REVIEW: ORDERS, DECORATIONS, MEDALS & MILITARIA 24 MAY

As hoped for, the important and rare Naval Gold Medal of The Honourable Thomas Pakenham – among the first ever awarded – triumphed in this sale at a hammer price of £65,000.

Among a field of exceptional pieces on offer, the almost legendary life of this brave and daring naval officer, the fourth son of the Irish peer Thomas, 1st Lord Longford, echoed down the years from its 18th century roots, as detailed in a previous newsletter and the thorough catalogue entry.

Other highlights of the sale included The Yangtze Incident Naval General Service Medal awarded to one of the chief architects of its successful resolution, Able Seaman Eric Noble Saunders, who was just 21 years old when he found himself in desperate straits among the crew of the frigate HMS Amethyst in April 1949.

Along with his shipmates, Saunders’ ingenuity and fortitude eventually carried the day, making this medal of particular interest to historians, with a story remarkable and thrilling enough to warrant being memorialised on film, as the 1957 movie starring Richard Todd attests.

With an estimate of £2,800-3,200, Saunders’ medal rose to a bid of £8,500.

Peninsula war medals continue strongly at auction. Here the Army Gold Medal awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel James Hugonin, 4th Dragoons, took £20,000.

A distinguished cavalry officer, he led the 4th’s left squadron in Le Marchant’s brilliant charge of the Heavy Brigade at Salamanca, by far the most important British cavalry action of the Peninsula war, as it broke three regiments of French infantry and won the day.

Hugonin also commanded his regiment at the battle of Toulouse, for which this medal was awarded, and was the youngest of three generations of Hugonins who successively became the Commanding Officer of the 4th Dragoons.