Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The rare Second World War C.B., D.S.O. group of twelve awarded to Major-General A. V. Hammond, Indian Army, a Brigade Commander on the Burma front 1941-43 and late Queen’s Own Corps of Guides, in which latter corps his father won a V.C. in the Afghan War 1879

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R. 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1943’; 1914-15 Star (Lt. A. V. Hammond, Guides Cavy.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. A. V. Hammond); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, N.W. Persia (Capt. A. V. Hammond); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937, enamel on reverse centre-piece of D.S.O. chipped in places and the earlier awards slightly polished, otherwise generally good very fine (12) £3500-4000

C.B. London Gazette 8 June 1944.

D.S.O. London Gazette 16 December 1943:

‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma and on the Eastern Frontier of India.’

The original recommendation states:

‘Place: East Bengal and North Arakan. Date: May to December 1942. He has commanded 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade since August 1941 with marked success. Before the advance of the Division into the Arakan, he was responsible for organising the defence of Chittagong, which he did most efficiently. Since then his Brigade has led the advance of the Division southwards against all sorts of difficulties and under conditions of considerable discomfort and hardship, and latterly against strong enemy opposition. His able leadership, both on the operational and administrative side, has had marked influence on the campaign, and resulted in a deep advance into territory held by the enemy and the maintenance of the initiative by our forces.’

Arthur Verney Hammond was born in October 1892, the son of Brigadier-General Sir Arthur Hammond, V.C., K.C.B., D.S.O., Queen’s Corps of Guides, who won his Cross for the action at Asmai Heights, near Kabul in December 1879. Young Arthur was educated at Wellington College and the R.M.C. Sandhurst, and was gazetted as a 2nd Leutenant in the Royal West Kent Regiment, awaiting appointment to the Indian Army, in September 1911.

Duly posted to his father’s old regiment, the Corps of Guides (Cavalry), in December of the following year, he was advanced to Captain in September 1915, while actively employed in the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, was onetime attached to the 32nd Lancers and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 5 June 1919 refers); and added the General Service Medal to his accolades for services in the N.W. Persia operations of 1920-21. Having then attended Staff College at Quetta, Hammond served as a Brigade Major 1928-32, commanded the Guides Cavalry 1937-39, and by the renewal of hostilities was based in the War Office, London as a Colonel on the Staff.

Re-embarked for India in the following year, he was given command of 123rd Infantry Brigade and won his D.S.O for the above cited deeds in Burma. He ended the War as C.O. Lucknow District, having earlier been appointed an A.D.C. to the King and been awarded the C.B. Hammond, who was placed on the Retired List as a Major-General in January 1947, died in January 1982.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s C.B. and D.S.O. warrants, M.I.D. certificate, and Vice Regal Lodge, Simla certificates for his Jubilee 1935 and Coronation 1937 Medals, together with his commission warrant for the rank of 2nd Lieutenant (Land Forces), dated 1 September 1911, and a congratulatory letter from Field-Marshal Birdwood on his Brevet promotion, dated 18 July 1928, and three portrait photographs, in addition to a file of research.