of Fampoux, 9 April 1917’. John Connell served in France and Flanders from 20 October 1914, initially with the 2nd and later with the 1st Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. He won the D.C.M. for gallantry north of Fampoux on 9 April 1917, the first day of the battle of Arras. Sold with copied research including D.C.M. and Medal Index Cards, annotated Gazette, and War Diary entries.
A Great War ‘Moislain’s Ridge, 4-5 March 1917’ D.C.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant T. Hole, 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6136 L. Sjt: T. Hole. 2/R. Berks: R.); 1914 Star, with clasp (6136 Pte. T. Hole. 2/R. Berks: R.); British War and Victory Medals (6136 Sjt. T. Hole. R. Berks. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (6136 Sjt. T. Hole. D.C.M. R. Berks. R.) contact marks and polished, otherwise nearly very fine (5) £1,200-£1,600 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 11 May 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. In spite of heavy hostile fire, he kept his men at work consolidating the captured trench.’ Annotated gazette states: ‘Moislain’s Ridge, 4-5 March 1917’. Thomas Hole served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, in France from 5 November 1914. Sold with copied research including D.C.M. and Medal Index Cards, annotated Gazette, and extracts from the regimental history.
A Second War ‘North Africa - Tobruk Operations’ D.F.M. group of seven awarded to Wellington Pilot Flight Lieutenant R. Stewner, Royal Canadian Air Force Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (Can/R. 80154. F/Sgt. R. Stewner. R.C.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Burma Star; Defence Medal, Canadian issue in silver; Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, with overseas clasp; War Medal 1939-45, Canadian issue in silver, mounted as worn; together with a pair of silver-gilt R.C.A.F. Operational wings, the reverses stamped ‘Stephenson Sterling’, both with with screw-back fitting, suspension re-affixed on DFM with traces of excess solder, otherwise good very fine and better (7) £1,400-£1,800 --- D.F.M. London Gazette 4 December 1942. The original Recommendation states: ‘Flight Sergeant Stewner is a pilot of exceptional ability and his operational career has been characterised by courage and daring. On the night of 29 July 1942 he was detailed to attack shipping at Tobruk. Intense and accurate gun fire was encountered and the aircraft was caught in the glare of searchlights. Flight Sergeant Stewner took violent evasive action and successfully completed his task. On many occasions he has shown the greatest determination to press home the attack in the face of heavy enemy opposition. This airman has always displayed devotion to duty of the highest order and his example has had an outstanding effect on all personnel.’ Robert Stewner enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 4 November 1940, and served during the Second World War as a Wellington Pilot with 40 Squadron in the Middle East from 28 December 1941 to 13 March 1943, and on the occasion of the operation for which he was awarded the D.F.M. was flying Wellington HX468. He was commissioned Pilot Officer on 5 August 1942, and was promoted Flying Officer on 5 February 1943. He subsequently served in India from 8 February to 27 October 1944 before returning to Canada, and transferred to the Reserve on 2 April 1945, being granted the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Sold with the recipient’s original Commission Document; various photographs of the recipient; various correspondence and newspaper cuttings; much copied research, including full service records (some parts redacted) and photocopied pages from the recipient’s Flying Log Book; and other ephemera.
Imperial Service Medal (5), G.V.R. (2), Star issue (George L. Long.); Circular issue, 1st ‘coinage head’ issue (Stephen Lowe.) in slightly damaged fitted case of issue; G.VI.R., 1st issue (Charles John Wheatley.); E.II.R. (2), 1st issue (Thomas Henry Ashley Goldup); 2nd issue (Charles Edward Hutchison) last in slightly damaged Royal Mint case of issue, extremely fine (5) £100-£140
Special Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R. (3234 Sjt: W Lever. 3/York: Regt) edge bruising, polished, nearly very fine £400-£500 --- Approximately 2 Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medals awarded to the 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. W. Lever attested for the Yorkshire Regiment and served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War, for which he was awarded a Queen’s South Africa Medal with three clasps (CC, OFS, SA01). He was awarded his Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in January 1914.
Three: Private E. G. Paddon, Surrey Yeomanry British War and Victory Medals (8869 Pte. E. G. Paddon. Surr. Yeo.); Defence Medal (E. G. Paddon.) privately engraved naming, very fine Pair: Second Lieutenant N. Clegg, Royal Army Service Corps British War and Victory Medals (2. Lieut. N. Clegg.) very fine British War Medal 1914-20 (Cpl. G. N. Veitch. S.A.N.L.C.); Memorial Plaque (George Alfred Dale) edge bruising and contact marks to BWM, this good fine; the Plaque good very fine (7) £100-£140 --- Norman Clegg joined the Army Service Corps as a driver on 12 December 1915 and by March 1916, having been advanced to Corporal, was posted to German East Africa. Shortly after arriving there he was appointed Sergeant in charge of stores. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the same unit, he saw little active service and was mainly engaged on convoy work. He was invalided out of the service in 1918, and was awarded a Silver War Badge. George Alfred Dale attested for the Royal Field Artillery and served with ‘C’ Battery, 173rd Brigade during the Great War on the Western Front from 28 November 1915. He died on 4 October 1917, and is buried in Rocquigny-Equancourt Road British Cemetery, Manancourt, France.
