The Fine Collection of Medals to 'Old Contemptibles' formed by Major Bob Keay

Six: Staff Sergeant (Acting Sergeant Major) G. J. Rendall, 10th Battalion (Intelligence Police) Royal Fusiliers, formerly Royal Field Artillery, who was wounded during the Defence of Ladysmith and served during the Great War with the so called ‘Hush-Hush Brigade’

India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (79081 Corpl., 10th Fd. By., R.A.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, South Africa 1901 (79706 Gunr., 21st Bty., R.F.A.); 1914 Star, with clasp (R-F-15330 S. Sjt. (A.S. Mjr.), R. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (GS-15330 S. Sjt., R. Fus.); Metropolitan Police Coronation 1911 (P.S.G. Rendall) generally very fine and better (6) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Fine Collection of Medals to 'Old Contemptibles' formed by Major Bob Keay.

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George J. Rendall was wounded on 6 January 1900 during the Defence of Ladysmith, whilst serving with the 21st Battery, Royal Field Artillery.

Beginning in August 1914 and continuing throughout the Great War, numbers of Metropolitan and provincial police officers, usually bilingual and often from Special Branch, enlisted into the Army for service in the Intelligence Corps. The identity of these men was treated with great secrecy and they became known to their police colleagues as the ‘Hush-Hush Brigade’, their names only ever being made public if they were either killed or decorated. These Intelligence entrants were posted (but only on paper) to the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and this was always the regiment shown on their medals. (An article entitled The ‘Hush-Hush Brigade’, by Robert W. Gould, MBE was published in the OMRS Journal, Volume 32, No. 2).