We found 24981 price guide item(s) matching your search
There are 24981 lots that match your search criteria. Subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service.
Click here to subscribe- List
- Grid
-
24981 item(s)/page
Lot 73
TWO LATE 17TH CENTURY SICILLIAN (CALTAGIRONE) MAIOLICA VASO A PALLA; one painted with a medallion portrait of Arethusa from a Syracusan coin, c. 400 BC. against a bright blue ground, boldly painted with a grotesque mask, shells, flowers, leaves and scrolls in yellow and green, 32cms high; the other painted with a medallion portrait of Arethusa from a Syracusan coin c. 400 BC, against a bright blue ground, boldly painted with flowers, leaves and scrolls in yellow and green, 32cms high. NOTE The above lot was, by repute, purchased from Temple Newsam House, North Yorkshire, in 1922, and formed part of lot 822, the description of which reads ‘Two Pairs of Italian coloured majolica spherical jars with medallion portraits’. The other two jars still form part of the collection at Temple Newsam
Lot 760
A FRENCH MANTEL CLOCK, the twin barrel drum movement with exposed Brocot escapement, 5" two piece white enamel dial with Roman numerals, in red marble cylindrical case flanked on either side by carved green marble dolphins and sea shells, signed with the initials AGB, on oblong green marble base, 22" wide, 14 1/2" high
Lot 997
A Collection of World Sea Shells, the majority mounted on card, collected circa 1898, including those from locations including Manly near Sydney, New South Wales, Kamakura, Sagami Province, Japan (also some bought at Enoshima), Kilindini, British East Africa, Port Darwin, Australia (including Turridae turris, Nassidae, Nassa, Niotha and Livescens) and Puri, Madras Presidency (Lat. 20ºN Long. 86ºE), India, Dilhi, Timor Island (Strombidae floridus), cards range from approx 1.8cm wide (for single specimens) up to 14cm wide for multiple specimens (locations details written in pencil) (approx 21 larger examples, 40 medium examples, 59 smaller examples); A Collection of Nineteen Pen and Ink Sea Shell Labels, 19th century, including "A Very Rich Coloured Specimen of the Cocks Wing Venus Beautifully Marked from the China Seas", together with a small general collection of sea shells and fossils (including a fossil sea urchin of the Jurassic period, some of which may relate to the labels (qty) See illustration
Lot 1021
Giant Galapagos Tortoise (Testudo elephantopus), 18th/19th century, full mount, with exposed limbs and protruding head, the eyes inset with sea shells and painted pupils, carapace 54cm long, 37cm wide, 30cm high, length overall 66cm; and sold together with The Reptile's English Pottery Feeding Bowl, transfer printed in light blue/green with a central figure within a scroll edge repeat "barbed wire" motif, 14cm diameter (the weight of this bowl is typical of those specifically produced for maritime use which suitably fits the tortoise's provenance) (2) See illustration The scutes survive intact on this specimen and have a particularly fine patination. The plastron is secured by twisted wires. By family tradition this tortoise was acquired during the travels of Captain Roberts. In the UK Census 1891 John Roberts is listed as a retired sea captain (and his wife) at 5 Hodgson Lane Court, Stockton-on-Tees.
Lot 72
A Pair of Flight Barr & Barr Worcester Shell Painted Dessert Plates, circa 1830, each of bracketed circular form with gilded gadrooned rims, each centrally painted with three different shells and seaweeds, within gilded dendritic branches, impressed crown and "FBB", and brown printed mark "Flight Barr & Barr Proprietors of the Royal Porcelain Works Worcester Established 1751" (over Prince of Wales feathers), 22.4cm diameter See illustration
Lot 181
A Japanese Carved Ivory Walking Stick Pommel, late Meiji Period (1868-1912), fashioned as twelve conjoined grotesque faces, 4.6cm high; A Carved Ivory Letter Opener, circa 1910, decorated on one side with two birds amongst peonies, on the other with carp, seal mark rubbed with red pigment, 39.4cm long; A Carved Ivory Okimono, circa 1900, as a crayfish, a flatfish, and shells set upon by two rats, 11.5cm long; A Chinese Carved and Pierced Ivory Plaque, circa 1890, pierced with flowers and scrolls; and A Carved Ivory Spindle, with two beads dependant, 17.1cm long (5)
Lot 240
Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie (1895-1985): A Stoneware Vase, box ash glaze reveals the throwing lines, KPB seal, circa 1930, 30cm See illustration Katharine was nicknamed Beano. "...I want my pots to make people think, not of the Chinese, but of things like pebbles and shells and birds' eggs and the stones over which moss grows. Flowers stand out of them more pleasantly, so it seems to me. And that seems to matter most"-Letter to Bernard Leach from Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie. 29 June 1930.