Special Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (552 Sjt. J. Mc.Kew 3 E. York Regt) good very fine £360-£440 --- Approximately 9 Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medals awarded to the 3rd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. J. McKew attested for the East Yorkshire Regiment and served with the 3rd Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War, for which he was awarded a Queen’s South Africa Medal (no clasp). He was awarded his Special Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in January 1909.
A Great War ‘Ploegsteert & Neuve Eglise, April 1918’ D.C.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant J. Wilson, 10th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. “12895 Sjt: J. Wilson. 10/Ches: R.); 1914-15 Star (12895 Pte. J. Wilson. Ches: R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (12895 Sjt. J. Wilson. Ches. R.) mounted court-style for display, very fine (4) £1,000-£1,400 --- D.C.M. London Gazette 3 September 1918: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in charge of five Lewis guns, when he did excellent work, sometimes having to repair them under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. It was due to his energy that none of the guns were out of action for more than ten minutes during three days’ fighting, and that all were brought out of action in good condition.’ Annotated gazette states: ‘Ploegsteert & Neuve Eglise, 11-14 April 1918’ M.I.D. London Gazette 22 May 1917 (Haig’s despatch of 9th April). John Wilson served in France with the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, from 19 July 1915, and won his D.C.M. whilst serving with the 10th Battalion. He subsequently served with the South Wales Borderers and was discharged on 16 March 1919. Sold with copied research including D.C.M. and Medal Index Cards, gazette notices, and war diary extracts.
A collection of hallmarked silver and silver plated medals, including a hallmarked silver and enamel example, Cardiff & County Horticultural Society, two examples with an Art Nouveau maiden produced by Elkington & Co., buffalo examples, and a WWI 1914-1918 medal awarded to H. Wharam STO.I. R.N., weighable 8.3ozt/258g.
Five: Major F. J. Utting, Indian Ordnance Department 1914-15 Star (Capt. F. J. Utting, I.O.D.); British War and Victory Medals, naming erased on both; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Maj F J Utting Ordnance Deptt); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (Condtr. F. J. Utting Ordce. Deptt.) edge bruising, nearly very fine and better (5) £100-£140 --- Francis James Utting was born on 21 August 1867 and by 1894 was an Officiating Sub-Conductor with the Bengal Ordnance Department at Fezopore. He was commissioned Lieutenant in the Indian Ordnance Department on 8 May 1914, and served during the Great War initially in Persia, and then with the Aden Field Force from 15 July to 26 December 1915, and later in Mesopotamia from 25 April to 14 September 1917. Sold with copied research, including the recipient’s Medal Index Card, which notes that the 1914-15 Star was issued through the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, with the British War ands Victory Medals to be issued in India; consequently it is possible that he never received his British War and Victory Medals.
The British War Medal awarded to Captain F. H. Palmer [M.C.], 9th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, late Private, Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry British War Medal 1914-20 (Capt. F. H. Palmer.) very fine £60-£80 --- M.C. London Gazette 13 September 1918: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a company. When the troops on both flanks were forced back he at once realised the situation and withdrew his company to the support line, where he held the enemy. He then organised and led a successful counter-attack, regaining his original position and enabling the flanks to do likewise.’ Francis Hubert Palmer was born in Hereford England in August 1877. He emigrated to Canada, and served with the 88th Regiment, Victoria Fusiliers prior to the Great War. Palmer subsequently served with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and was commissioned into the 9th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment in March 1915.
Four: Private P. C. Clements, Bedfordshire Regiment, later Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 1914 Star (8297 Pte P. C. Clements. 1/Bedf: R.); British War and Victory Medals (8297 Pte. P. C. Clements. Bedf. R.); Territorial Efficiency Medal, G.V.R. (2968411 Pte. P. Clements. 8-A. & S.H.) light contact marks, nearly very fine or better (4) £120-£160 --- Percival Clements attested for the Bedfordshire Regiment and served with the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 16 August 1914. He subsequently transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal in 1932.
Renamed and Defective Medals (12), India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Samana 1891, naming crudely erased, fair; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902 (10 Pte. J. Hn, North Stafford Regt.) planchet only, naming mostly erased, fine; India General Service 1908-35 (2) (542557. A.C.1. D. Beaman. R.A.F.; Langri Karam Hussain. Kurram Militia) planchet only on first, otherwise nearly very fine, the second polished, with loose suspension and ribbon roller missing; Naval General Service 1915-62 (D/KX833645 H. J. Hole. Sto. R.N.) suspension slightly damaged, remains of clasp lug on ribbon roller, otherwise very fine; General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., (CEY/18042453 Pte. D. Hettiarachchi P.P.C.) digit on regimental number double struck, suspension broken with added ring, plated, otherwise nearly very fine; Ceylon Police Long Service Medal, E.II.R. (2910 Sgt. Perera) planchet only, naming partially erased, fair; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, suspension missing, regimentally impressed on reverse ‘288’, nearly very fine; U.N. Korea 1950-54, British issue (2), bar broken on first, bar missing on second with damaged suspender, fine; U.N. Medal, suspension ring missing, very fine; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued, ring suspender missing, very fine (12) £180-£220 --- Denis Beaman served as a Sergeant with 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force during the Second World War and was reported missing on 4 April 1941 when Blenheim L6667 was involved in an aircraft accident, reportedly losing control and crashing into the sea some 6 km east of Changi, Singapore. All three crew members were killed. He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.
