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Pair WWI era trench art bookends. Brass construction each mounted on a bakelite chamfered base. Date and other details have been polished off the base of the shells. Each W 12.5cm, D 7.5cm, H 8cm.

Britains set 2064 155mm Gun Military Equiptment, military green finish, with two trail spades, shell case, missing shells, very good original condition, with original corrugated card box circa 1961, in fair to good condition.

Britains set 2064 155mm Gun military green finish, missing trail spades, with shell case & shell shells, very good original condition, with original corrugated card box circa 1961, Britains 9720 B.A.T Gun, box poor, plus Japanese Tinplate Thunderbolt cap firing tank, box poor, Clifford Series plastic battery operated Rolls Royce, Lone star siege gun, Benbros Searchlight lorry missing searchlight . (6 items)

Britains guns, boxed 2064 American 155mm gun with shell case, loader and four shells, (very good to excellent condition, box fair some wear and surface loss), boxed 9730 4.7’ Naval gun, five unboxed 4.7’ Naval guns and two Field guns, (generally good condition), (9). Please Note: We do not offer In house shipping for Toy Soldiers please see shipping information.

A mixed lot to include a snow lantern, various ceramics and china, teapots, jugs, coins, scales, shells, a suitcase containing late 20th Century bags and various other itemsLocation: A1MIf there is no condition report, please request.

A box of assorted shells and minerals including conch shells, agates and cowrie shells

Three boxes of cowrie shells, souvenir napkin rings, metalware, Caithness glass atomiser and First Day Covers relating to Concorde's first flight

A pair of silver sauce boats, of the same design, with smooth and round bodies, roped rims and each with three hoofed feet, joined to the bodies with embossed shells. Made by Jay, Richard Attenborough Co. Ltd. in London 1936. In total 10.6 Troy oz

Chrome ice buckets, acrylic blocks, mother of pearl opera glasses, shells etc Condition Report:No condition report available.

A rare Second War armed merchant cruiser operations D.S.M. group of eleven awarded to Leading Seaman L. R. V. White, Royal Fleet Reserve, late Mercantile Marine and Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant deeds in the famous South Atlantic clash between the Carnarvon Castle and enemy raider Thor. He was subsequently Mentioned in Despatches for his bravery when L.S.T. 422 was lost in a mine-field during a violent storm off Anzio on 26 January 1944 with the loss of over 450 lives Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (P.J. 49705 L. R. V. White, L./S., H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle); British War Medal 1914-20 (J. 49705 L. R. V. White, A.B., R.N.); Mercantile Marine War Medal 1914-18 (Leonard R. V. White); Victory Medal 1914-19 (J. 49705 L. R. V. White, A.B., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Fleet Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, coinage bust (J. 49705 (PO. B. 17439) L. R. V. White, L.S., R.F.R.) minor official corrections to naming on the first and last, the three Great War awards with edge bruising and polished, thus fine, the remainder good very fine and better (11) £1,800-£2,200 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Strong Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, May 2011. D.S.M. London Gazette 6 June 1941: ‘For great courage and devotion to duty in action against an armed merchant raider.’ The original recommendation states: ‘On the occasion of the action between H.M.S. Carnarvon Castle and a German armed raider on 5 December 1940, with all lights out, owing to the circuits being cut by a shell, and a hit just over the magazine causing a fire, he carried out his duty with the utmost courage, in the most trying conditions.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 1 August 1944. The original commendation from the Commander-in-Chief states: ‘It has been brought to my notice that on 26 January 1944, when L.S.T. 422 was lost by enemy action, the officers and ratings named above displayed great courage and devotion to duty in remaining aboard their ship, endeavouring to save her although she was heavily on fire and known to be carrying petrol and ammunition. The officers and ratings concerned are to be commended on their behaviour which was in accordance with the highest traditions of the Service.’ Leonard Richard Vincent White was born in Southampton, Hampshire in February 1900 and entered the Mercantile Marine as boy seaman in 1915, in which year he served in the Essequibo, Soudan and Walmer Castle. Transferring to the Royal Navy in February 1916, he served as a Boy 1st Class in H.M.S. Patia from May 1917 until January 1918, and, with the exception of three months ashore in early 1918, as an Able Seaman in H.M. Yacht Vanessa until the end of hostilities, his service record noting that he shared in the prize bounty for the destruction of a U-Boat - most probably the U-107 which fell victim to a depth-charge attack delivered by the Vanessa off the Yorkshire coast on 27 July 1918, confirmation of her “kill” including the headless body of a German sailor. Transferring to the Royal Fleet Reserve as a Leading Seaman in February 1930, White was awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in April 1933 and mobilised in his old rate on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, when he joined the armed merchant cruiser Carnarvon Castle, in which capacity he was still serving at the time of her famous clash with the German raider Thor in the South Atlantic on 5 December 1940. Kenneth Poolman’s Armed Merchant Cruisers takes up the story: ‘Twenty minutes after the first shots had been fired the range was down to 14,000 yards, which gave Carnarvon Castle’s old guns a chance. Soon both ships were within range of each other. The German turned to port. Carnarvon Castle’s electrical fire control communications were badly shot up, making salvo firing difficult, but her gunners thought they had made hits on the enemy’s stern. The raider turned to starboard, made smoke and retired behind it, then reappeared again and opened fire with her starboard battery in four-gun salvos. At 8.38 p.m. Carnarvon Castle was rapidly closing the range when two torpedoes were sighted from the bridge, their white tracks on slightly diverging courses. Hardy turned the big A.M.C. under full helm to starboard and steered between them, and they passed harmlessly fifty yards away on either beam. Four minutes later the range was down to 8,000 yards. Thor, with the British shells going over her, turned right round to bring her port battery to bear once more, and hit Carnarvon Castle’s upperworks repeatedly, setting her on fire in several places. At ten minutes past nine Hardy decided to open the range and get the fires under control behind a smoke screen. All his fire control circuits were disabled and his guns in individual control. The haze had increased, and the enemy was continually turning smoke on and off, making spotting through the splashes of her shots very difficult and hitting a matter of luck, but from Carnarvon Castle they saw a shell burst under the enemy’s bridge at the extreme range of 14,000 yards. After that the A.M.Cs shells were falling short, while the German 5.9s were pitching round her. The raider continued firing until the range had opened to 18,000 yards. Hardy altered course to try and keep in touch, but the enemy disappeared behind his smokescreen and the ever increasing haze, steaming at 18 knots towards the north-east. Thor’s old guns were giving trouble with leaking recoil cylinders and barrels that would not train properly, but the Carnarvon Castle was in a far worse condition. It was 11.15 before she had put out all her fires. In view of her extensive damage Captain Hardy decided to steer for Montevideo. Commodore Pegram, who had succeeded Harwood in command of the South American Divison at the end of August, met Carnarvon Castle on 6 December in the cruiser Enterprise, inspected her damage and ordered her into Montevideo for repair, then sent Enterprise north to look for her opponent, but the raider had disappeared. Carnarvon Castle buried her six dead and reached Montevideo at 7 p.m. on 7 December with her sick bay full of wounded. Asturias returned to the South American Division once more, as her relief. The ship was too badly damaged to go into action again immediately, though there was no immediate need to dock her. The Uruguayan authorities granted her seventy-two hours to make immediate essential repairs. In contrast to the cold reception given to the Graf Spee a year previously when she had sought refuge from Admiral Harwood’s squadron, local repair firms were eager to offer their services to the British A.M.C., and some of the plates cut from the pocket battleship’s scuttled hulk out in the estuary were actually used to patch up Carnarvon Castle’s shell holes. With temporary repairs completed, Carnarvon Castle left for Table Bay, Cape Town. She was saluted by a special guard of honour as she passed through the harbour entrance.’ White, whose actions prevented the magazine blowing-up, was awarded the D.S.M., one of five ratings from Carnarvon Castle to be gazetted for the same distinction in June 1941, and he received his decoration at a Buckingham Palace investiture in April 1942, taking with him his wife and son to Buckingham Palace. As he late wrote: ‘It was shortly before that my wife lost all her family in an air raid.’ Departing the armed merchant cruiser in the following month, he served at the gunnery establishment Vernon and the Greenock base Orlando...