Lot 131
An oak hall table, the rectangular boarded top with canted corners above a cavetto frieze with applied carved shells and plumes of feathers, on acanthus carved legs united by an arcaded stretcher with carved corbels, 29.5in (74.7cm) h, 90.25in (229cm) w, 27.75in (70.4cm) d. Damages and losses with some restoration.
Lot 52
A Royal Worcester blanc de chine cornucopia, circa 1897, modelled as a shell resting on a tree stump, surrounded many shells, on a shaped base, red stamped mark to base, 18 cm high; together with a pair of Royal Worcester blanc de chine salts, circa 1955; a pair of mermaids holding large shells, raised from an oval base, green printed mark to base, 12 cm wide and a pair of Staffordshire blanc de chine birds, green stamp to base, designed by J.T.Jones, 15.5 cm high, (5).
Lot 807
Five: Petty Officer 2nd Class A. Stevens, Royal Navy, killed in action on H.M.S. Good Hope at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp (Ord., H.M.S. Terrible) small impressed naming; China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (A.B., H.M.S. Terrible); 1914-15 Star (190224 P.O. 11 (sic), R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (190224 P.O. 2, R.N.) first two with contact marks, nearly very fine; others good very fine (5) £650-750 Arthur Stevens was born in Derby on 1 May 1881, the son of Enoch and Alice Stevens. A Shop Boy by occupation, he enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on Impregnable in August 1896 and was advanced to Boy 1st Class on the Lion in May 1897. He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman on the Volage in May 1899 and was posted to the 1st class cruiser Terrible, September 1899-October 1901. On the ship, he served in the operations in South Africa and in the supression of the Boxer Rebellion, where he was involved in the relief of Pekin. Stevens was promoted to Able Seaman on 1 October 1900 whilst on the Terrible. Stevens was advanced to Leading Seaman in October 1902 when on the Duke of Wellington and to Petty Officer 2nd Class in 1906 when on the Hindustan. He then took his discharge by purchase in February 1907 and joined the Royal Fleet Reserve in the following month, re-enrolling in 1911. With the onset of war Stevens returned to service and was posted to the armoured cruiser Good Hope. Petty Officer Stevens serving on the Good Hope was killed in action at the battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914. He was the husband of Hannah Stevens of 40 Liversage Street, Derby. His name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, R.N., was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas. In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of British armoured cruisers’ casemate guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness. Sold with Royal Naval Memorial scroll (folded) and with copied service paper.
Lot 984
Family group: Three: Second Lieutenant H. V. Day, 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, late 7th Battalion London Regiment, killed in action at the Battle of Arras, 9 April 1917 1914-15 Star (3040 Pte., 7-Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut.); Memorial Plaque (Hubert Victor Day) Three: Private A. E. Day, 7th Battalion London Regiment, awarded the D.C.M. for the Battle of Festubert; mortally wounded at the Battle of Loos, 25 September 1915 1914-15 Star (3064 Pte., 7-Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (3064 Pte., 7-Lond. R.); Memorial Plaque (Albert Eustace Day) generally extremely fine (8) £600-700 Hubert Victor Day was born on 6 July 1893 and was the second son of the Rev. John Day and Caroline Rushton Day. His father was a Wesleyan Minister and was an officiating Chaplain to the troops at Colchester. He was educated at Jersey Modern School and at the Kingswood School, Bath. He was employed as a Clerk in the Westminster Branch of the London City and Midland Bank. He joined the 7th Battalion London Regiment on 5 October 1914 and entered France on 17 March 1915. On 25 September 1915 he was severely wounded in the attack on the Double Crassier (twin mining spoilheaps near Loos) and was invalided home. This was the same attack in which his younger brother was fatally wounded. Having applied for a commission, Hubert Day was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers on 26 January 1916. He underwent training at Oxford and Troon and was appointed Bombing Officer whilst at Portabello Camp. He accompanied the battalion to France in September 1916 and was later recommended for a Military Cross for his work during the Aisne Offensive. He was killed in the opening day of the Battle of Arras, 9 April 1917, whilst leading an attack on Monchy-le-Preux. He was buried on the battlefield but his grave was lost during the later fighting. His name is therefore commemorated on the Arras Memorial. Sold with copied research. Albert Eustace Day was born in Louth on 5 March 1895 and was the third son of the Rev. John Day and Caroline Rushton Day. He was educated at the Kingswood School, Bath. He was employed as a Clerk at the Guildhall, employed by the City of London Corporation. He joined the 7th Battalion London Regiment, two days after his brother, on 