We found 49464 price guide item(s) matching your search
There are 49464 lots that match your search criteria. Subscribe now to get instant access to the full price guide service.
Click here to subscribe- List
- Grid
-
49464 item(s)/page
Lot 1176
A late Victorian pigskin dressing case containing and/or fitted with the following: three silvergilt mounted bottles, two other mounted glass items (including a spirit flask), a small beaker, and a silvergilt carriage timepiece of waisted cruciform outline, all by Norman Marshall, London 1897, an eleven piece ivory toilet set (brushes, mirror, glove-stretchers, etc), a folding fruit knife, all initialled, and several other non silver items. The case 19in (48.3cm) wide (with canvas outer).
Lot 1258
A mixed lot: a George III silvergilt sugar sifter ladle, 4 George III Old English pattern tablespoons, 12 fiddle teaspoons, 3 salt spoons, 6 other small tea/coffee spoons, a set of 6 dessert forks and 5 knives with mother of pearl handles, a spirit flask and a quantity of plated flatware and cutlery, 30oz weighable silver. (lot)
Lot 271D
Levon West (American 1900-1968) Noon Etching on laid paper, signed titled and numbered 83/100 in pencil 22.5cm x 27cm Note: West gained international recognition as an artist upon the publication of his etching "The Spirit of St. Louis" as CHarles Lindbergh arrived in Paris. His etchings were soon in great demand. He was made Guest Artist by the State of Colorado in 1932 and completed a series of etchings (including "Noon") on western ranch life
Lot 216
Teacher's-18 year-old Limited Edition. 75 cl. Blended and bottled by Wm. Teacher & Sons Ltd., Glasgow. 40% volume Ballantine's-12 year-old No spirit strength or capacity stated. Level: 2cm from base of lead capsule Ballantine's 75 cl. Screw cap. Level: top of shoulder. 40% volume Blended and bottled by George Ballantine & Son Ltd., Dumbarton Dimple De Luxe. 26 2/3 fl. ozs. Plastic screw cap, paper seal. Blended and bottled by John Haig & Co. Ltd., Markinch. 70 degrees proof In original cartons The Auchtertara Blended and bottled by Stewart & Son, Dundee for Scotland The What. 70 cl. 40% volume 5 bottles
Lot 265
Knockando-1976 Hand written Knockando label reads "The whisky in this bottle was distilled at the Knockando Distillery during 1976. It was drawn from cask and specially bottled to commemorate the visit of Keith Holloway to Auchroisk Distillery on 13th October 1992. In original carton. No spirit strength stated 1 bottle
Lot 1108
A George II walnut folding couch, circa 1730, the outward scroll arms being released on a latch mechanism with the front panel then releasing to form the bed, 144cm (56Iin) height of back, 102cm (40in) wide, 76cm (30in) deep. The day-bed was thought to have been introduced by Continental craftsmen commissioned by Henry VIII to furnish his palaces in the first half of the sixteenth century. References are made to day-beds in a number of Shakespeare's plays and by the end of the century the term had become familiar. The progression of day-beds reflect the spirit of the differing periods; Charles I had several decadently upholstered examples of velvet trimmed with gold lace and the Cromwellian couches were plain, angular and usually made from oak. By the 18th century examples were designed which seemed as ordinary double-width chairs but when unfolded became a single bed with an adjustable canopy which was supported by brackets above the recliner's head. These couches were often used by the military during foreign campaigns. An almost identical example to the present lot can be seen in Nicholas A Brawer, British Campaign Furniture: Elegance Under Canvas, 1740-1914, 2001, pp.155-6. See Ralph Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, 1987, 'Couches and Day-Beds' pp.263-272
Lot 830
The nationally important Order of Merit group of sixteen awarded to Sir Basil Spence (1907-76), the distinguished post-war architect, and architect of Coventry Cathedral The Order of Merit, E.II.R., Civil Division neck badge, gold and enamel, with neck cravat, minor enamel damage; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officers 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; Efficiency Decoration, E.II.R., Territorial, rev. dated, 1957, these unnamed as issued; Royal Institute of British Architects Silver Medal (1931), obv. a pair of stylized lions either side of a column, rev. inscribed, Board of Architectural Education awarded to Basil Spence, Edinburgh College of Art, School of Architecture, 88mm., silver; Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Medal (1931), obv. bust of Sir R. Rowand Anderson left, by Hazel Armour, rev. Edinburgh Castle, inscribed, Basil Spence, 1931, 58mm., silver; Royal Institute of British Architects Pugin Medal (1933), obv. a pair of stylized lions either side of an ornate column, mural crown above, rev. heraldic shield (Basil Spence Pugin Student, 1933), 57mm., silver, American Institute of Architects Honorary Fellows Badge (1959), by M.A.C., New York, obv. stylized eagle with an olive branch in its talons, superimposed upon a column, rev. inscribed, Basil Spence 1959, oval, 39 x 32.5mm., silver, with suspension mount, with neck cravat; Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Fellows Medal (1960), obv. seated architect in classical garments, a winged cherub presents a sprig of foliage, a temple in the background, rev. inscription (name and date engraved), Basil Spence, Honourary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 1960, 46mm., bronze-gilt, ring suspension, with neck cravat; Royal Institute of British Architects Bronze Medal (1963), obv. a pair of stylized lions either side of a column, rev. two builders at work, St. Pauls Cathedral in the background (Sir Basil Spence, O.M., O.B.E., T.D., R.A., A.R.S.A., R.D.I., P.P.R.I.B.A. Falmer House, The University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton), 63mm., bronze; City of Coventry Award of Merit (1970), obv. stylized phoenix rising from the flames, three crosses in the background, rev. plain, rectangular, 45 x 26mm., gold, 30.7g., hallmarks for Birmingham, unnamed, complete with gold and enamel brooch bar, inscribed, Coventry Award of Merit; Medal of the Academia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome (1972), obv. man in classical garments, knelt, writting upon a scroll, a winged bull in the background, rev. inscribed, Basil Spence, MCMLXXII, 55mm., bronze, ring suspension, with neck cravat; with associated lapel badge, gilt and enamel; French Academie dArchitecture, Grande Medaille dOr (1974), obv. stylized ornamented column by H. Navarre, inscribed in exergue, Grande Medaille dOr 1974 Sir Basil Spence Architecte, rev. seated figure in classical garments enclosed by wreath, 68mm., gold, 212g., edge stamped, 1974 and 3or, some with minor (pin?) marks to edge, in general nearly extremely fine (17) £6000-8000 O.M. London Gazette 23.11.1962 O.B.E. (Civil Division) London Gazette 1.1.1948 Basil Urwin Spence was born in Bombay on 13 Aug. 1907, the elder son of a chemist in the Indian Civil Service. When he was twelve, Spence, whose family were from Orkney, was sent home to Scotland to be educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh. Having shown a particular ability in drawing he enrolled in 1925 at the Edinburgh College of Art to study sculpture, but then switched to architecture. Spence excelled as a student, and during 1929-30 he completed his practical assignment in London, attending evening classes at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College, and by day working as an assistant in the London office of Sir Edwin Lutyens where he helped prepare designs for Lutyens' Viceroy House in New Delhi. Spence imbibed Lutyens' masterly combination of classical and modern architectural idioms, and thereafter always acknowledged him as his 'patron and master'. Spence completed his professional training in Edinburgh and gained his architectural diploma in September 1931, having added to his earlier prizes the Rowand Anderson Medal and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Silver Medal; in 1933 came the prestigious RIBA Pugin Medal. He was invited to join the leading Edinburgh architects, Rowand Anderson, Balfour Paul & Partners. Within the practice he designed small houses and departmental stores in and around Edinburgh, but his private commissions gave him the opportunity to venture designs that were more modernist and daring. He became a junior partner in 1935 and undertook work for some of the practice's most wealthy and important clients, designing grand country houses that catered to individual tastes, but which at the same time were eye-catching in the way they blended traditional elements with modern and made use of the natural, textured materials of the local landscape. Notable among these structures was Quothquhan, Lanarkshire (1936) for Alexander Erskine-Hill MP, Gribloch (1937-9), near Loch Lomond, for the steel magnate John Colville, and Broughton Place (1937-9), near Peebles. In 1938 he was commissioned to design the Scottish pavilion for the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow. Spence's highly abstract construction owed much to the ideas of Le Corbusier, the influential pioneer of modern design, and was widely praised as one of the chief attractions of the exhibition. There soon followed other exhibition work in Edinburgh and Johannesburg. However, with the onset of war Spence set aside his thriving practice and joined the Royal Artillery, having enrolled with the Territorial Army 1934. He rose to the rank of Major in the camouflage unit where his talent for design was usefully employed. In Normandy, he was shocked by the destruction of ancient religious buildings and in his diary confided his ambition to build a church of his own time if he survived the war. The shortage of new work in the years immediately after the war confined Spence to small-scale architectural commissions and exhibition design, and through the latter area his practice began to pick up. He was awarded major commissions for exhibitions in Edinburgh (1946) and Glasgow (1947) to help foster post-war enterprise, and he was chief architect for the 1949 Britain Can Make It Exhibition in London, having been appointed O.B.E. in the New Year Honours the previous year. He was then commissioned to design the Sea and Ships Pavilion for the Festival of Britain which opened on the South Bank in May 1951. Spence had also been working on designs in the competition for a new cathedral