Barbara Kirk Auctions
Lot 827
ORFORDNESS COASTGUARD & WWI ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE ARCHIVE ETC. An archive relating to the life & service of Thomas Edgar Brinkley of Orford, Suffolk. WWI MEDALS: 1914-18 Star, British War Medal 1914-20 & Victory Medal named & awarded to 'DA. 7232 T. E. BRINKLEY. D.H. R.N.R.'. COASTGUARD MEDAL: a cased silver Board of Trade Long Service with Rocket Life Saving Apparatus medal named to Thomas Edgar Brinkley. PHOTOGRAPHS: including a good group photograph of the Orfordness Coastguard members, a number of other photographs relating to Coastguard service, Orfordness Station etc., all including Thomas Brinkley & a studio portrait dedicated to his wife Cissie. RETIREMENT WATCH: his retirement watch & chain presented in 1958 & a press photograph of him receiving it at the presentation. ORFORDNESS RESEARCH STATION: Two post war group photographs of the Orfordness Research Station staff, including Thomas Brinkley, one dated 1952. (Thomas Brinkley was employed by the Air Ministry from 1946 as a ferryman to Orfordness). DOCUMENTS, EPHEMERA ETC. includes items relating to his wartime & Coastguard service including letters of thanks of his involvement in a wartime 'operation' & the grounding of the S.S. Kentbrook in 1954. OTHER ITEMS: include his Cash Book recording his WWII period oyster sales, a 1932 Coastguard Manual, his battered 1913 copy of the Admiralty Manuel of Seamanship & a certificate of thanks to his wife Cissie from Queen Elizabeth for accommodating refugees in 1939. NOTE: Tom Brinkley was a well-know resident of Orford born on Orfordness. He served on minesweepers during WWI & was s fisherman & worked on the oyster beds between the wars. He was a long serving member of the Orford Auxiliary Coastguard. After WWII he acted as ferry man to the Orfordness Research Station. Provenance: by decent through his family to his granddaughter. Condition report: 1. Each of the three war service medals are in very good, original condition. They appear to have been unworn. The ribbons are original, but seem to have been cut.2. The rocket apparatus medal is also in good, original condition, but the case contains only a fragment of ribbon (approx. 3cm long). The case itself is in good order and original.3. The presentation pocket watch no longer has its bow around the winder, so it cannot be hung around the watch chain. However, it winds freely and the sweep seconds hand rotates, so is in ‘going’ order. However, we do not guarantee continuous working order.4. The photographs are all in reasonable good condition, as seen in the catalogue description. Only one, the long 1952 photograph of the Research Station, has folded/creased.5. The paper ephemera, including Mr Brinkley’s Identity Card, various letters from the Paymaster General’s Office, H.M. Coastguard, Ministry of Transport, The Admiralty etc. are all in aged condition, but readable.6. Books:- The Coastguard Manual, 1932 has the ownership inscription, ‘Mr. O.E. Vincent, H.M. Coastguard, Stornaway, Isle of Lewis’ and is in fair condition.; The Cash book is annotated in pencil and is only partially used; The Manual of Seamanship, (inscribed with Mr. Brinkley’s name and address) Vol. One, 1908, is in very well-used condition. The outer spine is missing, some pages are loose, some pages annotated. 7. The provenance lies with Mr. Brinkley’s grand-daughter who lives in West Cornwall. Her mother recently dies and she inherited these items as part of her late mother’s estate.Please note that all items in this auction are previously owned & are offered on behalf of private vendors. If detail on condition is required on any lot(s) The absence of a condition report does not imply the lot is perfect.WE CAN SHIP THIS LOT, but NOT if part of a large, multiple lots purchase.