7 October 1914 and entered France in March 1915. He won the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 16 May 1915 during the first day of the battle of Festubert. His citation (London Gazette 5 August 1915) reads: For gallant conduct during an attack on German trenches, he rescued a man, Pte. Wyld, who was unable to extricate himself from a water course, and succeeded in bringing him to safety under heavy shellfire’. In a letter from Ross Wyld to the parents of Hubert and Eustace Day, dated ‘No.12 General Hospital, Rouen, 20-5-15’, Wyld makes it clear that both brothers had a hand in his rescue, and writes: ‘Dear Mr and Mrs Day, I am taking the liberty of writing to you, to tell you what your two sons did for me on Monday last. I got stuck in the mud of a communication trench, and could not move my feet, as I was in the mud up to my knees. I dared not stand upright, or I should have got a bullet through my head. Your two sons, Hubert and Eustace, at great risk, came to my aid, and by their help I managed to get free, and was very thankful, I can tell you. In order to understand the pluck of your lads, I must tell you that to reach me they had to cross several dangerous spots, with practically no cover whatever, and that the corner where I was stuck was bespattered every now and then with earth thrown up by shells, so near were they. The man next to me was shot in the arm because he could not keep down. So altogether I think you will agree with me that your two lads were very brave. ..’ On 25 September 1915, on the opening day of the Battle of Loos, Private Eustace Day was mortally wounded whilst taking part in the attack on the Double Crassier. He succumbed to his wounds on the following day, dying at the 6th London Field Ambulance Post. He was buried in the Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery. Sold with copied research.
Lot 1005
Family group: Three: Private G. W. Haynes, Royal Marine Light Infantry 1914-15 Star (PO. 14959 Pte., R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (PO. 14959 Pte., R.M.L.I.), good very fine Three: Craftsman E. G. Haynes, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, in their card forwarding box, together with a quantity of related prize medals (6), mainly for Civil Service weight-lifting competitions in the 1950s, four enamelled and three named, and a motor-cycling contest prize shield, also named to the recipient and dated ‘13.5.1958’, generally good very fine (Lot) £100-150 George Walter Haynes was born in Battersea, London in September 1889 and enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in August 1907. A Private serving aboard the battleship H.M.S. Audacious on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he quickly saw service of the active kind when she was sunk by a mine off Northern Ireland on 27 October 1914, thereby winnning the unfortunate accolade of being the first capital ship of any nation to be lost in the Great War. The mines had been laid by the Norddeutscher Lloyd liner Berlin, which had been fitted out as an auxiliary cruiser and minelayer early in August. The Audacious blew up and sank after 12 hours of buffeting by the seas and two failed attempts to take her in tow, but luckily her complement was safely taken off by the White Star liner Olympic. Joining the battleship Queen Elizabeth that December, Haynes remained similarly employed until returning home to an appointment in the Portsmouth Division in January 1918, a period in which he witnessed extensive active service in the Dardanelles and off Gallipoli. Of all the capital ships employed in that theatre, the Queen Elizabeth was one of the most actively engaged. Carrying out a successful bombardment with her 15-inch guns of the Turkish Narrows forts from a position off Gabe Tepe in early March 1915, she went on to witness the famous landings in the following month, when Sir Ian Hamilton used her as his ‘mobile H.Q.’ off the beach heads. Off Helles, as evidenced by Hamilton’s own account, one of her shells saved an advancing British unit: ‘At a trot they came on .. their bayonets glittering and their officer yards in front waving his sword, Crash! and the Queen Elizabeth let fly a shrapnel [shell], range 1200 yards, a lovely shot; we followed it through the air with our eyes. Range and fuse - perfect! The huge projectile exploded fifty yards from the Turkish right and vomited its contents of 10,000 bullets clean across the stretch whereon the Turkish company was making its last effort. When the dust and smoke cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground.’ A superb painting depicting the Queen Elizabeth bombarding the Turkish Narrows forts in March 1915, by Norman Wilkinson, forms part of the Imperial War Museum’s collection. Haynes was discharged in October 1919; sold with around 20 photographs of the Great War period, and four postcards, these including one or two good portraits of the recipient, and a later image of him in the uniform of the Auxiliary Fire Service. Also sold with a quantity of original documentation relating to Edwin George Haynes, including his official ‘call up ‘papers, letters and his Soldier’s Release Book, the latter dated 5 July 1947.
