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Sold between 19 June & 13 December 2007
5 parts
Lieutenant Commander Richard C Witte, U.S. Naval Reserve (retired)
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25 & 26 March 2013
The remarkable campaign service group of nine awarded to Commander A. C. Ackland, Royal Navy, a Midshipman with the Naval Brigade in South Africa and China who went on to witness further active service in his 60s during the 1939-45 War: a King’s Messenger in the Foreign Office in the interim, he was shot in the chest while serving on attachment to the Royal Irish Constabulary in May 1922 Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith (Mid. A. C. Acland,...
Hammer Price: £2,300
A Great War campaign group of three awarded to Engineer Commander P. C. A. Hillier, Royal Navy, who witnessed extensive action in the East Africa operations of 1915-16 1914-15 Star (Eng. Cr. P. C. A. Hillier, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Eng. Commr. P. C. A. Hillier, R.N.), in their card boxes of issue, extremely fine (3) £180-220
Hammer Price: £330
The Great War and Second World War campaign service group of eight awarded to Commander W. A. Ford, Royal Navy, whose career also encompassed a “mention” for service in monitors in North Russia in 1919 and command of a gunboat on the Yangtse, in which latter period he incurred the displeasure of Their Lordships for the ‘accidental shooting of a Chinese soldier’ - but made up for this indiscretion by rescuing some ‘captured Catholic priests’ 1914-15 Star (J. 4197 W. A. Ford,...
Hammer Price: £550
A Great War campaign service group of four awarded to Leading Stoker E. White, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Reserve 1914-15 Star (284081 E. White, Sto. 1, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (284081 E. White, L. Sto., R.N.); Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., Admiral’s bust (284081 Dev. B. 708 E. White, Sto. 1, R.F.R.), generally very fine (4) £40-60
Hammer Price: £90
A Great War campaign group of four awarded to Skipper H. J. Wood, Royal Naval Reserve 1914-15 Star (W.S.A. 1628 H. J. Wood, Skr., R.N.R.); British War Medal 1914-20 (W.S.A. 1628 H. J. Wood, Skr., R.N.R.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Harold J. Wood); Victory Medal (W.S.A. 1628 H. J. Wood, Skr., R.N.R.), together with his identity disc, generally very fine or better (5) £100-120
Hammer Price: £150
‘One might go on for ever with stories of “Daddy” Edwards; but as one never knew what he was going to say or do next, he certainly kept us amused whenever he was in company. Some people called him a “pirate” and senior officers were sometimes shocked by his queer signals. All the same, if he was a pirate, he was a very loveable one. His saving sense of humour forgave him much.’ Taffrail’s Endless Story refers. The Great War campaign group of four awarded to Captain G. R....
Hammer Price: £430
An Arctic and Baltic pair attributed to Clerk-in-Charge of Stores W. H. Richards, Royal Navy Arctic Medal 1818-55, unnamed as issued; Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued, with silver riband buckle, edge nicks, very fine or better (2) £600-700
Hammer Price: £880
The outstanding Great War Dogger Bank D.S.C. and Antarctic 1902-04 group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Commander F. E. Dailey, Royal Navy - a carpenter by trade, he assisted in the building and fitting out of the Discovery and lent valuable service in Scott’s first expedition, service duly recognised by the naming of Dailey Islands in McMurdo Sound: subsequently Chief Carpenter of the cruiser Lion for much of the Great War, he was present at Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland, the...
Hammer Price: £17,000
‘There are some men who will do more than their share of work and who will attempt more than they are physically able to accomplish. Rickenson was one of these eager souls.’ Shackleton’s South refers. The rare Great War and Polar exploration group of four awarded to Engineer Commander L. R. “Ricky” Rickinson, Royal Navy, who lent valuable service to Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914-16 expedition prior to his collapse on Elephant Island British War Medal 1914-20 (Eng. Lt. L....