Glass Bottle Containing Soundings from the H.M.S. Challenger Expedition, 1876,Glass Bottle, hand blown with pontil mark with label that reads 'Washigs of Soundings No.337 Date 9.March.1876 Lat37 47 5 Long 30 20 W Depth 1715 fthm', bottle with original contents.Provenance originally from a collection of microscope preparation equipment belonging to Charles ElcockCharles Elcock (1834-1910) was a well known figure in the world of microscopy, particularly known for his expertise in creating microscope slides featuring foraminifera, a group of amoeboid protists characterized by their intricate shell structures. Born in Pontefract, Yorkshire, England, on August 18, 1834, Elcock was the second son of Charles and Mary Ann Elcock. The Elcock family were Quakers, a religious background that profoundly influenced Charles throughout his life, as reflected in his writings and humanitarian efforts during the Franco-Prussian War. Elcock's early career was varied, encompassing teaching and publishing, but it was his later work in microscopy for which he is remembered.Early Life and Career.Elcock's early years were marked by a strong education and a diverse set of experiences. After the death of his father in 1837, his mother took up teaching to support the family. Elcock attended the Friends' School at Rawdon, which was a formative experience given the Quaker values emphasized there. His early professional life included roles as a teacher and printer, and he maintained a close association with the Quaker community throughout. By the 1860s, Elcock was involved in publishing religious texts, which eventually led to his work in London and Gloucester, where he likely developed his interest in microscopy through his connection with Alfred William Bennett, a prominent member of the Royal Microscopical Society.Microscopy and Foraminifera.Charles Elcock's most significant contribution to science was his work with microscopy, particularly in mounting foraminifera on microscope slides. Foraminifera are microscopic marine organisms that produce a shell, often referred to as a "test," which can be quite intricate and beautiful. Elcock's slides were celebrated not just for their scientific utility but also for their aesthetic appeal. His work involved arranging these tiny shells meticulously on slides, often organizing them by species and orientation, which made his slides valuable for both scientific study and as objects of beauty.Elcock's expertise in preparing these slides was widely recognized. He became a member of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club shortly after moving to Ireland, where his skills in mounting foraminifera were lauded. In 1879, his work won a prize from the club for its artistic skill and superior finish. His techniques and methods were innovative, and he shared his knowledge through articles, most notably in the Journal of the Postal Microscopical Society, where he also advertised his slides.Legacy and Impact.Elcock's slides were distributed through well-known retailers in London, Manchester, and Bath, and they were highly regarded by contemporary scientists and hobbyists alike. Reviews of his work praised the meticulous attention to detail and the scientific value of the slides. His contributions to microscopy, particularly in the study of foraminifera, have left a lasting legacy in the field. While much of his life was also dedicated to religious writing and humanitarian efforts, it is his work in microscopy that has cemented his place in the history of science. A large part of his original equipment and the slides he produced is held at the Whipple Museum of Science in Cambridge: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/microscopes/foraminifera-slides-and-working-tools-microscope-slide-makerChallenger Expedition: Revolutionizing Oceanography through Deep-Sea SoundingsThe Challenger Expedition (1872-1876), a pioneering oceanographic endeavor, marked a turning point in our understanding of marine sciences. This British voyage, named after the HMS Challenger, was the first dedicated scientific exploration to systematically study ocean basins, marine life, and geology. Among its most critical contributions were the extensive soundings, temperature recordings, and water samples taken during the expedition, which have had a lasting impact on oceanography.Deep-sea soundings, the process of measuring the depth of the ocean, were among the most revolutionary aspects of the Challenger Expedition. Utilizing newly developed sounding equipment, the expedition made nearly 500 soundings across the world’s oceans. These measurements were pivotal, not only in mapping the seabed but also in discovering the global patterns of oceanic trenches, underwater mountains, and plains.Prior to the Challenger Expedition, the depths of the oceans were largely unknown. The sounding techniques employed involved lowering weighted lines, known as sounding lines, into the ocean until they reached the seabed. The depths recorded by Challenger revealed for the first time the complex topography of the ocean floor. One of the most significant findings was the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, recorded as the deepest part of the world's oceans.The data collected on these soundings provided foundational knowledge that spurred further scientific inquiry. For instance, the temperature profiles of ocean waters at different depths, also recorded during these soundings, helped scientists to begin understanding thermocline and its role in oceanic circulation patterns.The implications of these findings were vast. They challenged previous notions of a lifeless deep sea by providing evidence of life at all depths, and the samples of sediment helped develop the fields of marine geology and paleontology. This wealth of data collected by the Challenger laid the groundwork for modern oceanography and prompted the establishment of permanent oceanographic institutions.The Challenger Expedition was instrumental in transforming oceanography from a field cluttered with myths and speculations to a serious scientific discipline. Its soundings opened up new realms in the understanding of oceanic depths and laid down the benchmarks for future explorations, forever altering our relationship with the oceans. The expedition not only charted unknown waters but also set the course for future marine scientific endeavors, proving its legacy in the history of science.

Collection of Penguin Natural History Booksincluding Spiders, Seashore Life and Pattern, Flowers of Marsh and Stream, Edible Fungi, Semi-Precious Stones, Poisonous Fungi, British Butterflies, Flowers of the Meadow, Wild Flowers of the Chalk, Garden Birds, Flowers of the Woods, British Shells, Mosses, British Reptiles and AmphibiaVarious conditions, most bumped to corners, some with splits to spine

Follower of Jan Davidsz. de Heem,  Dutch 1606-1683- Still life with cherries, grapes, peaches and other fruit on a wooden table; oil on canvas, 37.1 x 81.5 cm. Provenance:  Private Collection, UK / Kenya (by descent). Note:  De Heem was one of the greatest painters of still lifes in the Netherlands, combining a brilliance and harmony of colour along with an accurate rendering of objects: flowers, in all their variety; European and tropical fruits; lobsters and oysters; butterflies and moths; stone and metal; snails and sea shells. The present work, finely executed and brilliantly rendered, is very much evocative of de Heem's sumptuous compositions. 

A box of miscellaneous including sea shells, brass turtle & magnifying glass etc.

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) officially engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted for wearing, good very fine and better (4) £7,000-£9,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2006. D.S.M. London Gazette 17 December 1946: ‘A member of the 4-inch gun crew, who fought with courage and effect in the last action of H.M.S. Li Wo.’ Albert Spendlove was one of two crew members to receive the D.S.M. for this extraordinary action. His captain, Temporary Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson, R.N.R., was awarded a posthumous V.C., while Temporary Sub-Lieutenant R. G. G. Stanton, R.N.R., received the D.S.O., Acting Petty Officer A. W. Thompson the C.G.M., and six others “mentions”, three of them posthumously. No better summary of the action may be quoted than the citation for the V.C. to Wilkinson, which headed the awards to the crew of the Li Wo announced in the London Gazette of 17 December 1946: ‘On 14 February 1942, H.M.S. Li Wo, a patrol vessel of 1,000 tons, formerly a passenger steamer on the Upper Yangtse River, was on passage from Singapore to Batavia. Her ship’s company consisted of eighty-four officers and men, including one civilian; they were mainly survivors from His Majesty’s Ships which had been sunk, and a few from units of the Army and Royal Air Force. Her armament was one 4-inch gun, for which she had only thirteen practise shells, and two machine-guns. Since leaving Singapore the previous day, the ship had beaten off four air attacks, in one of which fifty-two machines took part, and had suffered considerable damage. Late in the afternoon, she sighted two enemy convoys, the larger of which was escorted by Japanese naval units, including a heavy cruiser and some destroyers. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant T. Wilkinson, R.N.R., gathered his scratch ship’s company together and told them that, rather than try to escape, he had decided to fight to the last, in the hope that he might inflict damage upon the enemy. In making this decision, which drew resolute support from the whole ship’s company, Lieutenant Wilkinson knew that his ship faced certain destruction, and that his own chances of survival were small. H.M.S. Li Wo hoisted her battle ensign and made straight for the enemy. In the action which followed, the machine-guns were used with effect upon the crews of all ships in range, and a volunteer gun’s crew manned the 4-inch gun, which they fought with such purpose that a Japanese transport was badly hit and set on fire. After a little over an hour, H.M.S. Li Wo had been critically damaged and was sinking. Lieutenant Wilkinson then decided to ram his principal target, the large transport, which had been abandoned by her crew. It is known that this ship burnt fiercely throughout the night following the action, and was probably sunk. H.M.S. Li Wo’s gallant fight ended when, her shells spent, and under heavy fire from the enemy cruiser, Lieutenant Wilkinson finally ordered abandon ship. He himself remained on board, and went down with her. There were only about ten survivors, who were later made prisoners of war. Lieutenant Wilkinson’s valour was equalled only by the skill with which he fought his ship. The Victoria Cross is bestowed upon him posthumously in recognition both of his own heroism and self-sacrifice, and of all who fought and died with him.’ A closer picture of the activities of the 4-inch gun crew in which Spendlove served may be found in an account of the action by Acting Petty Officer A. W. Thompson, who, as related above, was awarded the C.G.M.: ‘During the afternoon of Saturday 14 February, we sighted a Japanese convoy on the horizon, escorted by cruisers. The captain decided to attack. He sent for me, and explained the situation, which was serious. I volunteered to take charge of the 4-inch gun and as the cruisers were out of range I opened fire on the leading ship in the convoy. There were approximately 15 ships in the convoy, of various tonnages, the ship in the lead being about 2,500 tons. I scored a hit on this ship with my second shot. The merchant ships retaliated, causing a great many casualties. Meanwhile, the cruisers were manoeuvring for position to open fire. By this time the merchant ships were in the line of fire of their warships. I scored a second hit just above the waterline and flames poured out. We were now closing the leading ship rapidly, and I scored a direct hit on the Bridge superstructure, blowing most of it away. This caused great panic among the Japanese on board and many of them started to abandon ship. By this time the merchant ship was well on fire, and we went full speed astern to get clear. Unfortunately as we did so another salvo from a warship hit us, setting the cordite round the gun on fire. The captain gave the orders to abandon ship ... ’ Worse was to follow in the water. Thompson continues: ‘The Japanese destroyers circled at high speed through the wreckage, machine-guns and rifles firing at any survivor they could see. They threw hand grenades and even lumps of coal in their rage at seeing one of their transports sunk with such impudence. There were only eight of us, all wounded, left alive by the time they left the area, and we found a swamped lifeboat to hang onto. Some hours later two of these died ... ’ These gallant few eventually reached Banka Island, where they were captured: ‘We didn’t know it then, but that was the beginning of three and a half years of abject slavery, starvation and brutality far beyond the ken of the ordinary western civilised mind.’ Sold with comprehensive copied research.