at Coventry to replace that which had been gutted during the enemy bombardment of the city on the night of 14 November 1940-the 'Night of Infamy'. There had been some indecision over how the new cathedral should look. Initially, a new neo-gothic edifice was envisaged with Sir Giles Gilbert Scott as its architect, but Scott's 'ponderous' design was vetoed in 1946, and in setting up the subsequent competition for a fresh design in 1950 it was decided that entrants should be encouraged to think in terms of an adventurous modern church building that would embody the spirit of the new post-war order. In August 1951 it was announced that Spence had won first prize out of 219 entries. It was to be the turning-point of Spence's career. Coventry had a special significance, being the first British city to have had its centre destroyed by enemy bombing. The project to rebuild the cathedral caught the public imagination as symbolising the nation's rise from the ashes of war. On the eve of its consecration in 1962 Spence wrote in The Times: 'When I first visited Coventry with the competition conditions in October 1950, the old cathedral burnt open by fire-bombs seemed to say in a gentle voice, "I
Lot 838
A fine M.B.E., Second World War D.F.C. group of eight awarded to Wing Commander C. Warren, Royal Air Force, a Battle of Britain fighter pilot who later transferred to Bomber Command: his Spitfire was damaged in a combat off the Isle of Wight in July 1940, but in the following month he shared in the destruction of a Do. 17 off Portland The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Members 2nd type breast badge; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated 1943; 1939-45 Star, clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1953, together with late claim issuance slip and box for the Pacific Star, R.A.F. Halton sporting awards (2), one of them inscribed, Cpl./A.A. Warren, C., a cased Bomber Command commemorative award, and a set of related dress miniatures (excluding the Pacific Star), very fine and better (18) £5000-6000 M.B.E. London Gazette 12 June 1947. D.F.C. London Gazette 10 September 1943. The original recommendation states: Following an arduous operational tour on fighter aircraft involving participation in the Battle of Britain, this officer changed to bomber aircraft and during the past six months has, as Flight Commander in his Squadron, displayed considerable skill and courage whilst on a series of operational sorties which have included some of the most heavily defended objectives. In his Flight he has made every effort to increase the efficiency of the aircrews and by his personal example has sustained the high morale and fighting spirit of the Flight. Charles Warren was born at Witham, Essex in November 1918 and was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Colchester. Joining the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Apprentice at Halton in January 1935, he was awarded a Flight Cadetship to R.A.F. Cranwell in January 1938, was commissioned as a Pilot Officer, and was posted on his graduation in October 1939 to No. 152 ("Hyderabad") Squadron, a Gladiator unit based at Acklington. In early 1940, however, the Squadron was re-equipped with Spitfires and commenced operational patrols in defence of the north-east, Warrens flying log book recording many such outings upto the units move South to Warmwell, Dorset in July. Here, 152s pilots were quickly embroiled in the Battle of Britain proper, Warren notching up around 40 or 50 operational sorties over the coming weeks, among them "Scrambles", X-raids, sector patrols and convoy patrols - and a combat with Do. 17s off the Isle of Wight at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 18 July, when his Spitfire (P9440) was hit in the mainframe by a 109 (Pilot unhurt, aircraft damaged but repairable). In fact Warrens flying log book refers to several dogfights during the period in question - and confirms his half-share in the destruction of a Do. 17 off Portland on 22 August, with Pilot Officer E. S. "Boy" Marrs. Having participated in his last "Scramble" on 30 August, he was posted as an instructor to No. 12 Operational Training Unit (O.T.U.) at R.A.F. Benson, and thence to No. 15 O.T.U. at Harwell, this time as an instructor in Wellingtons, and was among those pilots chosen to bolster Bomber Commands offensive in September 1942, when he flew a sortie against Dusseldorf. He was also recommended for the A.F.C.: Squadron Leader Warren has served in No. 15 O.T.U. since December 1941 and has been a Flight Commander for the past five months. He has displayed outstanding ability. At all times he has shown the greatest keenness and energy to pass trainees out on schedule, thus keeping up the flow of crews for the Middle East. This officers enthusiasm and personal example are of a high order and he shows the greatest devotion to duty. In the event, the recommendation was not approved, and in late 1942 he was posted as a Flight Commander to No. 466 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron at Driffield (and later at Leconfield), in which capacity he commenced an operational tour in Wellingtons with a "Gardening" sortie in mid-January (Mines dropped from 500 feet). Thereafter, until ending his