Hammer Price: £16,000
12 & 13 December 2012
Four: Commissioned Gunner T. Driscoll, Royal Navy Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Somaliland 1902-04 (T. Driscoll, P.O. 1st Cl., H.M.S. Hyacinth); 1914-15 Star (Gnr. T. Driscoll, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Gnr. T. Driscoll, R.N.), official correction to rate on the first, generally very fine or better (4) £250-300
Hammer Price: £290
The campaign service group of six awarded to Captain E. F. Fitzgerald, Royal Navy, who survived the loss of H.M.S. King Edward VII in January 1916 and gained “mentions” at Jutland aboard the Royal Oak and for his command of the destroyer Scout in the Baltic in 1919 1914-15 Star (Lieut. E. F. Fitzgerald, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. E. F. Fitzgerald, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, the first three official...
Hammer Price: £310
Family group: Three: Chief Gunner F. Isaac, Royal Navy, who was commended for his rescue work after the Halifax explosion of December 1917 1914-15 Star (Ch. Gnr. F. Isaac, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Ch. Gnr. F. Isaac, R.N.), generally good very fine Royal Naval Training Ship Pupil Teacher’s Medal for Attainment and Good Conduct, silver, the reverse officially inscribed ‘Charles J. Isaac’, good very fine Royal Naval Training Ship Pupil Teacher’s Medal for...
Hammer Price: £460
A World War campaign service group of seven awarded to Shipwright Lieutenant-Commander T. H. Stonehouse, Royal Navy, who survived the loss of the monitor Raglan off Imbros in January 1918, when she was brought to action by the Breslau and Goeben 1914-15 Star (Carpr. T. H. Stonehouse, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Wt. Shpt. T. H. Stonehouse, R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Defence and War Medals; Jubilee 1935, the Great War awards with contact wear, otherwise very fine or better (7) £400-500
The excessively rare Boer War C.S.C. group of eight awarded to Captain R. B. C. Hutchinson, Royal Navy, who, as a young Midshipman in Terrible’s Naval Brigade, was decorated for multiple acts of gallantry in the operations leading up to the relief of Ladysmith - ‘he had many narrow escapes and on three separate occasions a 40-pounder shell fell within yards of him’ - and was one of only eight men ever to receive the C.S.C.: having then witnessed further action and ‘near squeaks’...
Hammer Price: £35,000
‘The ship gave a heavy lurch forward and took an angle of about forty degrees down by the bow. Water came swirling up to the searchlight platform. The Captain said, “jump you devils jump!” The Captain and his secretary remained with the ship until the very end but somehow survived.’ Lieutenant (E.) Ernest Stallybrass, H.M.S. Pathfinder ‘I dare say Julian told you that we actually saw the “Pathfinder” explosion - a great white cloud with its foot in the sea. The St....
Hammer Price: £4,000
A fine Great War C.B., royal visit to Malta M.V.O. group of eight awarded to Vice-Admiral J. E. Cameron, Royal Navy, who commanded the cruiser Phaeton at Jutland, when with her consort Galatea, she was the first to sight and engage the enemy - earlier that month, off the Schleswig coast, her gunners had assisted in the destruction of the zeppelin L. 7: later still, Cameron was onetime S.N.O. Baltic in 1919 and took charge of the famous “Wanhsien incident” in China as S.N.O. Yangtse...
Hammer Price: £3,700
An inter-war C.B.E. group of six awarded to Engineer Rear-Admiral S. R. Dight, Royal Navy, who, having witnessed active service in the hunt for the German raiders Emden and Konigsberg in 1914-15, went on to attain flag rank as C.O. of the Admiralty’s Fuel Experimental Station in the 1930s The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Eng. Lt. Cr. S. R. Dight, R.N.); British War and Victory...
Hammer Price: £400
A rare Baltic 1919 operations O.B.E. group of four awarded to Paymaster Captain G. T. Smyth, Royal Navy, who had earlier served off Gallipoli and won a “mention” for his leadership of the coding staff aboard H.M.S. Calliope at Jutland The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914-15 Star (Asst. Payr. G. T. Smyth, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Pay. Lt. Cr. G. T....
Hammer Price: £1,300
A fine Great War anti-U-boat operations D.S.O. group of six awarded to Commander S. A. G. Hill, Royal Navy, who was also among a handful of British officers to receive the American Navy Cross Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; China 1900, no clasp (Midsn. S. A. G. Hill, R.N., H.M.S. Dido); 1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr. S. A. G. Hill, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr. S. A. G. Hill, R.N.); United States of America, Navy Cross, very fine and better (6) ...