The rare Great War D.S.M. group of five awarded to Stoker Petty Officer A. Britton, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry in H.M.S. Laurel at the battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, his actions subsequently featuring in Deeds That Thrill the Empire Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (289893 A. Britton, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Laurel); 1914-15 Star (289893 A. Britton D.S.M., S.P.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (289893 A. Britton. S.P.O., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (289893 Alfred Britton, Sto. P.O., H.M.S. Hecla:) mounted as worn, nearly very fine (5) £2,400-£2,800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2002. One of 23 D.S.M.s for the battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, the only D.S.M.s to be gazetted in 1914. D.S.M. London Gazette 23 October 1914. The recommendation states: ‘George H. Sturdy, Chief Stoker, and Alfred Britton, Stoker Petty Officer, both of H.M.S. Laurel, who both showed great coolness in putting out a fire near the centre gun after an explosion had occurred there; several lyddite shells were lying in the immediate vicinity.’ Alfred Britton was born at Stanstead, Suffolk on 23 November 1879, and joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class in September 1898. Having then been advanced to Stoker Petty Officer in December 1908 and awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal in September 1913, he joined the destroyer H.M.S. Laurel in April 1914 and remained likewise employed for the duration of the Great War. Of events in the Heligoland Bight on 28 August 1914, Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘When the action was at its hottest, the Laurel, Liberty, Lysander and Laertes found themselves suddenly in action against three of the enemy’s cruisers and a number of destroyers. In the early stages of the action Laurel and Liberty, which had been sent in advance of the light cruisers, were both exposed for some time to an attack of overwhelming strength. The Laurel, under Commander Frank Rose, found herself in action, and almost unsupported, against two German cruisers and a number of destroyers, whose efficiency had not yet been affected by meeting ships that could reply to them on equal terms, and she suffered severely. The first shell that struck her went into the engine room, killing and wounding a number of men. Next, her forward gun was struck, and put out of action, while the troubles of the engineers’ department were soon after increased by a shot which demolished the after funnel and started a fire which threatened the destruction of the ship. In close action the fore bridge is always the main object of attack; and so it was in this case. Commander Rose was struck in the left leg by a shell splinter early in the action; but he refused to leave his post of danger. His wound was hastily bandaged; and when, some time later, he was struck in the other leg, he still declined to be taken below, although, since he could no longer stand, he was compelled to hand over the command of his ship to Lieutenant Charles Peploe. By the time assistance arrived the Laurel was almost as done as any warship could be - and it was, quite likely, a German shell that saved her. She lay, almost helpless, an easy target for the enemy, when a shot struck her amidships; and, whether it set her oil fuel smouldering, or whether it was a particularly damaging sort of shell that did not quite “come off,” it enveloped her in a thick cloud of black smoke. Before it cleared away to disclose the target more distinctly to the enemy, our cruisers had arrived, and the Laurel was saved.’ Britton was finally demobilised in October 1920. Sold with copied record of service and other research.

The rare Baltic 1855 operations C.B. group of four awarded to Colonel J. M. Wemyss, Royal Marine Artillery, whose innovative command of the R.M.A’s mortars at the bombardment of Sveaborg achieved spectacular results: ‘In the thirty daylight hours, during which the bombardment continued, the guns and mortars discharged on either side averaged between 20 or 30 a minute, which will convey some idea of the furious nature of the engagement’ The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1843, with narrow gold swivel-bar suspension and ribbon buckle; Naval General Service 1793-1840, 1 clasp, Syria (John M. Wemyss, Lieut. R.M.A.); Baltic 1854-55, unnamed as issued; St. Jean d’Acre 1840, silver, unnamed as issued, fitted with straight-bar suspension and plain faced clasp, the first with slightly chipped central wreaths, one or two edge bruises and minor contact wear, otherwise generally good very fine (4) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2005. C.B. London Gazette 2 January 1856. John Maurice Wemyss was appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Artillery in December 1837. He subsequently distinguished himself in the Syria operations of 1840, being mentioned in the despatch of Captain Austin, R.N. of H.M.S. Cyclops. In his own words, taken from his statement of services, Wemyss describes his part in the campaign thus: ‘On 10 September 1840, I landed with the Anglo-Turkish force at D’Jouni Bay on the coast of Syria and remained nine days in the field citadel constructed there. On the 19 September 1840, I re-embarked in the Cyclops, which vessel was much employed in distributing arms, stopping convoys and firing on the enemy whenever they appeared on the coast. On 26 September 1840, I landed with the Turkish force under the orders of Captain Austin, commanding H.M.S. Cyclops, for the purpose of carrying by assault the town of Sidon, and on this occasion was favourably spoken of by that officer for having turned one of the enemy’s guns (mounted in an outwork) on the Egyptian soldiers defending the town, thereby facilitating the disembarkation of the Turkish troops. This piece of service is adverted to in my certificate from the Cyclops. During the remainder of my time in the Cyclops, I served in various ports of the Mediterranean, chiefly at Alexandria, with a sketch of the defences of which I furnished Captain Austin for the information of their Lordships.’ Advanced to 1st Lieutenant in October 1841, and to Captain in October 1851, Wemyss spent most of the intervening period as a Gunnery Examining Officer back in the U.K., but in 1855 he arrived in the Baltic aboard the Orion, and, as the C.O. of the R.M.A’s mortar detachments at the bombardment of Sveaborg on 9 August 1855, distinguished himself sufficiently to be given the Brevet of Major and awarded the C.B., the latter a rare distinction indeed for a Captain of Marines. Of this fact Wemyss’ senior stated: ‘This is the first instance in the Naval service of the C.B. being given for service as a Captain of Marines, but in his case most justly given, as he had an important command and by his throwing away old ideas and pouring in more rapid mortar fire in the first hours than ever had been thought of before, he greatly contributed to the success, as we got up rapidly such a body of fire that it could not be put out.’ While in his Sveaborg despatch, Admiral R. S. Dundas, C.B., noted: ‘The direction of this service (mortar boats) was confided to Captain J. M. Wemyss of the Royal Marine Artillery, assisted by Captain Lawrence, and Captain Schomberg, and every exertion was used by these officers to press the fire of the mortars to the fullest extent, which could be deemed proper. My especial thanks are due to the Officers and men of the Royal Marine Artillery for the manner in which their important duties have been performed. The cool and steady manner with which they continued to conduct the duties of their staticas deserves the highest praise, and I have much pleasure in calling their Lordships attention to the services of Captain Wemyss, as well as those of Captains Lawrence and Schomberg of that distinguished Corps.’ An indication of the rate of fire of the R.M.A. detachments may be gleaned from the simple statistic that the 15 British mortar vessels expended 3100 shells (equivalent to 1000 tons of iron), hot work that resulted in three of the mortars bursting. Wemyss later wrote: ‘If it is unpleasant to stand over a bursting shell, how much more so was it to have to serve a mortar which is likely to burst the next round. I think our men in the Baltic behaved splendidly in making no difficulty when three mortars had burst and the remainder were so unsound ... I had in the Baltic not only to organize a new service with a long forgotten weapon, and answer for its effects in action being destructive at a great distance, but also I had to depart from the old custom of firing slow.’ Finally, for the purposes of illustrating the devastating effect the R.M.A’s mortars had upon the enemy, the following eye-witness observations are not without interest: ‘By 7 o’clock all was ready for the opening of the bombardment, and at 7.30 Captain Wemyss gave the signal by firing a shell from the Pickle. As every mortar was loaded, the response was immediate and terrific. With a simultaneous roar about five and twenty huge shells sped away, and mounting up, until over Vargon and Gustafsvard, thundered straight down upon them with destructive effect. Of the opening salvo, one or two exploded short or went over among the shipping in the harbour, but the majority crashed down where intended, right over the magazines, and, on bursting, threw up columns of white smoke, mingled with dark earth and rubbish. At the same moment as the mortars, the gunboats also opened a very heavy fire on the forts of shot and shell from their 68-pounders. The Russian reply was immediate and appalling; as if by magic the smoke of heavy guns issued from every nook and post, high and low, all over the islands, from hundreds of cannon and mortars; a perfect storm of shot, hot and cold, and shell at all angles of cross fire, came towards us, hissing, splashing, ricocheting in every direction. If that awful shower of missiles had reached us with effect, we should, indeed, have been in a bad way! Fortunately, it did us no practical harm, but some of the gunboats had narrow escapes ... Shortly after 9 o’clock it was becoming very evident our shell fire was having a terrible effect, especially on Vargon, from which, as the barracks, stores, and various buildings caught fire in detail, dense columns of smoke began to arise. The magazines also were becoming denuded of the earth masses atop through the explosion of our embedded shells. Altogether the fire was constant and relentless; while the Russian’s was fitful and almost ineffective. At 10.30 our shells reached a magazine, and a prodigious cloud of white smoke arose over Vargon; from which emerged dark masses of stones, guns, and even men’s bodies. It was followed by a noise like thunder, and a heavy concussion as of an earthquake. When the smoke cleared away, one of the great forts was disclosed a ruin, at which our men manned the rigging and cheered. The tremendous nature of the explosion so frightened the sightseers, especially the ladies at Helsingfors, that they scuttled off in every direction ... great shouts and commotion overhead caused a simultaneous rush on ...

