Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A 1918 Royal Silver Wedding C.V.O. (1910 opening of Parliament of Union of South Africa M.V.O.) group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel G. J. Fitzgerald, Royal Horse Guards, latterly commanding the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment 1914-19

The Royal Victorian Order, C.V.O., Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the reverse officially numbered ‘C724’; India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (Captn. G. J. Fitzgerald Ryl. Horse Gds:); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (Capt. G. J. Fitz-Gerald, R.H. Gds:); Coronation 1902, silver; Coronation 1911; Union of South Africa Medal 1910, unnamed as issued, the last five mounted court-style as worn, toned, light contact marks to the first two, otherwise generally good very fine (6) £2,000-£2,600

Provenance: Major Flatow Collection, Spink, November 1998.

C.V.O. London Gazette 6 July 1918: ‘Commanded Royal Horse Guards on the Occasion of Their Majesty’s Silver Wedding.’

M.V.O., 4th Class London Gazette 28 November 1910: ‘Assistant Military Secretary, South Africa. On the occasion of the visit of Field Marshal His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught to represent His Majesty at the opening of the first Parliament of the Union of South Africa.’

Gerald James Fitzgerald was born on 26 March 1869, educated at Wellington, and entered the Royal Horse Guards in 1889, being promoted to Lieutenant on 24 September 1890, and to Lieutenant and Adjutant on 9 September 1891. He was promoted to Captain on 6 February 1895, and served on the North West Frontier of India between 1897-98 as Extra Orderly Officer to Major-General Sir Bindon Blood, G.O.C. of the Malakand Field Force. He commanded the Royal Horse Guards Squadron in South Africa in 1900, on the Orange River and in the Transvaal, including the action at Elands River. Promoted to Major on 16 June 1906, he was appointed Assistant Military Secretary to Lord Methuen, G.O.C.-in-Chief, South Africa, from 4 April 1908, a post he held until 1911, thus qualifying for the Union Medal. In addition, he was appointed an M.V.O. on the occasion of the Duke of Connaught opening the first Parliament of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Soon promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, he commanded not only the Royal Horse Guards, from 1915-19, but also the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment at Home from November 1914 until May 1919 prior to his retirement. He died on 15 June 1944. Sold with research including copied photographs and Central Chancery correspondence.