Sign in
Sold on 22 September 2006
1 part
Ron Penhall
Advanced Search
137 lots found
Sort By
Auction Date (Most Recent First)
22 September 2006
The Second World War bomb disposal operations D.S.C., G.M. group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Commander D. Law, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: having diffused around 40 UXBs in the period 1940-42, he went on to carry out equally gallant work at Calais and Zeebrugge in October 1944, carrying out an examination of the lock-gates for booby-traps at the latter place when enemy troops were positioned just 40 yards away Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’;...
Hammer Price: £12,000
The Second World War G.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman M. H. Woods, Royal Navy, who served as a diver in ‘P’ Party 1571 during many weeks of extremely hazardous mine clearance operations in the ‘liberated ports’ George Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue (A.B. Maurice H. Woods, P/JX. 519951 R.N.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, contact marks, good very fine or better (4) £2500-3000
Hammer Price: £4,600
The civil M.B.E., Second World War Coastal Forces clandestine operations D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant A. Holme-Russell, Royal Indian Navy Volunteer Reserve, who commanded M.Ls charged with inserting special forces behind Japanese lines in Burma The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1944’ and privately engraved, ‘Lieutenant Allan Holme-Russell,...
Hammer Price: £3,600
The Second World War Coastal Forces operations C.G.M. group of seven awarded to Chief Petty Officer L. D. Lanfear, Royal Navy, an M.G.B. Oerlikon gunner who displayed notable courage in two firefights in the Straits of Dover in September 1941 - ‘having suffered multiple injuries, being in great pain and unable to stand’ during the second of these engagements, ‘he seized a stripped Lewis gun and directed rapid and accurate fire on the enemy until finally he collapsed from the effects of...
Hammer Price: £23,000
The Second World War Coastal Forces D.S.M. group of six awarded to Petty Officer E. J. “Knocker” White, Royal Navy: having won a “mention” for his bravery off Crete in 1941, he added the D.S.M. and another “mention” to his accolades for his deeds as an M.T.B. Coxswain off the Dutch and Belgian coasts in 1944, one recommendation stating ‘This man is one in whom Britain may be proud for no head is held so high as his in action’ - a fact not lost on his skipper, Lieutenant G. J....
Hammer Price: £3,700
The Second World War “V.C. action” D.S.M. group of four awarded to Able Seaman A. Spendlove, Royal Navy, one of a handful of men to survive the extremely gallant action fought by H.M.S. Li Wo - against impossible odds - off Sumatra in February 1942 Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (A.B. A. Spendlove, C/JX. 131500); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, together with Far East P.O.W. Association lapel badge, good very fine and better (5) £4000-5000
Hammer Price: £10,000
The Second World War Burma operations M.M. awarded to Sergeant H. Winters, Royal Marines, a member of “Force Viper” - such was the level of success attained by this small and resourceful force that the Japanese threatened any captured Royal Marine with being ‘roasted and cut into small pieces’: it was as well then that they never captured Winters, for in a ‘very close range’ encounter with the enemy in March 1942, he was largely responsible for killing 25-30 of their...
Hammer Price: £5,500
The Second World War North Russia convoy operations O.B.E., Soviet Order of the Red Star group of six awarded to Chief Engineer Officer J. Mummery, Merchant Navy, who displayed great courage when his ship was bombed and set on fire by enemy aircraft off the Kola Inlet in July 1943 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45; Soviet Order of the Red Star, silver and enamel,the...
Hammer Price: £1,700
The unique Great War M.M., Second World War PQ. 17 convoy D.S.M., Lloyd’s Bravery Medal, and Malta convoy B.E.M. group of eleven awarded to Chief Steward H. J. Carswell, Merchant Navy, late Royal Artillery, who, having survived the remarkable passage of the Pampas to Malta during “Operation MG. 1” in March 1942, served aboard the only C.A.M. Ship (Catapult Aircraft Merchantman) to sail in PQ. 17, which vessel similarly endured five days of continuous air attack: in the event, her...
Hammer Price: £17,000
The Second World War Malta convoys D.S.M., Daily Herald Industrial Order of Merit pair awarded to Carpenter N. W. Owen, Merchant Navy: decorated for his gallant part in “Operation Pedestal”, which he completed aboard the tanker Ohio after the loss of his own ship, the Deucalion, he went on to win the “Worker’s V.C.” for his courage during a diving incident off Holyhead in 1952 - an incident in which he had to cut off one of his own fingers Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R....