The impressive ‘Flag Officer Royal Yachts’ G.C.V.O., Great War C.B. group of thirteen to Admiral Sir Henry Buller, Royal Navy, who commanded H.M.S. Highflyer in her epic engagement with the German cruiser Kaisar Wilhelm der Grosse off Rio de Oro in August 1914, an action extensively portrayed the pages of ‘Deeds That Thrill The Empire’ The Royal Victorian Order, G.C.V.O., Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels and breast star, silver, with gilt and enamel centre, both officially numbered ‘581’ on reverse, in Collingwood, London numbered case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, in damaged Garrard, London case of issue; 1914-15 Star (Capt. H. T. Buller, M.V.O., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. H. T. Buller. R.N.); Defence Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1953; Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Third Class breast badge by Keibel, gold and enamels, two reverse arms chipped, these last seven mounted court-style as worn; Belgium, Order of the Crown, Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, by Wolravens, Brussels, comprising sash badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver with silver-gilt and enamel centre, in case of issue; Roumania, Order of the Star (Military), Second Class set of insignia, by Resch, Bucharest, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, and breast star, silver, with silver-gilt and enamel centre, in case of issue, unless otherwise described, good very fine and better (14) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, July 2000. G.C.V.O. London Gazette 11 August 1930: For services as Flag Officer Royal Yachts. C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1919: ‘In recognition of services during the War.’ The original recommendation states: ‘Sank Kaiser Wilhelm de Grosse. Extract from letter to Rear-Admiral, Carnarvon: Captain Buller’s action has their Lordship’s complete approval in every respect for the humane and correct manner in which he did his duty.’ Henry Tritton Buller was born in 1873, the son of Admiral Sir Alexander Buller, G.C.B., of Erie Hall, Devon and Belmore House, West Cowes, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in January 1887. Regular seagoing duties aside, his subsequent career appointments also included his services as First Lieutenant of the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert in 1902-04, for which he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne in October 1904 and advanced to Commander, and as Commanding Officer of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth between January 1908 and June 1911. On the Prince of Wales passing out of the college in 1911, Buller was appointed M.V.O. (London Gazette 12 April 1911, refers) and advanced to Captain. His next appointment was Flag Captain Home Fleets at Portsmouth, 1911-12, whence he was appointed to the command of H.M.S. Highflyer, the training ship for special entry cadets. On the day hostilities broke out in 1914, Buller in Highflyer captured to S.S. Tubantia, carrying German reservists and a gold shipment. Three weeks later, he found the German commerce raider Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse, coaling in Spanish territorial waters off the mouth of the Oro River, West Africa. On offering the faster vessel the chance to surrender, Buller received the signal: “Germans never surrender, and you must respect the neutrality of Spain.” But since it was known that the commerce raider had abused Spanish neutrality by using the river mouth as a permanent base for some weeks, Buller gave warning that he would attack in half an hour, allowing time for the colliers to withdraw with such personnel as the German captain felt fit. Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘As soon as the period of grace had elapsed the Highflyer again inquired if the enemy would surrender, and when the answer came, “We have nothing more to say,” the action opened without further parley. The British cruiser let fly with one of her 6-inch guns at a range of just under 10,000 yards; but the shot fell short. The enemy’s guns were smaller - 4.1-inch - but much more modern, and before our shells began to hit the enemy the German projectiles were falling thickly around and upon the Highflyer. One shell went between a man’s legs and burst just behind him, peppering him with splinters. Another struck the bridge just after the captain had left it to go into the conning-tower, and knocked a searchlight overboard. All this time the Highflyer was steaming in so as to get her guns well within range; and when the 100lb shells began to hit they “kept on target” in a manner that spoke well for the training of our gunners. One shot carried away a 4-inch gun on the after-deck of the enemy. Another burst under the quarter-deck and started a fire; a third - perhaps the decisive shot of the action - struck her amidships on the water-line and tore a great rent in her side. From stem to stern the 6-inch shells tore their destructive way, and it was less than half and hour after the fighting began that the “pride of the Atlantic” began to slacken her fire. The water was pouring into the hole amidships, and she slowly began to heel to port. Three boat loads of men were seen to leave her and make for the shore … The Highflyer immediately signalled that if the enemy wished to abandon ship, they would not be interfered with; and as the guns of the Kaiser Wilhelm had by this time ceased to answer our fire, the Highflyer ceased also, and two boats were sent off with surgeons, sick-berth attendants and medical stores, to do what they could for the enemy’s wounded. The ship herself was battered beyond all hope, and presently heeled over and sank in about fifty feet of water. Although Highflyer had been hit about fifteen times her losses amounted to only one man killed and five slightly wounded. The enemy’s loss is unknown, but it is estimated that at least two hundred were killed or wounded, while nearly four hundred of those who had escaped in the colliers were captured a fortnight later in the Hamburg-America liner Bethania … ’ The same source concludes: ‘It was noteworthy as being the first duel of the naval war and as being the first definite step in the process of “clearing the seas.” It is not often the Admiralty evinces any enthusiasm in the achievements of the Fleet, and the following message despatched to the victorious cruiser is therefore all the more remarkable: “Admiralty to Highflyer – Bravo! You have rendered a service not only to Britain, but to the peaceful commerce of the world. The German officers and crew appear to have carried out their duties with humanity and restraint, and are therefore worthy of all seamanlike consideration.” Buller departed Highflyer in May 1916, when he was appointed Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord at the Admiralty, but he returned to sea as Flag Captain in the Barham in April 1918, and as Commanding Officer of the Valiant at the war’s end. A succession of ‘royal appointments’ ensued in the 20s and 30s, commencing with his command of the Malaya during the Duke of Connaught’s visit to India in early 1921. He was appointed C.V.O. (London Gazette 25 March 1921, refers) and advanced to Rear-Admiral. He then served as Officer Commanding H.M.’s Yachts during the period of King George V’s cruise in the Mediterranean, and was appointed K.C.V.O. (London Gazette 22 April 1925, refers). ...

