Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Captain W. R. Gibson, Royal Engineers, who was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Egyptian Order of the Nile for his services in the construction of the pipeline bringing water from the Nile into Palestine

1914-15 Star (Lieut. W. R. Gibson. R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. W. R. Gibson.); Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, Fourth Class breast badge, by Lattes, Cairo, silver and enamel, with rosette on riband, nearly extremely fine (4) £300-£400

Egyptian Order of the Nile, Fourth Class London Gazette 16 January 1920:
‘For distinguished service rendered during the course of the campaign.’

William Robert Gibson, an engineer from Seattle, Washington, United States of America, was commissioned temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 2 October 1915 and served with the 11th Labour Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front from 27 October 1915, and subsequently with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Promoted temporary Captain, he was Mentioned in General Allenby’s Despatch (London Gazette 6 July 1917), and was awarded the Fourth Class of the Egyptian Order of the Nile for his services in the construction of a pipeline from the Nile to South Palestine, pumping water across the desert supplying water to the British forces - as the Arab proverb says: ‘When the waters of the Nile flow into Palestine, the Prophet from the West will enter Jerusalem and the Turks will be driven from it forever.’ Gibson was demobilised on 12 July 1919, and retained the rank of Captain.

Sold with various photographs, the majority showing the construction of the pipeline in the desert and related workings; various contemporary postcards; and copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient taken from a newspaper cutting.