Hammer Price: £6,000
The Second World War B.E.M., Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea awarded to Able Seaman A. E. Fry, Merchant Navy, who, having been taken aboard an enemy vessel after the loss of his own to the German raider Komoran, led a mutiny against his captors: sentenced to death by a Nazi court at Hamburg for his efforts, he was brutally tortured by the S.S. and made to dig his own grave but, probably as a result of the intervention of the Swiss authorities, eventually emerged from captivity at the...
Hammer Price: £4,300
The Second World War blockade runner’s B.E.M. group of four awarded to Motorman W. Taylor, Merchant Navy, who participated in operations “Bridford” and “Moonshine” in 1943-45, a series of daring attempts to ship valuable commodities out of neutral Sweden: on one occasion he and his shipmates were treated to beer by the German Consul - ‘He knew who we were’ British Empire Medal, (Civil) G.VI.R., 1st issue (William Taylor); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and...
Hammer Price: £1,200
The K.C.S.I., Second World War K.B.E., C.B., Western Desert and Burma operations D.S.O. and Bar group of eighteen awarded to General Sir Frank Messervy, Indian Army, an inspiring leader who commanded five different Divisions in the 1939-45 War and was constantly up at the front in the thick of the fighting: as a result, his H.Q. was overrun on two occasions - firstly by one of Rommel’s battle groups, when he quickly tore off his rank insignia, promptly escaped and rejoined his Division 18...
Hammer Price: £19,000
The Second World War Balkans operations C.B.E., Sicily and Italy operations D.S.O. and Bar group of eight awarded to Brigadier J. P. O’Brien-Twohig, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, late King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and West Yorkshire Regiment, who latterly commanded the Adriatic Brigade in Greece and Montenegro, operating alongside Yugoslav partisans: ‘The partisans are rather like a good looking blonde, i.e. puts the worst construction on the most innocent actions and wants to...
Hammer Price: £9,200
The Second World War North Africa operations D.S.O., M.C. group of eight awarded to Major R. J. Crisp, Royal Tank Regiment, who, during his time in the desert, had 17 tanks knocked out from under him, was wounded six times in the head and once in the toe and was directly responsible for knocking out between 35 to 40 enemy tanks or armoured cars: a superb pre-war cricketer who won a place in the Guinness Book of Records, he was said to have combined 50% genius and 40% guts with 10%...
Hammer Price: £3,900
The Second World War Sicily operations D.C.M., North Africa operations M.M. group of seven awarded to Sergeant H. H. “Happy” Hampson, Royal Tank Regiment, who, having displayed notable gallantry in the “Cauldron” battles in North Africa, excelled himself in Sicily as commander of 5 Troop, ‘C’ Squadron, 44 R.T.R.: in a single day in July 1943, he was more or less personally responsible for the destruction of 8 enemy tanks, 5 field-guns, 29 trucks, 4 staff cars and 2 motor-cycles,...
Hammer Price: £7,800
The Second World War North Africa operations D.C.M. group of seven awarded to Warrant Officer Class 2 L. L. Robinson, 12th Lancers, who by means of making 20 trips in his armoured car into No Man’s Land, around the “Knightsbridge” feature - with the enemy firing at him over open sights - rescued around 200 escaped prisoners Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (7887757 Sjt. L. L. Robinson, 12-L.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals;...
Hammer Price: £5,800
The Second World War “behind enemy lines” D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Major A. Greville-Bell, Special Air Service, who, having broken two ribs after a heavy parachute landing in Italy, led his S.A.S. railway sabotage team with great success over the next 73 days, prior to completing a 250 mile trek back to Allied lines: throughout, his priority concern was for the welfare of his men, one S.A.S. Corporal later observing that “The great thing about Major Tony is he doesn’t get you...
The Second World War S.A.S. operations D.C.M., M.M. group of eleven awarded to Squadron Sergeant-Major A. R. “Reg” Seekings, a founder member of ‘L’ Detachment, Special Air Service, and one of the great “names” to emerge from the ranks of that elite corps in the desert war and beyond: a useful boxer, he did not suffer fools gladly and always spoke his mind Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (5933155 L. Sjt. A. R. Seekings, Camb. R.); Military Medal, G.VI.R. (5933155 Sjt. A....