The notable Northern Ireland and South Atlantic campaign group of three awarded to Sergeant (later Lieutenant) I. D. Fisk, Royal Marines, who was mentioned in despatches for gallantry whilst serving as Missile/Gun Director aboard H.M.S. Yarmouth, when during repeated Argentine air attacks ‘his efforts were rewarded by at least two confirmed kills’ General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (P028197B I. D. Fisk L. Cpl RM); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette and M.I.D. oak leaf (Sgt I D Fisk P028197B RM); Royal Navy L.S. &  G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue (Lt I D Fisk RM) mounted as worn, good very fine (3) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, May 2016. M.I.D. London Gazette 8 October 1982. The original recommendation states: 'During the period of the Falklands conflict, Sergeant Fisk served as Missile/Gun Director (Visual) in H.M.S. Yarmouth. In the period prior to hostilities he used considerable initiative to acquire and mount extra close range Anti-Aircraft weapons on the upper deck and trained crews to use them. During hostilities and, in particular, during amphibious operations in San Carlos Water the days following (21 May-2 June), the ship came under numerous air attacks. Throughout these attacks Sergeant Fisk conducted the close range Air defence of the ship from his exposed position on the G.D.P. with exceptional vigour, courage and leadership. His efforts were rewarded by at least two confirmed kills and several other aircraft were damaged or deterred by close range weapons. Throughout long periods of less immediate danger, but often in appalling weather, between late April and late June he sustained the morale and vigilance of his lookouts and weapon crews in their exposed positions. Although no single act of gallantry or leadership can be cited, Sergeant Fisk's stamina, courage and leadership made a major contribution to the effectiveness of the ship over a prolonged period and are worthy of recognition.’ A further endorsement on his recommendation, signed by Admiral J. D. E. Fieldhouse, states: ‘Sergeant Fisk showed outstanding courage, resource and leadership during repeated air attacks. He is recommended for the award of a Mention in Despatches.’ Ian David Fisk joined H.M.S. Yarmouth in August 1981 and had been serving in the Royal Marines for 12 years at the time of being recommended for his “Mention” in June 1982. The Yarmouth was a Type 12 Rothsay Class Frigate and steamed almost 40,000 miles in the period April-July 1982, often in atrocious conditions. She arrived off the Falklands in late April and quickly saw action. When on 4 May Sheffield was hit by an Exocet missile, Arrow and Yarmouth having narrowly been missed by a second missile, went to her aid. While Arrow was fighting the fire, Yarmouth fought off a possible submarine attack. She then joined Arrow alongside Sheffield and fought the fire until the destroyer was abandoned and the survivors taken off. For the next four days of foggy weather Yarmouth remained with the carrier group, before being despatched to take the still floating Sheffield in tow. She went along­ side the stricken ship in the early hours of 9 May and passed a tow. For twenty-nine hours Sheffield, with her White Ensign still flying, was towed much of the time in daylight and within range of enemy aircraft until, as the wind increased to gale force, the towed ship heeled over and, at 7a.m. on 10 May, sank. Yarmouth headed back towards the Task Force. A week of storms followed and Yarmouth, the oldest escort ship in the Tank Force, rode out the weather with no damage despite her twenty-two years. On 19 May, the amphibious landing group arrived, joined the Task Force and headed West to the Falkland Sound. The amphibious landing took place in the early hours of the 21 May in San Carlos Water. Yarmouth’s task was to provide anti-submarine and anti-air Protection. Throughout the bright, sunny day she patrolled in Falkland Sound as enemy Mirage and A4 aircraft attacked both the landing area in San Carlos Water and the ships protecting the landing force. During one such attack in the afternoon, Ardent was hit and set on fire. Shortly afterwards a wave of Skyhawks again attacked Ardent which immediately began to list and to burn more fiercely. Yarmouth went to her aid and took off the ship's company as the fire spread towards the magazines. She then headed for San Carlos Water where she transferred Ardent’s crew to the Canberra before resuming her patrol in the Sound. The next ten days saw Yarmouth in San Carlos Water by day and leaving at dusk each night to carry out a variety of tasks including shore bombardment, anti-submarine patrols, covert operations and escorting merchant ships to and from the landing area. Each morning at dawn she returned to San Carlos Water to provide anti-aircraft protection for the landing ships. This was a particularly testing, time for the two hundred and fifty men onboard as they spent the daylight hours at Action Stations, subject to frequent air attacks, and with little time for sleep at night. Many ships present at that time suffered damage from air attacks and only the concentrated fire of Yarmouth’s 4.5, inch and 20mm. guns, Seacat missile and small arms kept the enemy air­craft at bay. After this testing period, Yarmouth sailed East to the repair area and spent two days with a repair ship where she carried out essential maintenance before rejoining the Task Force. Most nights during the following week 6-13 June the ship was in­volved in bombarding enemy positions to the West of Port Stanley with her 4.5 inch guns. During the conflict she fired well over a thousand rounds, some thirty-two tons of shells. The ship’s machinery performed marvellously as Yarmouth dashed nearly two hundred miles each way to and from the Islands at high speed to carry out the bombardment by night and arrive back with the battle group to replenish fuel and ammunition before heading inshore once more. On one such mission the ship encountered a small coaster packed with Gurkhas and essential supplies, immobilised by a rope around her propeller and prey for enemy aircraft. Yarmouth’s diving team freed her screws, and the vessel was able to proceed to Goose Green. On another night the frigate stood by and provided firefighting and medical aid to the Glamorgan when the destroyer was hit by an Exocet missile fired from shore near Port Stanley. After Port Stanley had been re-taken, Yarmouth was despatched to South Georgia, an island of glaciers and icebergs, and from there to Southern Thule to join Endurance and enforce the surrender of the Argentine contingent there. She later took the prisoners of war from South Georgia to Port Stanley.­ On 7 July, after several more days patrolling with the Battle Group, she began her eight thousand mile voyage home in company with Exeter and Cardiff.  Apart from invincible she was the last of the original Task Force to leave the area.

The outstanding Great War ‘River Tigris’ operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Commander Mark Singleton, Royal Navy, who accomplished the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops; indeed it was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top riband bar; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. M. Singleton. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Commr. M. Singleton. R.N.) contained in an old leather case, good very fine (4) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, September 2016. D.S.O. London Gazette 13 September 1915: ‘For his services during the advance from Qurnah and capture of Amara at the beginning of June 1915. Lieutenant Singleton was in command of the armed launch Shaitan, and displayed great skill and energy in pursuit of the enemy gunboat Mamariss and other craft. He went ahead of the main force through Amara in a gallant manner, and performed the remarkable feat in his small armed tug of bringing to surrender a body of about 11 officers and 250 Turkish troops, whom he had intercepted, and causing a large number to retire, thus largely contributing to the surrender of the town.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 21 January 1916; 5 April 1916; and 21 September 1917. Mark Singleton was born in Theale Wedmore, Somerset, on 24 June 1887, and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in Britannia in May 1902. Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in May 1907 and to Lieutenant in December 1909, he was serving in the base ship H.M.S. Espiegle in the Persian Gulf on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, and was subsequently employed with naval units co-operating with military forces in Mesopotamia. By May 1915 the Turks had been driven from the lower reaches of the Tigris, and in order that the Navy might render assistance to the Army in following them up, a number of flat bottomed tug boats were commandeered and commissioned as H.M. Ships for use on the river. One of these, the Shaitan, was placed under Singleton’s command. Crewed by eight men, his boat was armed with a 12-pounder quick-firing gun in her bows and a smaller gun aft. Advancing from Qurnah in June, the Shaitan, due to Singleton’s skilful boat handling, got ahead of the other small craft, and reached a point three miles south of Amara on her own. As she entered the reach of the river immediately below the town, which was situated on the east bank, large numbers of enemy troops were seen crossing the river to the western bank by a bridge of boats and getting into a barge secured to the Turkish gun boat Mamarris. The bridge of boats was then opened, the enemy gun boat clearly going to depart up river. Singleton immediately opened fire with the 12-pounder, causing the troops to abandon the barge for a safer spot on the west bank. Shaitan then steamed on and as she passed through the bridge of boats found the town was occupied in force. Half a battalion of Turks, moving through the streets to the river front, smartly retreated. Around the next bend on both banks yet more troops were retiring from the Shaitan which was in effect surrounded. The Turks held their fire for fear of drawing the attention of Shaitan’s 12-pounder, and she continued upstream for about half a mile, whence Singleton called on a party of about two hundred Turks with six officers to surrender. The Bluejacket’s disarmed them and, taking their weapons on board, compelled them to march down river abreast of the tug. On the way back to Amara, Singleton took more prisoners, who emerged from trees and threw down their arms; and, unattended, the sorry Turkish party obediently walked to the now deserted town where they sat down by a coffee shop and awaited the arrival of British troops. Thus Singleton, at the expenditure of only two or three shells, captured 250 Turkish troops and 11 officers and contributed largely to the evacuation of Amara by 2000 troops. It was the opinion of the official historian of the campaign that greater daring than the Singleton’s cool audacity could hardly be imagined. He was awarded the D.S.O. Having taken part in further advances up river over the course of the next three months, and been mentioned in despatches, Singleton, due to heavy casualties and sickness, became the Senior Naval Officer on the Tigris although only 26 years of age. And in February 1916, he was given command of the 98-ton gunboat Stonefly, in which capacity he was twice mentioned in despatches for further actions on the Tigris and the Euphrates. Returning home in January 1918, he was invested with his D.S.O. at Buckingham Palace that March and saw out the War with the Harwich Force in command of the destroyer Patrician. Placed on the Retired List on account of ill-health in December 1923, the gallant Singleton died on 21 December 1952. Sold with copied research, including record of service and extracts from Deeds that Thrill the Empire, and Tigris Gunboats by Vice-Admiral Wilfrid Nunn.