tour in late August, he flew further mining sorties in addition to attacking a number of French and German targets, the latter including Cologne, Dortmund and Essen - in a raid on the last named city on 27 May he noted Intense and accurate flak. He was awarded the D.F.C., the recommendation also noting his earlier services in Fighter Command and the Battle of Britain. Having then served as an instructor in No. 19 O.T.U. at Forres, a satellite airfield to R.A.F. Kinloss, located on the estate of Lady Gordon Cummings, and No. 2 Overseas Dispatch Unit at St. Mawgan, Warren formed a flight of tour-expired R.A.A.F. aircrew for conversion to Dakotas at R.A.F. Merryfield, the whole eventually joining No. 268 Squadron in Australia, via the U.S.A., Hawaii, Fiji and New Zealand. The role of No. 268 was to support the British Pacific Fleet, which entailed flights throughout the Pacific theatre of war. Shortly before V.J. Day, he was ordered with another Squadron Leader to join the Pacific Fleet at Leyte, for the purpose of taking over Kai Tak airfield in Hong Kong from the Japanese, a mission successfully accomplished with the backing of a Royal Navy landing party drawn from the aircraft carrier Indomitable; in April 2004, Warren contacted the R.A.F. Medal Office with a belated claim for the Pacific Star, a claim that proved successful. Warren next took four crews to Iwakuni, Japan - via Hong Kong and Shanghai - to form the British Commonwealth Air Force Communications Squadron of Dakota and Auster aircraft. But his duties at Iwakuni also extended to acting as personal pilot to Air Vice-Marshal Boucher, and V.I.P. pilot for visiting dignitaries, as well as having responsibility for air-sea rescue activities. He was awarded the M.B.E. On returning to the U.K. in 1947, he joined Transport Command, and in the folllowing year participated in the Berlin Airlift with an appointment at Buckeburg and Luneberg as Air Accidents Officer. He then served for several years at initial Training Schools, was awarded the Coronation 1953 Medal while stationed at Kirton-in-Lindsay (the official roll refers), and ended his career with an appointment as C.O. of Fighter Commands last piston-engined squadron. He was placed on the Retired List as a Wing Commander in December 1957. Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipients Flying Log Books (3), covering the periods January 1938 to March 1945, March 1945 to January 1952 and February 1952 to September 1957; four photographs, including one of him standing by his No. 152 Squadron Spitfire and another as a Flight Commander, with his aircrew, in No. 466 Squadron; two copies of Customs of the Service (Aldershot, 1954), one ink inscribed Wg. Cdr. C. Warren; his Driving Licence (1968-71) and Battle of Britain Association members booklet, this last inscribed, Wing Commander Charles Warren, M.B.E., D.F.C., M.I.D.; a Battle of Britain "The Few" commemorative album, with owners label to Pilot Officer Charles Warren, No. 152 (Nizam of Hyderabad) Squadron (Spitfires), later Wing Commander, M.B.E., D.F.C., M.I.D., M.I.P.M., M.B.I.M., R.A.F., Retd.; and a pair of commemorative pewter tankards, both with related R.A.F. Museum certificates, dated December 1980 and November 1982, the earlier example for the Battle of Britain with impressed inscription, Wg. Cdr. Charles Warren, M.B.E., D.F.C., and the later example for Bomber Command and with engraved inscription, Wg. Cdr. C. Warren, M.B.E., D.F.C., M.I.D., M.P.I.M., M.B.I.M., R.A.F., Retd.
Lot 841
A rare Uganda D.S.O group of three awarded to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. G. Sitwell, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, killed in action at Harts Hill, 24 February 1900 Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, complete with top bar; East and Central Africa 1897-991 clasp, Uganda 1897-98 (Capt. C. G. H. Sitwell, Uganda Rif.); Queens South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Lt. Col. C. H. G. Sitwell, D.S.O., Rl. Dublin Fus.) extremely fine (3) £6000-7000 Claude George Henry Sitwell was born on 18 October 1858. He joined the 85th Foot as a Second Lieutenant from the Militia, 14 September 1878, and served in the Afghan War, 1879-80, with the Kuram Division, Yarmusht Expedition (Medal).ÊHe became a Lieutenant, Shropshire Light Infantry, 1 July 1881, and in 1882 served with the Egyptian Expedition, being present at the defence of Alexandria, occupation of Kafr Dowar and surrender of Damietta (Medal and Star). He was promoted to Captain in the Manchester Regiment, 13 July 1886 and Major in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 13 October 1898.Ê From 11 May 1895 to 10 October 1899, he was employed in the Uganda Protectorate.ÊHe commanded the expeditions against the Kitosh, Kabras and Kikelwa tribes, 1895.ÊFor the Nandi Expedition, 1895-96, he was mentioned in Despatches. In Uganda, in 1897-98; in February and March 1898, he commanded the operations against the Mwanga, and fought an action near Katonga River, and other engagements.ÊFor these services he was mentioned in despatches; was given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel, 4 October 1899, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette, 24 January 1899): Claude George Henry Sitwell, Major, Royal Dublin Fusiliers. In recognition of services during the recent operations in Uganda.