Hammer Price: £60,000
The civil O.B.E., Second World War Long Range Desert Group operations M.C., D.C.M. group of nine awarded to Major L. H. “Tony” Browne, New Zealand Military Forces, a long served patrol navigator and leader in the L.R.D.G. who was wounded on four occasions - and once bitten by a snake The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1943’; Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (4444...
Hammer Price: £18,000
The Second World War North Africa operations campaign service group of three attributed to Captain The Rev. A. J. Symonds, Royal Army Chaplains’ Department, attached 7th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment, with whom he was taken P.O.W. at Tobruk in June 1942 - the unit’s C.O., Lieutenant-Colonel H. R. B. Foote, was awarded the V.C. on the same occasion 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, all privately engraved, ‘Rev. A. J. Symonds,...
Hammer Price: £1,600
The Second World War Commando operations M.C. and Bar group of six awarded to Major G. G. H. Webb, Royal Artillery, attached No. 4 Commando, one of Lord Lovat’s right hand men who won his first M.C. for the raid on Boulogne in April 1942 and his second for Dieppe, in which latter operation, though wounded, he led a bayonet charge: on reaching a London station to catch a train home that evening, arm in sling, he was recognised from pictures of himself splashed all over the Evening News -...
Hammer Price: £16,000
The Second World War North Africa operations D.C.M., Bruneval raid M.M. group of six awarded to Sergeant G. “Mac the Knife” McKenzie, Black Watch, attached 1st Parachute Battalion, who, having played a prominent part in the capture of the enemy’s secret radar installation at Bruneval, was taken P.O.W. during his unit’s gallant ‘fighting retreat’ from Oudna, Tunisia in late 1942 - he subsequently escaped Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (2748467 Sjt. G. McKenzie, Black...
The Second World War St. Nazaire raid D.C.M. group of six awarded to Troop Sergeant-Major G. E. Haines, East Surrey’s, attached No. 2 Commando, who, prior to being taken P.O.W., set a ‘magnificent example of courage’ in numerous close encounters with the enemy, not least in a suicidal breakout charge under Newman, V.C., across a fireswept bridge at the action’s end - ‘outstanding among them was T.S.M. Haines, who was superb. He alone knocked out several pockets of enemy with...
Hammer Price: £31,000
The Second World War Dieppe raid M.C. group of six awarded to Colonel The Rev. J. P. Browne, Canadian Army Chaplains’ Service: attached to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada as a Medical Orderly, he performed gallant work on “Green Beach” until wounded in the head and leg - “we were so busy that eventually we didn’t hear the noise or notice what was going on ... I found out more about it from reading the papers than being there” Military Cross, G.VI.R. reverse...
The Second World War Dieppe raid M.M. group of five awarded to Corporal J. A. Gregory, South Saskatchewan Regiment, a part-Blackfoot warrior who accounted for several of the enemy in his role as a Battalion sniper - but lost an eye in the final withdrawal when he had no less than four vessels sunk from under him: anything he had seen or experienced in the Great War, when he had been twice wounded, ‘was a picnic compared to his eleven hours under fire at Dieppe’ Military Medal, G.VI.R....
Hammer Price: £4,900
The Second World War Commando operations D.C.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal F. S. Houseman, Royal Army Service Corps, attached No. 2 Commando, a very gallant German-Jew who had earlier served in the “Palestine Brigade” Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (PAL. 1344 L. Cpl. F. S. Houseman, R.A.S.C.), minor official correction to unit, edge bruise, good very fine £3500-4000
Hammer Price: £5,600
The Second World War B.E.F. 1940 operations D.C.M. group of four awarded to Warrant Officer Class 1 W. S. I. Lockie, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders: having won his D.C.M. for the 7th Battalion’s gallant last stand at Franleu in June 1940, when he was wounded and taken P.O.W., he went on to add a “mention” to his accolades for his services while held in captivity Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (2966886 W.O. Cl. I W. S. I. Lockie, A. & S.H.); 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45,...
Hammer Price: £4,400
The Second World War “self-made spy’s” D.C.M. group of four awarded to Battery Quarter-Master Sergeant J. H. O. Brown, Royal Artillery, who, as a P.O.W., fooled the Germans into believing he was a staunch supporter of the “British Free Corps”, thereby obtaining freedom of movement in Berlin and elsewhere - in point of fact he had established contact with British Military Intelligence and, at the risk of discovery by the Gestapo, regularly sent back important information to London:...