The rare Second War crossing of the Elbe M.M. awarded to Marine D. Towler, 45 Commando, Royal Marines. As a sniper at the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945, ‘he kept the Huns jittery near the factory area in Wesel’, where he ‘killed at least ten and wounded others in thirty-six hours fighting’; as his Troop’s Bren gunner at the Elbe crossing in April 1945, he faced off two enemy attacks: ‘two dead Germans were within 10 yards of his gun and eleven others dead or wounded in the immediate vicinity’ Military Medal, G.VI.R. (EX.4188 Mne. D. Towler. R. Marines.) in its named card box of issue, extremely fine £1,800-£2,200 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- M.M. London Gazette 7 August 1945: ‘For distinguished service whilst attached to the Allied Armies in the invasion operations in North-West Europe.’ The original recommendation states: ‘On the night of the Elbe crossing Mne. Towler was a Bren Gunner in D Troop 45 RM Commando. His Troop became involved in confused street fighting in the dark on its way to its objective. Mne. Towler was ordered to take up a position to cover a flank whilst his Troop pushed on. He selected a position in a house and engaged the enemy immediately. A section attack was put in against his house by the enemy. This was beaten off by steady and accurate shooting. As his ammunition was getting low, Mne. Towler sent his No. 2 of the gun to get more. During his absence another attempt was made by the enemy to dislodge Mne. Towler. Again this was beaten off. When his No. 2 returned together with a sub section to assist, there was only one magazine left containing a few rounds. Two dead Germans were within ten yards of the gun and eleven other dead or wounded in the immediate vicinity. Although Mne. Towler was not actually wounded he was considerably grazed by brick splinters and stones raised by the 2cm. flak guns which were used against his position. Mne. Towler's tenacity and determination was largely responsible for this troop being able to push on, without undue interference, to their objective.’ Douglas Towler was an employee of the Northern Co-operative Dairies in Aberdeen prior to joining the Royal Marines. Having then volunteered for special service, he joined 45 R.M. Commando on its formation in August 1943. As part of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Brigadier Lord Lovat, ‘45’ took heavy casualties on coming ashore on Gold Beach on D-Day, suffering a loss of three officers and 17 men killed or wounded, and one officer and 28 men missing. Those grim statistics were depressingly enlarged upon in the coming weeks of the Normandy campaign, up until ‘45’s’ withdrawal to the U.K. for a ‘refit’ in September 1944 Now part of First Commando Brigade, ‘45’ returned to an operational footing in Holland in January 1945, and was quickly in action at the battle of Montforterbeek, where Lance-Corporal Eric Harden of the R.A.M.C., attached to the Commando, gained a posthumous V.C. A costly attack on Belle Isle on the Mass having followed, among other actions, Towler and his comrades were next deployed to the crossing of the Rhine on the night of 23-24 March 1945. Their objective was Wesel, where Towler received a shrapnel wound but remained on duty. In fact, as evidenced by an accompanying local newspaper report, he took a heavy toll on the enemy: ‘Marine Dougles Towler of 12 Hayton Road, Aberdeen, a former employee of the Northern Co-operative Dairies, was the Commando man who kept the Huns jittery near a factory area in Wesel after the Rhine crossing. With the Jerries sometimes only twenty-five yards away, Towler, a sniper, kept picking them off and killed at least ten and wounded others in thirty-six hours’ fighting. “As the Huns were so near,” he said, “I kept changing my position in case they started mortaring me. Every time one showed himself, I let go at him. I was in the factory area on one side of the railway and the Germans on the other side of the railway lines. On one occasion I noticed they were forming up for a counter-attack, so I covered a little gap in the hedge. Sure enough, the Jerries kept passing by, and I just shot them down. The counter-attack never materialised. A German twelve-man patrol once approached my position, so I opened fire, and the patrol disappeared. As the enemy were so near the only answer was sniping to make them keep their heads down and keep them jittery. I saw many of them when I fired just cut their equipment off and make a bolt for it.” Towler is regarded among his Commando officers as a man who always keeps his finger on the trigger.’ Indeed, Towler certainly lived up to his reputation in Operation ‘Enterprise’, the Elbe crossing on the night of 28-29 April 1945, when ‘45’ were embarked in Buffaloes before advancing on the town of Lauenberg. Here, as cited above, he performed most gallant work in facing off two spirited German attacks with his Bren gun, thereby adding to his growing tally of enemy dead. In his book Commando Men, Bryan Samain relates the story of how Towler’s ‘B’ Troop carried out an attack on an enemy ack-ack battery the following day. In it he refers to ‘a young Scots Bren-gunner, Marine Norman Towler’. Given the latter’s fearless conduct on that occasion, it seems more likely it was in fact Douglas Towler: ‘Moving off under the command of John Day, the Troop closed to within one hundred yards of the battery. At this stage the Germans suddenly opened up, spraying the road and surrounding buildings with a vicious fusillade of 37-millimetre shells. Baker Troop immediately scattered for cover, and the whole street became alive with orange-coloured flashes as the shells smacked and roared into the already shattered fabric of blasted buildings. The men of Baker Troop crouched low behind what cover they could find, awaiting the order to move forward and assault the battery. Meanwhile, as John Day started to shout preliminary orders above the roar of gunfire, a young Scots Bren-gunner, Marine Norman Towler, got to his feet and coolly returned the enemy fire from an exposed position. For some unknown reason the Germans suddenly stopped firing. Perhaps they were too flabbergasted by Towler’s action to continue: but whatever the reason, it made them lose the day, for Baker Troop seized the initiative and rushed the battery. Within minutes the guns had all been overrun, and something like fifty prisoners rounded up, including some German W.A.A.F.s, who emerged coyly from a series of dugouts.’ Towler was discharged from the Commandos in November 1945, when he was described as ‘an exceptionally fine, upstanding type of soldier.’ Sold with a quantity of original documents, including the recipient’s Buckingham Palace forwarding letter for his M.M., his C.O.’s testimonial and character reference, and a letter to his wife regarding his shrapnel wounds in March 1945, together with some wartime newspaper cuttings and a copy of Bryan Samain’s book Commando Men.

The unique Second War battle of the River Plate B.E.M. group of six awarded to Flight Sergeant B. J. Brooks, Royal Air Force, a member of H.M.S. Ajax’s aircraft catapult team, he helped launch her Fairey Seafox into action, the first occasion on which a Fleet Air Arm aircraft was employed to spot for ships’ guns in a sea battle British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (561442 Cpl. Bernard James Brooks, R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Royal Air Force L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st issue (561442 F/Sjt. B. J. Brooks. R.A.F.) mounted as worn, good very fine (6) £1,400-£1,800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: J. J. Atkinson Collection, Noble’s Australia, April 2005. B.E.M. London Gazette 27 February 1940: ‘For services in H.M.S. Ajax at the Battle of the River Plate.’ The original recommendation states: ‘Corporal Brooks, a fitter lent for duty with the Fleet Air Arm, who has been serving in H.M.S. Ajax, carried out most efficient work in catapulting the aircraft during the Battle of the Plate. He also showed initiative and did valuable work with the Upper Deck Repair Party. He has been recommended for a distinction, both by the captain of his ship and by Rear-Admiral Harwood.’ Related official correspondence adds: ‘In the Battle of the River Plate a Royal Air Force Corporal, Bernard J. Brooks, No. 561442, seems to the Admiralty to have behaved in a manner which, had he had the luck to be a sailor, would have earned him the Distinguished Service Medal … There is no Navy, Army or Air Force distinction which the airman can be awarded for this action, and Sir Arthur Street and Air Marshal Portal would therefore be grateful if you could secure the consent of the Selection Committee to the award of the Military Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service. The King is holding an investiture on Friday for the naval personnel concerned and it is desirable that Brooks should be included.’ Bernard James Brooks was also mentioned in despatches for his ‘bravery and resource during operations in Madagascar’ (London Gazette 23 February 1943, refers). On that occasion, he was borne on the books of H.M.S. Kipanga, the naval base in Kenya, from which he was employed in support of Operation ‘Streamline Jane’, the operations undertaken at Majunga and Tanarive. Of earlier events at the battle of the River Plate in December 1939, Ajax’s role is well-known. With her consorts Exeter and Achilles, she fought a determined running battle with the Graf Spee, pursuing the enemy pocket battleship all the way to Montevideo. And crucial to the accuracy and effectiveness of Ajax’s gunfire - and that of her consorts - was the deployment one of her Fairey Seafox aircraft, both of Exeter’s Walrus aircraft having been put out of action by one Graf Spee’s 11-inch shells. Ajax too came under heavy fire, sustaining extensive damage and resultant casualties, and Brooks’s crucial role in launching the Fairey Seafox by catapult may well have been enacted under just such fire. But all went well, Lieutenant E. D. G. Lewin, R.N., the pilot, and Lieutenant R. E. N. Keraney, R.N., the observer, afterwards carrying out valuable ‘spotter’ duties. As it transpired, Brooks was to launch them into action on further occasions as the drama unfolded, including on the 17 December 1939, when they were able to signal that Graf Spee had been scuttled. As cited above, Brooks also undertook valuable work with the Upper Deck Repair Party. Such work was indeed vital, in case Graf Spee emerged for a second duel. Sold with copied research, including official correspondence relating to the award of his B.E.M.