Ê The D.S.O. was sent to the Foreign Office and thence to H.M. Commissioner in Uganda.ÊLieutenant Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell's medals, etc, were returned by Sir R. Buller, Lieutenant Colonel C. G. H. Sitwell having been killed at Tugela.ÊThe D.S.O., Warrant and Statutes were sent to Miss Blanche Sitwell for Colonel Sitwell's daughter, Miss C. D. C. Sitwell.ÊColonel Sitwell was killed in action 24 February 1900.Ê Sir A Conan Doyle in The Great Boer War, p.216-219 wrote:Ê Brigadier Fitzroy Hart, to whom the assault was entrusted, is in some ways as singular and picturesque a type as has been evolved in the war, a dandy soldier, always the picture of neatness from the top of his helmet to the heels of his well-polished brown boots, he brings to military matters the same precision which he affects in dress.ÊPedantic in his accuracy, he actually at the battle of Colenso drilled the Irish Brigade for half an hour before leading them into action, and threw out markers under a deadly fire in order that his change from close to extended formation might be academically correct.ÊThe heavy loss of the brigade at this action was to some extent ascribed to him, and affected his popularity; but as his men came to know him betterÑhis romantic bravery, his whimsical soldierly humourÑtheir dislike changed into admiration.ÊHis personal disregard for danger was notorious and reprehensible.Ê'Where is General Hart?' asked someone in action.Ê'I have not seen him, but I know where you will find him.ÊGo ahead of the skirmish line, and you will see him standing on a rock', was the answer.ÊHe bore a charmed life.Ê It was a danger to be near him.Ê'Whom are you going to?' 'General Hart', said the aide-de-camp.Ê'Then good-bye!' cried his fellows.ÊA grim humour ran through his nature.ÊIt is gravely recorded and widely believed that he lined up a regiment on a hill-top in order to teach them not to shrink from fire.ÊAmid the laughter of his Irishmen, he walked through the open files of his firing line holding a laggard by the ear.ÊThis was the man who had put such a spirit into the Irish Brigade that amid that army of valiant men there were none who held such a record.Ê'Their rushes were the quickest, their rushes were the longest, and they stayed the shortest time under cover', said a shrewd military observer.ÊTo Hart and his brigade was given the task of clearing the way to Ladysmith. The regiments which he took with him on his perilous enterprise were the 1st Inniskilling Fusiliers, the 2nd Dublin Fusiliers, the 1st Connaught Rangers, and the Imperial Light Infantry, the whole forming the famous 5th Brigade.ÊThey were already in the extreme British advance, and now, as they moved forwards, the Durham Light Infantry and the 1st Rifle Brigade from Lyttelton's Brigade came up to take their place.ÊThe hill to be taken lay on the right, and the soldiers were compelled to pass in single file under a heavy fire for more than a mile until they reached the spot which seemed best for their enterprise.ÊThere, short already of sixty of their comrades, they assembled and began a cautious advance upon the lines of trenches and sangars which seamed the brown slope above them. For a time they were able to keep some cover, and the casualties were comparatively few.ÊBut now at last, as the evening sun threw a long shadow from the hills, the leading regiment, the Inniskillings, found themselves at the utmost fringe of boulders with a clear slope between them and the main trench of the enemy.ÊUp there where the shrapnel was spurting and the great lyddite shells crashing they could dimly see a line of bearded faces and the black dots of the slouch hats.ÊWith a yell the Inniskillings sprang out, carried with a rush the first trench, and charged desperately onwards for the second one.ÊIt was a supremely dashing attack against supremely steady resistance, for among all their gallant deeds the Boers have never fought better than on that February evening.ÊAmid such a smashing shell fire as living mortals have never yet endured they stood doggedly, these hardy men of the veldt, and fired fast and true into the fiery ranks of the Irishmen.ÊThe yell of the stormers was answered by the remorseless roar of the Mausers and the deep-chested shouts of the farmers.ÊUp and up surged the infantry, falling, rising, dashing bull-headed at the crackling line of the trench.Ê But still the bearded faces glared at them over the edge, and still the sheet of lead pelted through their ranks.ÊThe regiment staggered, came on, staggered again, was overtaken by supporting companies of the Dublins and the Connaughts, came on, staggered once more, and finally dissolved into shreds, who ran swiftly back for cover, threading their way among their stricken comrades.ÊNever on this earth was there a retreat of which the survivors had less reason to be ashamed.ÊThey had held on to the utmost capacity of human endurance.ÊTheir colonel, ten officers, and more than half the regiment were lying on the fatal hill.