Royal Engineers Balloon School and Air Battalion Medals (3): a silver Balloon School medal showing a bi-plane flying over Farnborough, the reverse engraved ‘Best Shot Recruits 1909 Driver F. J. Jeffery.’; a silver Air Battalion medal showing an airship, a hot air balloon, and an aircraft flying over Farnborough, the reverse engraved ‘1911 Best Shot Lce. Cpl. F. J. Jeffery 118 Points.’; and a bronze Balloon School medallion, the obverse showing conjoined busts of H.M. King Edward VII and H.M. Queen Alexandra, the reverse showing an airship flying over Farnborough, unnamed, the first two both in Phillips, Aldershot, cases of issue, nearly extremely fine (3) £140-£180
A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. awarded to Sergeant E. Sim, Army Service Corps, attached 263rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery Military Medal, G.V.R. (M-205132 Sjt: E. Sim. A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals (M-205132 Sjt. E. Sim. A.S.C.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Special Constabulary Long Service Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue (Alexander E. Sim.) mounted as worn, good very fine (6) £300-£400 --- M.M. London Gazette 29 August 1918. Edward Sim attested for the Army Service Corps and served during the Great War on the Western Front attached to the 263rd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.
A rare ‘Ruby Mines Expedition 1886’ Gold D.S.O. pair awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. L. Barrett, 43rd Gurkha (Rifle) Regiment of Bangal Infantry Distinguished Service Order, V.R., gold and enamels, with integral top ribbon brooch bar; India General Service 1854-95, 4 clasps, Naga 1879-80, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89, N.E. Frontier 1891 (Lieut. A. L. Barrett. 43rd Bengal N.I.) naming officially impressed in correct upright capitals, clasps with unofficial wired connections, contemporary cavalry-style mounting, some very minor chips to wreaths on the first, otherwise toned, good very fine (2) £4,000-£6,000 --- D.S.O., appointed 1 July 1887 (London Gazette 25 November 1887): ‘For services in Burma.’ Alfred Lloyd Barrett was born in 1855, son of the Rev. A. Barrett, D.D., of Carshalton House, Surrey. He was first commissioned as a Lieutenant into the 109th Foot on 11 February 1875, and joined the Bengal Staff Corps in the following year. He was appointed to the 43rd Bengal Infantry on 20 June 1878, was promoted to Captain on 11 February 1886; Major, 11 February 1895; Commandant 43 Bengal Infantry, with rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, 6 November 1895. Lieutenant-Colonel Barrett served with the 43rd Bengal N.I. in the Naga Hills Expedition, 1879-80 (Medal with Clasp); with the Akha Expedition, 1883-84; with the Burma Expedition 1886-88, in the operations of the 1st Brigade, Ruby Mines Expedition, including the advance from Khannyat and capture of Maniloung, with the Northern Shan column, and was slightly wounded in an engagement near Lamaing on 2 September 1886 (Despatches G.G.O. 434 of 1887; 2 Clasps; D.S.O.); and with the Manipur Expedition in 1891 (Clasp). He was appointed Commandant of the 43rd Bengal Infantry in November 1895, and died in that appointment on 7 March 1900.
Six: Petty Officer G. A. P. Ryan, Royal Navy Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1936-1939 (J.111834 G. A. P. Ryan. L.S., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Burma Star; War Medal 1939-45; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (J.111834 G. A. P. Ryan. P.O., H.M.S. Hambledon) mounted as worn; together with the related miniature awards, these similarly mounted, good very fine and better (6) £140-£180
Royal Berkshire Regiment Miscellaneous Medallions. A selection of miscellaneous presentation items, including a 50mm silver shooting medal, in case of issue (No.7901 Sergeant J. Gray.); a 1st Vol. Batt. Royal Berks., 42mm silver medal in case of issue (Camp Cup Lce. Corpl. S. H. Ewins. 1902); and various bronze shooting medals, one named ‘Lnce Sgt. J. C. Daniels’; together with a large quantity of assorted silver and bronze Regimental sporting medallions and fobs, generally very fine or better (lot) £80-£100
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![The British War Medal awarded to Captain F. H. Palmer [M.C.], 9th (Service) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, late Private, Princ](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/ece78222-910f-405c-82ec-af65010e045d/f8ea74a5-07db-4b7d-9f03-aff90108dc09/468x382.jpg)