The extremely rare Second War ‘V.C. action’ honorary D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant E. Obelkevitch, United States Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry in the famous assault on Oran harbour in November 1942, when he saved numerous lives aboard the stricken ex-U.S. cutter H.M.S. Hartland Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Mr. E. Obelkevitch. Gnr. U.S.N. H.M.S. Hartland.) impressed naming; U.S.A., Medal for Military Merit; U.S.A., Purple Heart; U.S.A., Navy Long Service; U.S.A., Defense; U.S.A., Campaign; U.S.A., European, African and Middle East Campaign,with three bronze stars; U.S.A., War Medal, these seven American awards added for display purposes and mounted for display in precedence to the D.S.M., extremely fine (8) £4,000-£5,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Just 17 honorary awards of the D.S.M. were made to the United States Navy in the Second World War. Such awards were not gazetted but the original recommendation signed by Admiral of the Fleet ‘ABC’ Cunningham at Algiers on 13 October 1943 states: ‘On 8 November 1942, H.M.S. Hartland, flying the British and United States Ensigns, entered Oran under heavy fire in an attempt to prevent the sabotage of the port. Gunner Obelkevitch was leader of a boarding party. When this unit was wiped out by the explosion of a shell, he attempted to organise a hopeless attempt to extinguish the fires. His courage and initiative were an outstanding example and inspiration. He was ultimately instrumental in saving many lives of wounded men and remained on board after the deck was red hot and the ship in danger of blowing up at any moment.’ Edward Obelkevitch was born in Dickson City, Pennsylvania on 13 August 1900, and joined the United States Navy in December 1918. A Gunner (T.) by the time of the Second World War, he was appointed to command a boarding party from the ex-U.S. cutter H.M.S. Hartland in the famous attack on the port of Oran on 8 November 1942, for which action Captain F. T. Peters, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N., overall commander of the operation in H.M.S. Walney, was awarded the Victoria Cross. Described as a ‘miniature Zeebrugge’ the assault on Oran resulted in terrible casualties, both Hartland and Walney being sunk by a torrent of point-blank fire. In his book The Turn of the Road, ex-naval officer Sir Lewis Ritchie describes the unfolding scene of carnage as Hartland came under withering fire, and pays tribute to Obelkevitch’s gallant deeds: ‘In the meanwhile, Hartland had been picked up in the searchlight and came under a devastating fire from the shore battery. The entire guns’ crews were wiped out and a steam pipe was severed, drowning everything in the noise of escaping steam. The Captain was temporarily blinded by a splinter and wounded in the leg, and before he could recover, Hartland struck the breakwater. Regaining the sight of one eye, he put the engines astern and manoeuvred his ship through the entrance, heading her for the appointed objective; this brought Hartland under point-blank fire from a French destroyer. Shells burst in the motor-room and all power failed; they also burst in the spaces where troops were waiting assembled to land, transforming them into a shambles. With fires raging fore and aft, Hartland’s way carried her alongside the mole. Lieutenant-Commander Dickey, U.S.N., calling on his men to follow him, leaped ashore to attempt to seize a trawler alongside. Only one unwounded man was able to follow him. The dead lay heaped so thick on the upper deck that the wounded could not get at the hoses to fight the fires. The First Lieutenant, Lieutenant V. A. Hickson, R.N., made a gallant effort to pass a wire ashore, but there was no one left to man it effectively. The wind now caught the ship and she began to drift helplessly out into the harbour. Lieutenant Hickson blundered forward through a tempest of machine-gun bullets and let go the anchor. The flames, funnel-high, lit the White Ensign and “Old Glory” at peak and masthead above the careless sprawling dead, and tinged the smoke rolling away to leeward across the quiet waters of the harbour with a fierce and bloody glare. As if appalled at the sight of this blazing sacrifice, the French at last ceased fire. Then, and not until then, Lieutenant-Commander Billot gave the order to abandon ship. The deck was red hot: blinded with blood and twice more wounded, he clung to the rail, summoning strength to leave the ship. Lieutenant E. G. Lawrence, R.N.V.R., and Gunner Obelkevitch, U.S.N., who had fought the fires almost single-handed to the last, swam ashore, seized the French trawler’s dingy by force, paddled her with floorboards back to where their Captain clung to a scramble net. They hauled him into the boat and he urged them in a whisper to pull for the open sea and freedom. He was fainting from his wounds; they had only the floorboards with which to row and were covered in every direction by rifles and machine-guns … they were taken prisoner as they landed.’ Obelkevitch was held by the Vichy-French until the advancing Allies liberated him a few days later, following which he was promoted to Chief Gunner and awarded the British D.S.M. A qualified diver, he was subsequently commissioned Lieutenant and served out the war as a salvage officer. Obelkevitch retired from the U.S. Navy in April 1949, and died in California in March 1971. Sold with extensive copied research.

The rare Victorian campaign group of four awarded to Captain C. K. Purvis, Royal Navy, who commanded an ‘armoured train’ in the action at Kassassin, in which he was severely wounded Canada General Service 1866-70, 1 clasp, Fenian Raid 1866 (Midshipman C. K. Purvis, H.M.S. Fawn) officially impressed naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Alexandria 11th July (Lieut. C. K. Purvis, R.N. H.M.S. “Penelope”); Ottoman Empire, Order of Osmanieh, 4th Class breast badge, silver-gilt, gold and enamels; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (4) £3,000-£4,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, October 1996; Dix Noonan Webb, June 2006. Only seven ‘Fenian Raid 1866’ clasps to H.M.S. Fawn. Charles Kennedy Purvis was born on 26 September 1849 and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in March 1863. Appointed a Midshipman in H.M.S. Fawn in December 1864, he remained likewise employed for two years and witnessed active service off Canada in the Fenian operations in 1866. He subsequently gained advancement to Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Oak in June 1869 and to Lieutenant in the Topaze in September 1873, followed by further seagoing appointments in the Hornet in 1875-80 and the Penelope in 1881-82. And it was from the latter ship that he was landed for special service in the Egypt operations, with command of one of the two ‘armoured trains’ deployed in the Egyptian war zone. In reality these were no more than an armed truck, one being manned by seamen and the other by marines. The bluejackets’ four-wheeled gun-truck, commanded by Lieutenant Purvis, had steel-plated sides that were ‘fairly bullet proof’, with sandbags hung around the outside for good measure. An awning was added over the truck’s open top and it was armed with a 40-pounder gun. A separate box-car, similarly fitted with steel side plates and sandbags, had two compartments for the 230 shells - mostly shrapnel - and charges, entrance to each magazine being only from the top. Since no steam engines could be obtained, Purvis’s naval train was pulled from Ismailia to Nefiche by 16 horses, four abreast, on 26 August 1882. On 1 September, Purvis and his train moved up to Kassassin where, on the 9th, he and his 20-strong party of bluejackets saw action in the defence of the camp against an Egyptian reconnaissance party. Having been working the train on the line a little beyond the camp, the enemy turned their guns on it. Purvis and his 2nd in Command, Sub. Lieutenant James Erskine, dismounted to take some observations. They were standing close together when a shell burst near them, a small portion of which struck Purvis on the foot, tearing a portion of it off, and necessitating immediate amputation at the ankle joint. Subsequently, to rub salt into his wounds, while on his way to Ismailia to be placed aboard the Orontes, he was struck by a tow rope which brought on inflammation and made a second amputation above the ankle imperative. On a somewhat happier note, on Christmas Eve 1882, Purvis was one of two officers in the R.N. Hospital Haslar to receive their Egypt campaign medals from the hand of Queen Victoria. Moreover, he received special promotion to Commander and was mentioned in General Sir Garnet Wolseley’s despatch in the following terms: ‘In command of detachment working 40-pounder on truck; regrets very much the loss of his valuable services.’ Discharged from Haslar in January 1883, Purvis joined the Coast Guard but he returned to sea with command of the Flora in 1887-89. His final appointment was in the harbour based Audacious and he was placed on the Retired List as a Captain in October 1896. He died on 2 June 1916.

