Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte

A rare and interesting Russia operations D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Engineer Rear-Admiral G. W. Le Page, Royal Navy, who, in his capacity of Assistant Naval Attache to Captain F. N. A. Cromie at the British Embassy at Petrograd in 1918, undoubtedly had dealings with the likes of Sidney Reilly “Ace of Spies” - and was fortunate indeed to be absent from the embassy when it was raided by the Cheka Secret Police and Cromie gunned down in cold blood: for his own part, and under imminent threat of execution, he endured 13 weeks as a captive of the Bolsheviks

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Eng. Lt. Cdr. G. W. Le Page, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Eng. Commr. G. W. Le Page, R.N.); Jubilee 1935; Roumania, Order of the Star, 4th Class breast badge, with swords, silver-gilt and enamel; Turkey, Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class neck badge, silver, silver-gilt, gold and enamel, in its red velvet case of issue, minor enamel damage to the Roumanian piece, otherwise good very fine and better (7) £3000-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Exceptional Naval and Polar Awards from the Collection of RC Witte.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 5 October 1918:

‘In recognition of the valuable services rendered by him to the Allied cause in Russia since 1914.’

George Wilfred Le Page was born in Guernsey in 1883 and was educated at the Royal Navy Engineers College, Devonport.

Advanced to Engineer Lieutenant in February 1907, he joined the British Naval Mission to Turkey in April 1911 and remained similarly employed until the outbreak of hostilities with Germany, a period in which he wore an elaborate Turkish uniform with the traditional Fez, and was awarded the 3rd Class of Order of Medjidie, accorded the title of Bey and granted the rank of Corvette Captain.

Russia 1914-18

In September 1914, Le Page was appointed for duty with the C.-in-C. of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and joined the cruiser Almaz that October, the commencement of a long chapter of active service in this theatre of war:

‘He assisted at the following operations in the Black Sea: 13 March 1915 - bombardment of Zunguldak in light cruiser Almaz; 26 March 1915 - bombardment of the Turkish batteries off the Bosphorus in cruiser Kagul; 5 April 1915 - in Almaz during action between Russian and Turkish fleets off the Bosphorus; 25 October 1915 - bombardment of Varna in Almaz; 14 April 1916 - in Rostilav during bombardment of Rize near Trebizond resulting in fall of latter’ (his service record refers).

Le Page was also present in the Bosphorus action of 25 April 1915, when the Russian Black Sea Fleet carried out a bombardment to distract the Turks from the Allied landings at Gallipoli, services which gained him the 2nd Class of the Order of St. Stanislaus.

Having been advanced to Lieutenant-Commander back in February 1915, it was proposed that he be granted the acting rank of Commander to ‘enjoy the greater confidence of the Russians’, a proposal that was approved in October 1916, the same year in which he was awarded the 3rd Class of the Order of St. Anne ‘for distinguished and useful service in time of war and in active operations against the enemy.’ And to which distinction, in March 1917, he added the 4th Class of the Order of St. Vladimir.

Attache - Arrest

Latterly burdened ‘with the arduous task of maintaining relations with the Russian Fleet in the Black Sea’ following the abduction of the Czar - the words of our man in Moscow, Bruce Lockhart - Le Page was scheduled to depart Russia for the U.K. with charge of a group of British refugees in April 1918, but the order was rescinded, his experience and fluent Russian being too valuable to lose.

Instead, he was appointed Assistant to the Naval Attache at Petrograd, Captain F. N. A. Cromie, D.S.O., R.N., who described Le Page as a ‘large, self-possessed man with a typical navy beard.’ And the pair of them were quickly embarked on a programme of anti-revolutionary initiatives and in espionage - one of their visitors being “Ace of Spies” Sidney Reilly.

Clearly, too, Le Page’s services were much appreciated by our man in Moscow, Bruce Lockhart, as well as by Cromie, who, in May 1918, pushed for his charge to be confirmed in his acting rank:

‘17 May 1918. Naval Attache Petrograd brings to notice the valuable services rendered by Acting Engineer Commander Le Page. Our view of his abilities in his present situation does not hesitate to recommend him for confirmation in his rank, notwithstanding that he is unable to express an opinion on Commander Le Page’s abilities as an Engineer’ (his service record refers).

And the Admiralty’s response:

‘28 August 1918. T.Ls are unable to approve of this officer being specially confirmed in the rank of Engineer Commander, but that H.M. the King has approved of Acting Lieutenant-Commander Le Page being appointed a companion of the D.S.O. in recognition of his services in Russia.’

Two days following this entry on his service record, Le Page was staying at a friend’s house in Petrograd, and was apprehended by the Cheka Secret Police on his way back to the embassy, the beginning of 13 weeks of primitive and squalid confinement in the Peter and Paul Fortress, the whole under constant threat of imminent execution. In the event, in common with other British hostages, he was released and given 48 hours to leave the country.

Had he been present at the embassy that fateful day in August 1918, it may have been a very different story, for the gallant Cromie was gunned down in cold-blood by the Cheka Secret Police - though he did manage to take one or two of his assailants with him, using Le Page’s revolver which he retrieved from the latter’s office. Cromie was awarded a posthumous C.B., the announcement for which appeared in the London Gazette one week before Le Page’s D.S.O.

Naval Intelligence Department and beyond

Assigned to the Naval Intelligence Department on his return to the U.K., Le Page remained similarly employed until early 1924, in which period he finally gained advancement to Engineer Commander and was awarded the 4th Class of the Roumanian Order of the Star - most probably employed on Russian matters in the period 1919-20, he was latterly assigned to Coastal defence Intelligence duties.

Having then attended a refresher course in engineering, Cromie returned to normal duties, gaining advancement to Engineer Captain in December 1929 and serving as Squadron Engineer Officer to the 1st Battle Squadron 1931-33. Appointed an A.D.C. to the King in 1935, he was placed on the Retired List in May 1936 and died in January 1940.