Lot 1103
Five: Captain S. Pillans, Rhodesian Forces, attached Royal Horse Artillery and South Africa Artillery, who served with distinction in the Western Desert 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals; Africa Service Medal 1939-45, this last officially inscribed ‘SR. 598634 S. Pillans’, good very fine or better (5) £100-120 Saxon Pillans, who was born in February 1915, was originally commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Rhodesia Regiment in July 1938. Advanced to Lieutenant in the following year, he was among those officers selected to form the Southern Rhodesia Light Battery, a training unit, shortly before the outbreak of hostilities. Duly qualified, he joined ‘F’ (Sphinx) Battery, 4th R.H.A. in the Western Desert in July 1940, where he served with distinction under his then C.O. Brigadier ‘Jock ‘Campbell, shortly to be awarded the V.C., and was credited with ‘an excellent job of work at the gun position’ during the unit’s first major night action against the Italians at Maktila - ‘In return the Italians gave everything they had from about three regiments of artillery, but fortunately the guns were well dug in and most of the shells that arrived were duds.’ Moreover, Pillans again distinguished himself while manning an O.P. truck just outside the southern part of the Tobruk perimeter defences - ‘The task of the small force, largely gunners, of which he was part, was to hold the El Adem road where it approached and entered the Tobruk defences, to enable the Australians and Indians to get inside unimpeded. They were attacked by a superior armoured force, which they delayed by artillery fire, but were forced to withdraw eventually.’ Following further active service in 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Battery, R.H.A. from November 1942, Pillans was posted to 11 Anti-Tank Regiment, S.A.A., in May 1943 and re-embarked for the Union that July - admitted to hospital shortly after his arrival, he saw no further active service. He had, however, qualified for the Africa Service Medal - his remaining campaign awards being issued unnamed by the Rhodesian authorities; sold with copied service record.
Lot 1110
A well-documented Second World War Commando’s group of six awarded to Trooper T. R. Jones, Royal Artillery, attached No. 3 Commando, who captured an Italian flag during the first raid on Sicily and was taken prisoner but escaped after the desperate fight at the Punto Malati 13-14 July 1943, later renamed ‘3 Commando Bridge ‘on the orders of General Montgomery 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, mounted as worn, very fine and better (6) £600-800 Thomas Richard Jones, who was born in Shrewsbury in 1922, fought with No. 3 Commando from late 1941 to the end of the war. During the first Commando raid on Sicily in 1943 he captured an Italian flag, as related in an accompanying copy of a wartime Shrewsbury newspaper report, which includes a photograph of Jones: ‘An Italian flag that can be seen flying in a shop window in the borough in connection with ‘Salute Week ‘is one of the first two captured from the enemy in the Sicilian campaign. It was taken by Trooper Thomas Richard Jones, aged 22, of the Commandos, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. T. G. Jones, 13, Old Heath Square, Harlescott. In the town where the Commandos landed two Italian flags were flying, and the one captured by Jones was over the post office. Jones came home early this year bringing the trophy with him and, in view of the ‘Salute ‘campaign, it was lent to the Mayor. Jones was one of a force which captured a vital bridge in Sicily and held it until nightfall but eventually they were taken prisoner, and Jones, with others, was held under a German guard in a wood for 36 hours. When our guns shelled the wood the prisoners overpowered the guard, and Jones was one of the men who escaped. Before the outbreak of war he was employed by the Chatwood Safe Company and in August 1939, joined the Royal Artillery. As he was too young to go overseas he was posted to an anti-aircraft unit and nearly two years later volunteered for the Commandos.’ No. 3 Commando was the first Army Commando to be raised during the Second World War and took part in all the great raids, Dieppe among them, spearheaded the invasion of Sicily, fought through Italy, and landed in France on D-Day to link up with the Airborne. Fortunately for posterity’s sake, two of the best Commando memoirs of the 1939-45 War were written by ex-3 Commando Commanding Officers - Commando by Brigadier ‘Jock ‘Durnford Slater, D.S.O. and Bar, and Storm from the Sea by Brigadier Peter Young, D.S.O., M.C. and two Bars; see, too, the catalogue entry for the M.M. won by Troop Sergeant-Major E. G. ‘Lofty ‘King (Dix Noonan Webb, 5 April 2006), an entry with full details regarding the Commando’s activities at Dieppe and on D-Day, for Jones was surely present in these operations, in addition to the costly engagements in Sicily. At Dieppe, the Commando was charged taking an enemy battery near Bernaval Le Grand, a small village about half a mile from the sea, but, as it transpired, only a few of them ever reached the beaches, their Eureka landing craft and H.Q. ship running into five E-Boats. As one survivor put it, ‘Our flotilla was dispersed over a wide area, smoke and the smell of cordite was everywhere, dawn was breaking and a heavy curtain of fire was coming from the shore where the enemy had been alerted. We were sitting ducks.’ Only six of their landing craft eventually put men ashore on Yellow Beach 1, where they assaulted the enemy batteries until overwhelmed. The Commando suffered 140 casualties during the raid. Sicily and No. 3 Commando Bridge No. 3 Commando's opening raid on Sicily was made with the objective of destroying the coastal battery and defences near the town of Cassibile, thus allowing the vanguard of the 8th Army to land - a successful operation carried out on the night of 9-10 July 1943, but only after carrying out a frontal assault on the battery and much bitter fighting. And it was in Cassibile that Trooper Jones captured his Italian flag. The Commando was then re-embarked on the Prince Albert for its next task - the capture of the Punta dei Malati Bridge - Durnford Slater being given just a few hours notice of a plan that also involved a separate attack on another bridge at Primasole by the Airborne. Moreover, he was dubious about intelligence reporting ‘some easily discouraged Italian toops’ as the only opposition, for if the bridge was worth taking, it was equally worth defending - and he was right, his Commando eventually running into the 1st German Parachute Division after landing under fire several miles behind enemy lines at Agnone at 2200 hours on 13 July. First of all, however, operations at the bridge went well, the defenders being knocked out and the 350-strong Commando deployed in captured pill-boxes, surrounding orange groves and ravines. But, as Robin Neilland's The Raiders - The Army Commandos 1940-46 explains, elite German forces were on their way to do battle: ‘Until dawn 3 Commando had a marvellous time, shooting up everything which came along, until the road approaches to the bridge were littered with overturned or burning vehicles, but their arrival had been detected and the Germans began to mortar their positions heavily and, never slow to react, soon brought up a Tiger tank, which began to flay the Commando positions with its 88mm gun, while staying sensibly out of range of their only anti-tank weapon, the infantry PIAT. A party, sent to stalk the tank could not get close enough over the open ground, and German paratroopers were moving up to box in the troops, causing a steady stream of casualties. By 0430 hours, with no sign of 50th Division, the Commando position was becoming untenable. They had many wounded, their positions in the open valley could be overlooked and enfiladed, enemy infantry were arriving in ever increasing numbers and the tank kept rumbling about behind the ridges, appearing at regular intervals to put down more fire. The only thing missing was 50th Division, held up by the enemy at Lentini some miles away. Around 0500 hours, Durnford Slater gave the order to withdraw from the bridge in small parties, either to lie up in the hills until the Eighth Army finally arrived or, if possible, infiltrate back to their own lines. Widely deployed and still under tank fire, the Commando withdrew. They were forced to leave the wounded behind, to be captured by parachute troops from the 4th Brigade of the Hermann Goering 1st Parachute Division, who looked after them well - a kindness No. 3 Commando was able to repay a few weeks later at Termoli.’ No. 3 Commando, which was slowly reformed over the next few days, lost a total of five officers and 23 men killed, four officers and 62 men wounded and eight officers and 51 men missing - some 45% of the unit’s strength. So impressed was Montgomery, that he later ordered Durnford Slater to have a slab of stone, carved with the unit name, cemented into the Punta dei Malati Bridge, where it remains to this day. D-Day and beyond After seeing more action in Italy, particularly at Termoli, No. 3 Commando returned to the U.K in January 1944, in readiness for the coming Allied invasion at Normandy. The Commando’s allotted task on D-Day was to land with 1st Commando Brigade at La Breche to the west of Ouistreham. They were then meant to advance four miles to the bridges over the River Orne, and if the bridges had been destroyed, they were to ferry themselves over in rubber boats. They were then to continue their advance in a north-easterly direction, seizing the high ground near Le Plein. And what actually happened to the Commando on that memorable day, and in the period following until it was withdrawn to the U.K., is vividly described by Peter Young, the run-in to the beach attracting enemy fire that was ‘far too accurate to be pleasant’ - three of the Commando’s landing craft received direct hits from high-velocity shells, causing 20 casualties before
Lot 1194