Hammer Price: £3,200
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...
Hammer Price: £3,100
‘Dickey was a little button of a chap, but what he lacked in size he made up in bloodthirstiness. He was one of the best second pilots it is possible for any first pilot to desire. He was a good shot, a capable navigator, a fine observer, and always keen on going forward and ever loath to turn back. He always gave his first pilot the comfortable feeling of being absolutely trusted.’ Good Hunting, by William Guy Carr, refers. The excessively rare Great War D.S.C. and 2 Bars...
Hammer Price: £21,000
The outstanding Great War Tigris Flotilla operations D.S.C. group of four awarded to Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander D. Loughlin, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry in the river gunboat Comet on the night of 18 September 1915, when he tended the wounded under a heavy fire - among them his C.O., Lieutenant-Commander E. C. Cookson, who was awarded a posthumous V.C. Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1915; 1914-15 Star (Surg. D. Loughlin, M.B., R.N.); British...
Hammer Price: £4,800
A rare and poignant Great War Gallipoli operations D.S.C. group of four awarded to Australian-born Lieutenant-Commander F. S. “Cleg” Kelly, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, an accomplished composer and Olympic gold medallist, who was decorated for his gallantry as a Company Commander in Hood Battalion, R.N.D.: a friend of Arthur Asquith and Rupert Brooke - he acted as a pallbearer at the latter’s funeral and wrote an acclaimed Elegy to his memory - he was himself killed in action leading...
Hammer Price: £6,500
A fine Great War D.S.C. group of eleven awarded to Captain M. C. Despard, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry as Gunnery Officer of H.M.S. Broke during her spectacular encounter with enemy destroyers on the night of 20-21 April 1917 - ramming one of her adversary’s at 27 knots, the impact hurled the German destroyer practically over on her beam-ends: but retaliatory fire eventually reduced the Broke to a ‘smoking shambles’, her decks in places ‘literally running in...
Hammer Price: £4,200
A rare Great War Q-ship operations D.S.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant F. G. J. Manning, Royal Naval Reserve, who was decorated for his gallantry in Acton’s successful action against the UC-72 off the French coast in August 1917 - ‘the submarine was so close that at one time it actually collided with the ship, shaking Acton fore and aft’: he had earlier won a “mention” for leading the storming party that captured one of the Konigsberg’s landed guns at Bagamoyo in August...
A Great War Gallipoli landings D.S.M. awarded to Chief Yeoman of the Signals A. J. Chatwin, Royal Navy, who, under sniper and shellfire, undertook gallant signal work ashore on ‘S’ Beach Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (156109 A. J. Chatwin, C.Y.S., H.M.S. Cornwallis, 25-26 April 1915), an official but later impressed issue, good very fine £300-400
Hammer Price: £580
A rare Great War Baltic operations D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Commander (E.) T. W. Collis, Royal Navy, who was decorated for gallant services in the submarine E. 9 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (272395 T. W. Collis, E.R.A. 2 Cl., H.M. Sub. E 9); 1914-15 Star (272395 T. W. Collis, E.R.A. 2, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Art. Eng. T. W. Collis, R.N.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Russia, St. George’s Cross for Bravery, 3rd Class, the reverse officially...
Hammer Price: £9,500
A rare Great War Baltic operations D.S.M. group of four awarded to Chief Petty Officer G. D. Thomas, Royal Navy, who was decorated for gallant services in the submarine E. 8 in October 1915, when she torpedoed and sunk the cruiser Prinz Adalbert Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (175034 G. D. Thomas, Act. Ch. P.O., H.M. Sub. E 8, Baltic, Oct. 1915); 1914-15 Star (175034 G. D. Thomas, Act. C.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (175034 G. D. Thomas, C.P.O., R.N.), good very fine...
Hammer Price: £3,300
Family group: The outstanding Second World War withdrawal from Greece D.S.O., inter-war M.V.O., Great War “sub-on-sub” D.S.C. and battle of Crete Second Award Bar group of thirteen awarded to Commander K. Michell, Royal Navy - he was also twice honoured by the Italians for his services in submarines operating out of Venice in 1916, won a “mention” for North Russia 1919, and was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Medal between the Wars Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st...
