Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Lieutenant F. B. A. Cardew, Devonshire Regiment, Later Royal Engineers, a cousin of Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, he was taken Prisoner of War during the Great War, before going onto see service in the Second World War attached to Montgomery’s Staff

1914-15 Star (2/Lt F. B. A. Cardew Devon. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. F. B. A. Cardew. Devon R.); France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the Great War Medals all stamped ‘Duplicate’, the Second War Medals later issues, good very fine (6) £140-£180

Frederick Brutton Anstruther Cardew was born in September 1897 and was educated at St. Edward’s, Oxford. He was Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, on 15 August 1914 and served during the Great War on the Western Front from 8 March 1915, latterly attached to the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was promoted Lieutenant on 22 March 1915, and was taken Prisoner of War at the Second Battle of Ypres on 8 May 1915:
‘By 5:30 in the morning on the 8th they bombarded us violently, blowing the trench in all the way along. I was buried four times that morning but managed to get out. By mid-day I had about 7 men left in my platoon (I had started on the 21st April with 44) and the trench was packed with dead and wounded, they had maxims playing on the parapet, or what was left of it, as well as guns. Then half-a-mile to our right I saw the Germans break through and by 5 o’clock they were working round behind us. By 6 p.m. my company on the extreme right next to the Germans had orders to hang on till 8 o’clock and then retire. I knew then we should be wiped out of course as they were far stronger. I was in command of the company, the rest of the officers being killed. They charged about 6:15 p.m. and we held them off for a quarter-of-an-hour fighting to the rear, front and to the right. Then they got on top of us and we had to surrender. We were marched straight to Rouler. I was so tired that I walked along asleep part of the way.’ (letter from the recipient dated 14 May 1915 refers [N.B. not included with lot]).

Cardew was interned at Halle and subsequently in six other camps until 23 August 1918, when he was transferred to Holland for repatriation on 23 November 1918. He had the option of being transferred to Holland much earlier in the War, but did not accept, as he wished to effect his escape, which he attempted unsuccessfully on numerous occasions. Disembodied on 1 August 1919, he relinquished his commission with the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April 1920.

Cardew re-enlisted as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 3 August 1942, and was advanced temporary Captain on 12 April 1943: his Second World War service included a period as a Staff Officer attached to Field Marshal Montgomery’s Headquarters, 1944-45. He retired in October 1946.

Sold with the recipient’s Hudson’s, Birmingham whistle, and an envelope, post-marked Alton 9 October 1968, addressed to the recipient from his cousin, Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, K.G., G.C.B., D.S.O., together with an example of the Field Marshal’s autograph.