Hammer Price: £5,200
The Second World War escaper’s D.C.M. group of four awarded to Fusilier J. Purvis, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers: having been taken P.O.W. back in June 1940, he made it to Switzerland on his third escape attempt in April 1943, but the arrangements for his subsequent journey through France to the Spanish border broke down and he was compelled to join the Maquis - and ‘took part in four battles against the Germans in the area of South-West Toulouse’ before finally reaching the advancing...
Hammer Price: £5,000
The Second World War “behind enemy lines” D.C.M. group of six awarded to Corporal J. Almond, Durham Light Infantry, who, having been taken P.O.W. at Cos in November 1943, jumped from a train destined for Germany and fought with a British Military Mission and the Partisans in occupied Greece - ‘on one occasion, he had to escort arms and explosives through enemy held territory; to do this he wore civilian clothes and ran great personal risk’ Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R....
The civil M.B.E., Second World War Chindit operations M.C. group of eight awarded to Captain H. C. Marshall, Border Regiment: during the course of prolonged operations behind enemy lines, his platoon once accounted for 25 of the enemy in a 48-hour period The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; Military Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated ‘1944’; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals; Efficiency...
Hammer Price: £7,200
The North West Frontier 1940 operations and Arakan 1944 operations M.C. and Bar group of six awarded to Major F. W. M. Quigley, Indian Army: the recommendation for his second M.C. was originally for a D.S.O. - and describes how he stood atop an enemy position amidst a ‘shower of grenades and bullets’ Military Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1940’ and the reverse of the Bar ‘1944’; India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North...
The Second World War Burma operations M.C. group of six awarded to Subadar Damarsing Pun, 4th P.W.O. Gurkha Rifles: his reserve platoon mounted the ‘fierce khukri and bayonet charge’ that led to the capture of “Mandalay Hill” Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1946’; India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1937-39 (3115 Hav. Damar Sing Pun, 1-4 G.R.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; India Service Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf,...
Hammer Price: £2,800
The Second World War M.M. group of five awarded to Signalman F. A. Wagstaff, Royal Signals, who spent over three years hard at work with Chinese Guerillas behind enemy lines in the Malayan jungle - much to the detriment of the Japanese but at great cost to his personal health: other than rice, his diet on occasion included dog, wild cat, monkey, python, frog and even rat Military Medal, G.VI.R. (2330891 Sglmn. F. A. Wagstaff, R. Sigs.); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals,...
Hammer Price: £2,900
The Second World War Arakan operations M.M. group of five awarded to Private J. T. Coker, Royal West Kent Regiment, attached No. 1 Commando, for what has been described as ‘one of the bloodiest engagements of the entire Burma War’: the recommendation for his M.M. contains remarkable similarities to that for the V.C. awarded to Lieutenant G. A. Knowland, also of No. 1 Commando, for the same action - the only major difference is that Coker somehow survived Military Medal, G.VI.R....
The Second World War Far East prisoner of war’s B.E.M. group of four awarded to Private A. E. Pitman, Royal Army Medical Corps, who gallantly nursed his ailing comrades ‘in the most indescribably filthy conditions’ during a cholera epidemic of 1943 British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 2nd issue (7263512 Pte. Arthur E. Pitman, R.A.M.C.); 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, very fine and better (4) £600-800
Hammer Price: £600
The Second World War North-West Europe operations M.I.D. and Silver Star group of five attributed to Captain D. N. Steward, Highland Light Infantry 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; U.S.A. Silver Star, the reverse engraved, ‘Derrick N. Steward’, good very fine (5) £250-300
Hammer Price: £750
The Second World War North-West Europe operations posthumous M.I.D. group of six awarded to Major C. M. Ogden-Smith, Royal Artillery (H.A.C.), attached Commandos and Special Air Service, who was killed in action in France in July 1944 while serving in an S.A.S. Jedburgh team 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Territorial Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., the reverse dated ‘1950’, good very fine and better (6) £600-800
Hammer Price: £900
The Second World War North-West Europe operations Bronze Star, Croix de Geurre and Orange-Nassau group of ten awarded to Major H. D. Wilson, Canadian Army - decorated by the Americans and the French for his gallant part in taking the surrender of a 500-strong German garrison, he was also honoured by the Dutch, possibly in respect of him having liberated Esterwegen concentration camp, a sub-camp of Neuengamme 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal 1939-45, silver; Canadian...
Hammer Price: £2,700
Clicking the 'CONFIRM DELETE LIST' button below will delete this list and the lots contained within it.
This is non-reversible!
Create new list
Share This Page