ÊHonour to them, and honour also to the gallant Dutchmen who, rooted in the trenches, had faced the rush and fury of such an onslaught! To-day to them, to-morrow to us; but it is for a soldier to thank the God of battles for worthy foes. It is one thing, however, to repulse the British soldier, and it is another to rout him.ÊWithin a few hundred yards of their horrible ordeal at Magersfontein, the Highlanders re-formed into a military body.ÊSo now the Irishmen fell back no farther than the nearest cover, and there held grimly on to the ground which they had won.ÊIf you would know the advantage which the defence has over the attack, then do you come and assault this line of tenacious men, now in your hour of victory and exultation, friend Boer! Friend Boer did attempt it, and skilfully too, moving a flanking party to sweep the position with their fire.Ê But the brigade, though sorely hurt, held them off without difficulty, and was found on the morning of the 24th to be still lying upon the ground which they had won. Our losses had been very heavyÑColonel Thackeray of the Inniskillings
Lot 843
Sold by Order of the Direct Descendants of the late Wing Commander N. P. Simmons, D.S.O., D.F.M. The exceptional and well-documented Second World War D.S.O., D.F.M. group of ten awarded to Wing Commander N. P. Simmons, Royal Air Force, one of just 20 men to be awarded this combination of decorations in the last war - having won his D.F.M. for deeds that included literally filling his gun sight with the mighty Scharnhorst, and scoring four or five direct hits, he won an immediate D.S.O. for similar low-level daring in an attack against Panzers in France in June 1944, this time failing to mention the fact that he had been wounded until his badly damaged Halifax had returned to base: twice interviewed by the B.B.C., and twice mentioned in despatches, he added the Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner to his accolades in 1947 Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated 1944; Distinguished Flying Medal, G.VI.R. (580676 Sgt. N. P. Simmons, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (Sqn. Ldr. N. P. Simmons, R.A.F.), in its card box of issue; Coronation 1953; China, Order of the Cloud and Banner, breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse officially stamped and numbered 3243, with rosette on riband, mounted court-style as worn (excepting the General Service Medal), the first and last slightly chipped in places, generally good very fine and undoubtedly a unique combination of awards (10) £8000-10000 D.S.O. London Gazette 19 September 1944. The original recommendation states: On 30 June 1944, Squadron Leader Simmons was flying as Air Bomber and Captain of an aircraft detailed for a daylight attack on Panzer divisions at Villers-Bocage. The final order before take-off was that the destruction of this target must be brought about at all costs. Before reaching the target area, there was a small amount of cloud, which Squadron Leader Simmons appreciated might interfere with the accuracy of the bombing, but inspite of the risk of severe flak opposition from a tenaciously held position, and the chance of the bombs from aircraft above him, Squadron Leader Simmons descended from 16,000 feet to 4,000 feet to bomb below the cloud. As was expected opposition was considerable and just after the bombing run had been completed, the aircraft was hit by flak and the Navigator wounded. Squadron Leader Simmons took him aft to the rest position, and was dressing his wounds, when another burst of flak hit the aircraft wounding Squadron Leader Simmons and the Wireless Operator. Squadron Leader Simmons finished dressing the Navigators wounds and returned to the navigation compartment, the nose of which had been blown off, to try to carry on with the Navigators work. All instruments however were unserviceable and so Squadron Leader Simmons returned to the cockpit, and assisted the pilot to make a successful landing at Ford. At no time from the moment he was hit until the aircraft had landed did Squadron Leader Simmons give any indication that he was wounded. His devotion to duty in descending below cloud in spite of considerable risk, in order to bomb a vital target, and his subsequent gallantry in spite of considerable pain and discomfort, is a splendid example to all. Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal on 12 August 1940, Squadron Leader Simmons has completed 18 sorties with a total of 92 hours operational flying. He has attacked some of Germanys most heavily defended targets with complete success. As a Bomb Aimer he is outstanding, and although as a Flight Commander he has no crew, he makes a point of operating with the newest pilots in the Flight. On occasions, he has acted as Squadron Commander with outstanding ability and has proved himself not only a splendid administrator but an inspiring operational personality and leader, anxious at all times to operate and to press on against the enemy. Since joining the Royal Air Force, this officer has showed a fine fighting spirit and the keenness with which he sets out to attack the enemy is well known. I most strongly recommend him for the immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order. D.F.M. London Gazette 13 September 1940. The original recommendation states: This Air Observer has been actively engaged on operations since, and including, the first leaflet