A well-documented and exceptional Second World War immediate D.S.O., two tour D.F.C. group of eight awarded to Squadron Leader J. B. Starky, Royal Air Force, late Royal New Zealand Air Force: in what was undoubtedly one of the great ‘epics ‘of the last war, he flew home his crippled Lancaster after two crew had baled out and two others lay seriously wounded - but Starky was no stranger to perilous flight, having already survived a crash-landing in the desert and coaxed back another Lancaster minus six feet of its starboard wing Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse of the suspension bar undated, an official replacement in its Garrard, London case of issue; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1943’, an official replacement in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45, the first two virtually as issued, the remainder very fine or better (8) £2500-3000 D.S.O. London Gazette 28 September 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘At 20.11 hours on the night of 5-6 September 1943, Lancaster Y-DS 682 took off for Mannheim. The Captain, Acting Squadron Leader J. B. Starky, was on his forty-seventh trip; the remainder of the crew had about 20 sorties each to their credit. At 01.50 hours the aircraft, with starboard elevator almost completely shot away, the Navigator and Wireless Operator missing, and two more of the crew wounded, forced landed successfully at Ford. What follows is the story of events in between: The trip was uneventful until some 20 miles short of the target. The weather was clear and the aircraft was flying at 19,000 feet. Suddenly without any previous warning, a night fighter dived in a head-on attack. Our aircraft was badly hit, the cockpit was filled with smoke and a bright light gave the impression of a fire. It then went into a violent spiral - the central column rocking violently - and being unable to regain control the Captain gave the order to abandon by parachute. The Mid-Upper Gunner, Sergeant K. Tugwell, called out that the Rear-Gunner was stuck in his turret and the Captain made a desperate effort to regain control. The stick became a little easier, due to the dinghy which had been jammed in the tail unit blowing free, and the Captain regained control. The night fighter - a Ju. 88 - then attacked again from the rear. Both tail and Mid-Upper Gunners held their fire, and shot it down in flames. Squadron Leader Starky then attempted to take stock. He found that both Wireless Operator and Navigator had jumped by parachute, that his Flight Engineer was wounded in the shoulder and the 2nd Pilot wounded in the arm and head. The Bomb Aimer, Flying Officer B. A. W. Beer, had attempted to jump from the front exit, but had been unable to jettison the escape hatch. When he was finally half way out of the aircraft, he heard the Captain say ‘Hold on! ‘as he had the aircraft back under control. The Rear-Gunner was now manning the mid-upper turret, while the Mid-Upper Gunner and Bomb Aimer attended the wounded. The Captain then attempted the most difficult task of bringing his badly damaged aircraft back to base without the assistance of a Wireless Operator or Navigator. He set an approachable course for base and carried on this for over 30 minutes. By this time the Bomb Aimer had gone back to do the navigation, but as the navigators log had gone he had no plot and gave the Captain an amended course for base. On their way across France they were repeatedly fired at by A.A. batteries and as his inter-com had now gone, the Captain was compelled to take evasive action only from the judgment of the gun flashes. On one occasion the Bomb Aimer had to go through to tell the Captain that shells were bursting dangerously near the tail. In this precarious state the damaged Lancaster made its way back through the enemy fighter belt. The Mid-Upper Gunner manned the wireless set and succeeded in getting acknowledgment to a laborious S.O.S. The Bomb Aimer tried unsuccessfully to work GEE. Eventually the Channel was reached and as they drew near the coast the Captain and Bomb Aimer flashed S.O.S. on their lights. As they crossed the shore an immediate green was received and Squadron Leader Starky effected a masterly landing of his now uncontrollable aircraft, bringing it in at an air speed of 140 m.p.h. The story of this flight is an epic, and the return of the aircraft to this country must be considered due firstly and primarily to the superb airmanship and captaincy of Squadron Leader Starky, and actually to the magnificent co-operation of the rest of the crew. Squadron Leader Starky has already been recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross for his really magnificent work during two tours of operations, and I consider that his latest achievement is worthy of the immediate award of the Distiguished Service Order.’ D.F.C. London Gazette 10 September 1943. The original recommendation states: ‘This officer is now on a second tour of operations. In 1941-42 he carried out a most successful tour on Wellingtons in the U.K. against targets in Germany and German occupied Europe - finishing in the Middle East with attacks against objectives in the Mediterranean. Flight Lieutenant Starky has now completed 42 sorties and has attacked many highly defended targets, including Essen, Benghazi and Pireaus, and has recently been actively engaged in the Battle of the Ruhr. On one occasion recently he collided with another aircraft over enemy territory and lost a large piece of his starboard wing, but succeeded by superb airmanship in bringing his badly damaged aircraft back to base. This officer has at all times shown resolution, courage and ability of the highest order in his attacks on enemy targets. His cheerful contempt for danger and his keenness for operational flying, have set a fine example to the other aircrew of this squadron.’ Mention in despatches London Gazette 11 June 1942. James Bayntun ‘Jim ‘Starky, who was born in Gisborne, New Zealand in November 1916, enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in July 1940 and commenced pilot training at No. 1 E.F.T.S., Taieri, near Dunedin that August. Following further training at Wigram, Christchurch, he was embarked for the U.K., where he attended No. 20 O.T.U. at Lossiemouth in Scotland and converted to Wellingtons prior to going operational as a 2nd Pilot in No. 149 Squadron at Mildenhall, Suffolk in June 1941. Quickly participating in nine operational sorties over the next few weeks, Dusseldorf, Bremen, Essen, Mannheim and Munster among the chosen targets, in addition to a brace of trips to Brest to attack the Prinz Eugen and Scharnhorst, he was ordered to the Middle East in September 1941, the same month in which he was appointed Flight Sergeant. Posted to No. 148 Squadron on his arrival - another Wellington unit, operating out of Kabrit - his aircraft was hit by flak on his very first sortie to Benghazi on 5 November. Appointed 1st Pilot in the same month, he had his work cut out for him on the night of the 25th while en route to another target, for local Arabs had exchanged a landing ground’s fuel supply for water - his engines cut out shortly after take-off and although by means of pressing his head against the canopy windscreen to peer into the darkness he managed to effect a full glide angle crash-landing, two members of crew were killed outright and others seriously injured - had he not managed to jettison the bomb load none would have survived. Having been knocked out and injured himself, Starky nonetheless set off into the desert to find help, walking 12 miles over rough terrain until staggering into Landing Ground 60 covered in blood - he then guided an ambulance to the crash site. In due course mentioned in despatches for his gallantry and l
Lot 1197
The rare and important Second World War St. Nazaire raid D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Commander (E.) W. H. Locke, Royal Navy, who was Warrant Engineer aboard H.M.S. Campbeltown and taken P.O.W. after the loss of M.L. 177 Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1945’; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53 (Lt. Cdr., R.N.); U.N. Korea, mounted court-style, generally good very fine or better (7) £20,000-25,000 Only 17 Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded for the St. Nazaire raid, the vast majority to men of Coastal Forces, Locke’s award being one of just two to the Campbeltown. D.S.C. London Gazette 11 September 1945: ‘For gallantry, determination and devotion to duty in H.M.S. Campbeltown in the raid on St. Nazaire in March 1942.’ Wilfrid Harry Locke, who was appointed as a Warrant Engineer in October 1941, was placed in charge of the engine-room of the former American four-stacker Campbeltown in early 1942, which ship had been allocated a key role in forthcoming ‘Operation Chariot ‘, namely to ram the southern caisson of the Normandie Dock in St. Nazaire, laden with delayed action explosives, thereby destroying the facility and denying the mighty Tirpitz use of the only suitable dry-dock on the Atlantic coast. Accordingly, over a two week period in March 1942, the Campbeltown was fitted out at Devonport and outwardly altered to resemble a German Mowe-class torpedo boat, while internally she was fitted with a special tank containing four tons of T.N.T. and eight-hour delay fuses which were to be activated two hours before she reached the Normandie Dock. Setting out on her final voyage with the raiding force on 26 March, she took over as Force Leader shortly after midnight on the 28th, when seven and a half miles remained in the run-up the Loire. Finally, at about 0130, with less than two miles to go, the German defences awoke. C. E. Lucas Phillips takes up the story in The Greatest Raid of All: ‘A continuous stream of projectiles of all sorts was now striking the Campbeltown, but so violent was the sound of our own weapons that the ring of bullets on her hull and the crack of small shells was hardly noticed; but when larger shells shook her from stem to stern none could be unaware, and what every survivor was to remember for ever afterwards was the unchecked flow of the darts of red and green tracer flashing and hissing across her deck and the quadruple whistle of the Bofors shells. Bullets penetrated her engine and boiler-rooms, ricocheting from surface to surface like hornets, and Locke, the Warrant Engineer, ordered hands to take cover between the main engines of the condensers, except for the throttle watchkeepers ..’ With 200 yards to go a searchlight fortuitously illuminated the check-point of the lighthouse on the end of the Old Mole, enabling Lieutenant-Commander S. H. Beattie on the Campbeltown’s bridge to correct his aim on the caisson. Having then ploughed through the steel anti-torpedo net, the old four-stacker closed on her collision course at 20 knots, and every man aboard braced himself for the impact. At 0134 the Campbeltown crashed into the gate, rearing up and tearing the bottom out of her bows for nearly 40 feet. Commando assault and demolition parties streamed ashore, while below the sea cocks were opened to ensure the Germans could not remove her before she blew up. As she settled by the stern, Beattie evacuated the crew via M.G.B. 314, and Lieutenant Mark Rodier’s M.L. 177. Locke and Beattie, with some 30 or more of Campbeltown’s crew boarded the latter vessel, and started off down river at 0157 hours. Lucas Phillips continues: ‘The boat was embarassingly overcrowded but Winthrop, Campbeltown’s doctor, helped by Hargreaves, the Torpedo-Gunner, continued to dress and attend to the wounded both above and below deck. Very soon, however, they were picked up again by the searchlights lower down the river and came under fire from Dieckmann’s dangerous 75mm. and 6.6-inch guns. Rodier took evasive action as he was straddled with increasing accuracy. The end came after they had gone some three miles. A shell .. hit the boat on the port side of the engine-room lifting one engine bodily on top of the other and stopping both. Toy, the Flotilla Engineer Officer, went below at once. Beattie left the bridge and went down also. He had no sooner left than another shell hit the bridge direct. Rodier was mortally wounded and died a few minutes afterwards .. The engine room was on fire, burning fiercely, and the sprayer mechanism for fire-fighting had also been put out of action. Toy, who had come up momentarily, at once returned to the blazing compartment but was never seen again. Locke, Campeltown’s Warrant Engineer, was able partially to repair the extinguisher mechanism. The flames amidships divided the crowded ship in two, but the ship’s company continued to fight the fire for some three hours by whatever means available. At length, when all means had failed and the fire had spread throughout the boat, the order to abandon ship was given at about 5 a.m. One Carley raft had been damaged, but few of the wounded ratings were got away on the other, and the remainder of those alive entered the icy water, many of them succumbing to the ordeal. All of Campbeltown’s officers were lost except Beattie and Locke, among those who perished being the brilliant and devoted Tibbets, to whose skill and resourcefulness the epic success of the raid was so much due and whose work was soon to be triumphantly fulfilled.’ Locke and the other survivors had been rounded up by the Germans by 0930 hours, which was expected to be the last possible time for the acid-eating, delayed action fuses in Campbeltown to work. Thus it was with all the more satisfaction that at 1035 hours the British prisoners, gathered together in small groups across the St. Nazaire area, heard the terrific explosion which blew in the caisson and vaporised Campbeltown’s bows. The stern section was swept forward on a great surge of water and carried inside the Normandie Dock where it sank. Thus the main goal of the operation was achieved for a cost of 169 dead and about 200 taken P.O.W., many of them wounded, out of an original raiding force of 611 men. Yet only six of Campbeltown’s gallant crew were eventually decorated, Beattie being awarded the Victoria Cross. For his own part, Locke was incarcerated at Marlag und Milag Nord camp at Tarnstedt, and was not gazetted for his award of the D.S.C. until after being liberated, a distinction that prompted his former ‘Chief ‘, Mountbatten, to write: ‘From my personal knowledge as Chief of Combined Operations, I know how well deserved this recognition is and am delighted to see that the part you played in such a hazardous expedition has been recognised nearly four years afterwards. I hope that you have fully recovered from your captivity and should like to wish you the best of good fortune in the future.’ Locke remained in the Royal Navy after the War, seeing service aboard the Padstow Boy, Jason and the aircraft carrier Indefatigable, and was present in operation off Korea in the Hart as a Lieutenant-Commander (E.). Having then removed to the Bellerophon, he was placed on the Retired List in 1955; sold with a copy of The Art of Jack Russell, with a signed dedication to Locke’s bravery at St. Nazaire.
Loading...-
24981 item(s)/page