Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Water Bottle, Straps, and Whistles attributed to F. N. Charlton, who served during the Second War as an Officer with M.I.6

A Second War water bottle, with outer cloth cover and full leather straps, the detachable part of the strap with double action snap hooks at either end, and both parts of the strap inscribed ‘Noel Charlton’; together with two whistles, ‘The Metropolitan’, by J. Hudson & Co., Birmingham; and the standard issue ‘Aldershot Stores’ type, both with original lanyards, extremely good condition (4) £80-£120

Provenance: Sold by order of the recipient’s nephew.

The vendor states: ‘Frederick Noel Charlton was part of M.I.6 from 1938-48, during which time he collaborated with S.O.E. and O.S.S. whilst officially he was a Territorial in the H.A.C. In early 1939 he set up M.I.6 agents as coast watchers on the islands off East Africa, including in Zanzibar, and at Diego-Suarez and Tananarive in Madagascar; at the start of the War he had the only intelligence contacts on the island of Madagascar. His contacts were required to help guide British landing parties with the capture of Diego-Suarez, and Noel was wounded during the rapid capture of Diego-Suarez in May 1942. He was treated for his wounds in a Cairo hospital, where he was recorded as being a member of the 51st Highland Division. On recovering he returned to Madagascar, now in Allied hands, and was active in its administration (he was in civilian life a Treasury Solicitor) until the island was handed over to the Free French forces.’