raid on the night of 3 September 1939. His crew were specially mentioned in Command Routine Orders as a result of a particularly good reconnaissance and leaflet dropping flight they carried out later in September 1939, and again after the first raid on the Scharnhorst in a Kiel dock. Sergeant Simmons, at Boscombe Down, was Navigator and Air Observer on 13 convoy escort sorties, totalling 79 hours, 20 minutes. Since his return from that area, he has been Navigator, Air Observer and Bomb Aimer on 24 bombing raids over enemy territory, totalling 161 hours, 40 minutes. This N.C.O. has always set a magnificent example to his fellow Observers in the Squadron, by his fine work, his inimitable enthusiasm and his thorough determination to see any task completed with all possible accuracy. During the first raid on the Scharnhorst in a Kiel dry dock, Sergeant Simmons held his bombing until the ship literally "filled his bomb sight" and then let ship and dock have it for all he was worth. Five direct hits were easily distinguishable from photographs taken some few hours after this raid. The latest effort of Sergeant Simmons is merely typical of the man and the work he invariably does. Early career Nicholas Palmer Simmons was born at Bratton Clovelly, Devon in October 1916 and was educated at Callington County School, Cornwall, where he was captain of the cricket and soccer XIs. In 1935 he enlisted in the Life Guards, with whom he qualified as a gunner and signaller, in addition to representing the regiment at cricket and rugby, but in 1937, he purchased his discharge in favour of joining the mounted branch of Exeter City Police (a decision possibly hastened by the hair-raising occasion on which his horse bolted down Pall Mall). Back in the West Country, he gained further accolades in rugby for both the police and Exeter City, and but for the advent of hostilities, he may well have been selected to represent his country. It was also during this period that he became interested in aviation through the Civil Air Guard, and in early 1939, after again growing disillusioned with his chosen career, he elected to join the Royal Air Force as a direct entry Air Observer (a decision also influenced by the fact he had recently paid the fine of a beggar he had arrested, in order to save him from jail). No. 58 Squadron: September 1939 to July 1940 In September 1939, having completed his training at Desford and Yatesbury, Simmons, now a Sergeant, was posted to No. 58 Squadron, a Whitley unit operating out of Linton-on-Ouse, and flew his first mission as a Navigator and Bomb Aimer to the Ruhr on the 3rd - this was also the first occasion on which R.A.F. aircraft penetrated into Germany. Later that month, on the 28th, he returned to the Ruhr, his flying log book noting that his pilot had to make a forced landing at Barton Stacey on their return - Mentioned in Bomber Command Orders. Thereafter, commencing on 10 October (his birthday), and ending on 16 January 1940, he completed 13 Anti-Submarine Patrol and Convoy Escort sorties out of Boscombe Down, following which he attended the School of Navigation at St. Athan on an Advanced Observers Course in Astro-Navigation. Duly qualified, he returned to No. 58 Squadron (now back at Linton-on-Ouse), and flew a search mission over the North Sea on 12 April 1940 before being assigned to more regular bombing strikes, and by late July he had completed in excess o
Lot 845
A rare Great War D.S.C. group of five awarded to Squadron Leader G. F. Breese, Royal Air Force, late Squadron Commander, Royal Naval Air Service Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., unnamed, hallmarks for London 1916; 1914-15 Star (Flt. Lt., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Sq. Cr., R.N.A.S.); Coronation 1937, unnamed, mounted as worn, good very fine (5) £2200-2600 D.S.C. London Gazette 1 October 1917: For services on patrol duties and submarine searching in home waters. M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1919: For distinguished service in the Orkneys war area. George Fred Breese was born on 5 September 1886 and entered the R.N.A.S., qualifying as a pilot, Aero Club pilots certificate 1003, on 19 December 1914. During the war he saw service in Dunkirk long distance patrols and submarine searching. He was promoted Flight Commander in December 1916, Squadron Commander in December 1917, and, on the foundation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918, Squadron Leader. Breese commanded No. 238 Squadron at Cattewater, 1919-20, and retired on 18 February 1931, having seen service with the Iraq Command based at Basrah from 30 October, 1923. On the formation of the Observer Corps he joined it, and in 1938 he was the Observer Group Officer of No. 36 Group Scottish Area. For his services with the Royal Observer Corps, Breese was recommended for the M.B.E., but it came to nothing. The recommendation states: This officer was the original Observer Group Officer in the Scottish Area. He has always shown exceptional devotion to duty. His tact, enthusiasm and attention to detail has brought the standard of No. 36 Group up to a very high level. The whole spirit and efficiency of this Group is of a very high order. Sold with research, including two copy group photographs.