Hammer Price: £19,000
A fine Second World War anti-U-boat operations D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Commander A. H. L. Harvey, Royal Navy, a long-served destroyer officer who first went into action in H.M.S. Punjabi at Narvik in 1940, but who was decorated and twice mentioned in despatches for his subsequent services in the Croome 1941-44 - in which period she rammed and sunk an Italian submarine and shared in the destruction of two U-boats: post-war he added a third “mention” to his accolades for his...
Hammer Price: £2,200
‘You are always wanting me to give up things, so what is it I ought to give up?” Shackleton to Macklin aboard the Quest, 5 January 1922: moments later, after Macklin had suggested alcohol, his leader collapsed with a fatal heart attack ‘There radiated from him something strong and powerful and purposeful so that even to meet him was an experience. It was something that I have never come across in anyone else. He valued loyalty above everything, no one ever questioned his...
Hammer Price: £31,000
‘During all the working hours of this day I was on duty with Green, the cook, an enterprising man who thoroughly revelled in his job. His ability to contrive and make shift was remarkable; and there were those aboard the “Quest” who solemnly vowed their belief that, given an ancient pair of sea-boots, Green could serve up a dinner that would leave the Ritz or the Carlton amongst the “also rans” ’ Into the Frozen South, J. W. S. Marr, refers. The rare polar exploration group...
Hammer Price: £8,000
‘When I look back at those days I have no doubt that Providence guided us, not only across those snowfields, but across the storm-white sea that separated Elephant Island from our landing place on South Georgia. I know that during that long and racking march for thirty-six hours over the unnamed mountains and glaciers of South Georgia it seemed to me that we were four, not three. I said nothing to my companions at this point, but afterwards Worsley said to me, “Boss, I had a curious...
Hammer Price: £23,000
13 & 14 September 2012
Indian Mutiny 1857-59, 1 clasp, Lucknow (Fredk. C. Wittie, Yeoman Store Rooms. Shannon) good very fine £2000-2500
Hammer Price: £1,800
China 1900, 1 clasp, Taku Forts (G. Jackson, P.O. 2 Cl., H.M.S. Fame) nearly extremely fine £450-500
Hammer Price: £680
Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Yangtze 1949 (D/KX.92134 A. Garns. P.O.S.M. R.N.) very fine £2500-3000
‘We have felt that our last act before leaving the region which has been our home for so long should be one of homage to the shipmate who sacrificed his life to our work. We have had a large wooden cross prepared for sometime; it bears the simple carved inscription to the memory of poor Vince, and yesterday it was erected on the summit of Hut Point, so firmly that I think in this undecaying climate it will stand for centuries. Today our small company landed together for the last time, and...
Hammer Price: £5,500
The important Great War Q-ship operations D.S.O. and Bar group of five awarded to Captain F. H. Grenfell, Royal Navy, who commanded the ‘The splendid Penshurst’ in several actions and was second only to Gordon Campbell, V.C., in terms of U-boats destroyed Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, silver-gilt and enamel; 1914 Star (Lieut. F. H. Grenfell, R.N., Transport Staff); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. F. H. Grenfell, R.N.); France, Croix de Guerre...
The remarkable North Russia operations D.S.O. and Bar group of seven awarded to Commander P. H. Edwards, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, C.O. of the Anglo-Russian Naval Brigade in 1918 and, on attachment to the Army, of the Slavo-British Legion in 1919: he had earlier been wounded in Gallipoli and in France with Howe Battalion, R.N.D., and again as a member of a storming party in the Zeebrugge raid, by which time Admiral Keyes described him as a ‘one-eyed, bearded warrior ... who was...
The unique Murmansk 1919 operations D.S.O., Shackleton 1914-16 Antarctic Expedition O.B.E., Q-Ship operations D.S.C. group of twelve awarded to Commander J. R. Stenhouse, Royal Naval Reserve: according to Shackleton ‘he accomplished successfully one of the most difficult journeys on record, in an ocean area notoriously stormy and treacherous’ - just one chapter in a truly remarkable career spanning ‘square-riggers’ in the early 1900s to his death in action in September...
Hammer Price: £30,000
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