Lot 869
A fine Second World War D.F.C. and Bar group of eight awarded to Wing Commander R. L. Bowes, Royal Air Force, late Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who led No. 44 Squadron in the famous Peenemunde raid in August 1943, when his Lancaster was hit by flak and badly damaged, and afterwards in a strike against Berlin in which his aircraft had an engine put out of action by another hit Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated 1943 and the reverse of the Bar 1944; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S.E. Asia 1945-46 (Act. Wg. Cdr., R.A.F.); Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, 1st issue (Act. Sqn. Ldr., R.A.F.V.R.), mounted as worn, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, good very fine and better (16) £2500-3000 D.F.C. London Gazette 19 October 1943. The original recommendation states: In the attack on the Experimental Station at Peenemunde on 17-18 August 1943, the Lancaster aircraft in which Wing Commander Bowes was captain was hit in the nose by an accurate burst of light flak during the run up to the target. This engagement resulted in the Bomb Aimer being seriously wounded and blinded in one eye, and the bomb sight being completely smashed. In spite of this difficult situation, however, Wing Commander Bowes went on to make a most determined and accurate attack on the target. When clear of the target area, on the homeward journey, he organised successful first aid treatment for the Bomb Aimer who was suffering considerable pain from perspex splinters in the face. In the short time in which he has commanded No. 44 Squadron, Wing Commander Bowes has, through a quiet but strong personality and by his own determined operational example, inspired his aircrews with a vigourous offensive spirit and raised appreciably the efficiency and esprit de corps of the whole squadron. He has now completed 18 successful sorties, all, with one exception, against strongly defended German targets. In addition, during his O.T.U. training, he did eight anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, during one of which he attacked a half-submerged U-boat and was credited with having probably damaged it. I strongly recommend Wing Commander Bowes for an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross. Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 3 March 1944. The original recommendation states: Wing Commander Bowes has recently relinquished command of No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron on posting to staff duties. During his operational tour he completed successfully 23 sorties against enemy targets, including most of the well-known and notoriously well-defended German targets - Berlin (three times), Stuttgart, Mannheim, Peenemunde and the Ruhr. His quiet courage, splendid efficient determination to reach and hit his targets, and an invariable eagerness to operate have always been obvious, as the following two episodes well illustrate: During an attack on Peenemunde on 17-18 August 1943, Wing Commander Bowes aircraft was hit by an accurate burst of light flak during the run up to the target. The Bomb Aimer was seriously wounded, and the bomb sight completely smashed, but in spite of these difficulties a most determined and accurate attack was carried out. Again, in the Berlin attack on 18-19 November 1943, his aircraft was hit by flak shortly before bombing and one engine put completely out of action. A second and successful run up was, however, made, after which Wing Commander Bowes flew his damaged aircraft back to this country, eventually landing it without further damage in adverse weather conditions at an aerodrome on the south coiast of England. His own splendid operational example was undoubtedly responsible in large measure for the many successes of the aircrews he commanded, while on the ground he never spared himself to train and equip these personnel so that they would be fitted to inflict the maximum damage upon the enemy at the least possible cost. I strongly recommend Wing Commander Bowes for an immediate award of a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross. Robert Lawrence Bowes was born in April 1908 and held a private pilots licence prior to being commissioned on the Reserve of Air Force Officers in early 1933. Advanced to Flying Officer in September of the following year, he transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in January 1938 and was advanced to Flight Lieutenant on the outbreak of hostilities. Bowes served as a flying instructor in the U.K. and Southern Rhodesia until 1942, was awarded the Air Efficiency Award in the following year (AMO No. 131 of 1943 refers), and originally commenced his operational career as a Flight Commander in No. 207 Squadron, a Lancaster unit based at Langar, Nottinghamshire, in the rank of Acting Squadron Leader. But it was for his subsequent services in No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire, that he won his first decoration, and more specifically for his part in the famous Peenemunde raid of August 1943. On that memorable occasion, in the rank of Acting Wing Commander, he led 44s force of 13 aircraft, himself piloting Lancaster DV. 155, which, as outlined above, suffered severe flak damage - in fact 44 Squadron suffered heavily that night, three of its Lancasters failing to return with the loss of 20 lives (just one member of aircrew survived to be taken P.O.W.). Awarded an immediate D.F.C., three of Bowes crew were duly gazetted for D.F.Ms in the New Year. Having completed his operational tour with No. 44 in February 1944, and added a Bar to his D.F.C. and been mentioned in despatches, the former no doubt prompted by his subsequent Berlin trips (London Gazette 14 January 1944 refers), Bowes joined H.Q. R.A.F. Scampton, where he served until attending a Staff College course that summer. A succession of staff appointments followed, until in March 1945 he joined No. 214 (Malay States) Squadron, a Fortess unit based at Oulton, Norfolk, and flying on radio counter-measure operations, in which role he would have been employed until the units disbandment that July. In September, he was ordered to South East Asia Command, in which theatre of operations he commanded No. 159 Squadron at Digri and Salbani until early 1946, a period that witnessed the units Liberators dropping supplies to ex-P.O.Ws and to the starving inhabitants of Southern Burma - and Bowes notching up a further 180 hours flying time. Having then been granted a permanent R.A.F. commission as a Squadron Leader, he next served as S.A.S.O. at No. 228 Group, followed by appointments at the Turkish Air Staff College in Istanbul 1948-50, the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia 1950-51, and H.Q., U.S.A.F., 92nd Wing at Fairchild, Washington 1951-53, and was latterly a Wing Commander attached to S.H.A.P.E. He had, meanwhile, been awarded a Bar to his Air Efficiency Award (AMO No. 866 of 1951 refers). Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipients (Civil Authority) Journey Log Book, covering the period June 1931 to April 1933; his R.A.F.V.R. Flying Log Book, covering the period July 1938 to March 1941; his R.A.F. Flying Log Book, covering the period August 1946 to May 1954; and three official Air Ministry photographs, two of them depicting low-level attacks on U-Boats, and most probably pertinent to the recipients earlier anti-submarine patrols in No. 44 Squadron.
Loading...-
49464 item(s)/page