The Great War D.S.C. and Bar, A.F.C. group of six awarded to Group Captain V. Gaskell-Blackburn, Royal Air Force, late Royal Naval Air Service, who, having participated in the first ever carrier-borne air strike in 1914, spotted for the Severn and Mersey against the Konigsberg in East Africa and was twice decorated for his gallant deeds in the Kut-el-Amara and Ctesiphon operations of 1915-16 Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar, hallmarked London 1915; Air Force Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (Flt. Lieut. V. G. Blackburn, D.S.C. R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. V. Gaskell-Blackburn, R.A.F.); Coronation 1937, mounted as worn, generally good very fine (6) £12,000-£16,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2007. Vivian Gaskell-Blackburn was born in Leeds in 1892 and, shortly after leaving Uppingham, learnt to fly a Bristol biplane at Brooklands, taking his Pilot’s Certificate in September 1913 (No. 617). Commissioned in the Royal Naval Air Service on the outbreak of hostilities, he was quickly in action, piloting an Admiralty Type 74 “Folder” Seaplane in the famous Cuxhaven Raid on Christmas Day 1914, the world’s first carrier air strike. The operation, in essence an air reconnaissance of the Heligoland Bight, including Cuxhaven, was made by nine seaplanes, the pilots and their machines being conveyed to a point about 12 miles to the north of Heligoland before being lowered onto the water from the seaplane carriers Empress, Engadine and Riviera - the Arethusa and Undaunted, and eight destroyers, acted as escort. Seven of the seaplanes rose without any difficulty into the air, but the remaining two machines refused to become airborne with their heavy weight of bombs and had to be swung back on board their parent carriers. The former, with their pilots huddling deeper into their draughty cockpits in the clear, icy air, set course for Cuxhaven. Gaskell-Blackburn’s subsequent experiences, and those of his Observer, C.P.O. Mechanic J. W. Bell, are described in R. D. Layman’s definitive history, The Cuxhaven Raid: ‘After coming under fire from trawlers and destroyers, Gaskell-Blackburn ran into fog that ‘rendered navigation extremely difficult’, so much so that he was unable to tell where he crossed the coastline ... To the north-west he noted a number of destroyers steaming seaward and what appeared to be a British seaplane heading the same direction. Also to the north, Bell observed, were three battlecruisers and about 15 other vessels, all making heavy smoke ... The first three cruisers ‘opened an extremely hot anti-aircraft fire,’ as did the battlecruisers as the Short flew between the two groups of ships. The German fire was accurate for height, but the shells burst behind the planes. He reported, ‘I came then to the outskirts of Wilhelmshaven and was again subjected to an extremely hot anti-aircraft fire ... the most accurate and fiercest fire during the trip.’ A small-calibre shell or a large metal fragment from a heavier missile tore through a main float and damaged a starboard under-carriage strut, damage Bell could see by peering from his cockpit. Gaskell-Blackburn aimed two bombs at what he believed was the land battery responsible; it did not fire again, and my observer reported that he thought we did damage it’ ... With fuel running short, Gaskell-Blackburn decided not to take the return route via Wangeroog and the other Frisian islands, but headed west-north-west over the mainland. The fog closed in again during this inland flight, forcing him to keep to 700 feet. Every time the Short emerged into a momentarily clear patch of sky, he reported, it was fired at by anti-aircraft guns or rifles ... Gaskell-Blackburn reached the coast near Baltrum Island, Norderney’s neighbour to the east, emerging into clear sky, quickly recognising Norderney and heading north to seek the carriers ... ’ Layman next describes Gaskell-Blackburn’s ditching and rescue by the submarine E. 11, the latter already having picked up another pilot: ‘About ten minutes later E. 11’s lookouts spotted an airship to starboard - in fact the Zeppelin L5 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Klaus Hirsch - a complication compounded by the additional arrival of two more R.N.A.S. seaplanes, both dangerously short of fuel (No. 814 crewed by Gaskell-Blackburn and Bell, and No. 815 by Oliver and Bell). Both swept down and landed alongside the submarine, just as Nasmith spotted another looming danger in the form of a periscope (it was, in fact, the British submarine D. 6, hastening to the scene to offer assistance) ... Nasmith, tackling the problem of rescuing four airmen in the face of what appeared to be imminent underwater and aerial attack, acted with the cool-headed precision that would win him fame later in the war. Casting off the tow-line to [Miley’s] No. 120, he manoeuvred E. 11 so close to No. 815 that Oliver and Bell were able to step aboard her, then hailed Gaskell-Blackburn and Bell to swim to the submarine. Doffing their flying clothes and the impedimenta that Malone had insisted upon, they dived from their tilting plane and were hauled, dripping, aboard E. 11. Although the airship was now closing fast, Nasmith was obedient to the orders to destroy abandoned aircraft if possible. Since E. 11, like most British submarines in 1914, as yet lacked a deck gun, he ordered a machine-gun up from below and began to pepper the seaplanes’ floats with it. Oliver joined in with his pistol. Before this fire could have any effect, the aerial menace got too close for comfort, and Nasmith ordered a crash dive. With L5 nearly overhead, he waved his cap defiantly as he made for the conning tower hatch. It has often been claimed that the gesture confused the airshipmen into thinking E. 11 was a U-boat capturing enemy planes and caused them to delay dropping bombs. Gaskell-Blackburn thought so at the time. But there is nothing in German accounts to suggest the gesture was even seen, and Hirsch’s report makes it clear he was quite aware that the submarine was an enemy craft. He saw the rescue of the airmen clearly just before he sent two bombs crashing down. Their explosions shook both E. 11 and D. 6, although the former had time to dive to 40 feet before they went off and the latter was 60 feet down. The men on each submarine thought their boat was the target, but Hirsch’s account indicates he was aiming simply in the general vicinity of the seaplanes and the submerged E. 11, hoping any or all might be damaged. Observing no effect from the bombs, he headed seaward toward the Harwich Force. Nasmith meanwhile took E. 11 down to rest on the seabed, where at 20 fathoms the submariners shared their Christmas turkey and plum pudding with their five unusual guests.’ Gaskell-Blackburn was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 19 February 1915 refers), and his Observer, C.P.O. Mechanic J. W. Bell, was awarded the D.S.M. In the operations against the Königsberg in East Africa in July 1915, while piloting a Henri Farman biplane out of Mafia Island, Gaskell-Blackburn was commended for his work in spotting the fall of shot from H.M’s monitors Severn and Mersey. And in the following month, on the 15th, he carried out a reconnaissance with Flight Commander Cull, D.S.O., this time in a newly delivered Cauldron G. III aircraft, in order to assess the damage caused the enemy cruiser; an excellent photograph of Gaskell-Blackburn at the helm of his Henri Farman, taken on Mafia Island in July 1915, is in the collection of the Fleet Air Ar...

The Great War group of three awarded to Petty Officer G. Baxter, Royal Navy, attached Armoured Trains 1914 Star, with clasp (206500 G. Baxter, P.O. Armd. Trains.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (206500 G. Baxter. P.O. R.N.) the last with very faintly impressed naming, good very fine (3) £400-£500 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, April 1999. M.I.D. London Gazette 17 April 1918. 77 1914 Stars issued for service with Armoured Trains. George Baxter was born in Bristol, Gloucestershire on 4 March 1883, and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in September 1899. Having then witnessed extensive seagoing experience in the interim, he was discharged as a Petty Officer ‘time expired’ in March 1913. Recalled in September 1914, Baxter was quickly re-employed in land operations in armoured trains and posted to H.M.A.T. Churchill. Three heavy armoured trains were built in Antwerp in September-October 1914, mounted with British naval guns, and placed under the overall command of Commander A. S. Littlejohns, R.N., with Lieutenant-Commander P. H. Riddler, R.N., as his second-in-command. Known from 9 November as H.M. Armoured Trains Jellicoe (Commander Littlejohns) with three 4.7-inch guns, H.M.A.T. Déguise (Belgian Captain Servais) with three 4.7-inch guns, and H.M.A.T. Churchill (Lieutenant-Commander Riddler) with two 6-inch guns, these three armoured trains fought around Antwerp until 7 October, then retreated via Ghent, in support of General Rawlinson’s advance to Ypres. H.M.A.T. Churchill became operational at Oostende after the retreat from Antwerp and in December went into action in the area around Oostkerke against German batteries to the south of Dixmude. From the end of December 1914 to March 1915, the three trains were continuously in action, sometimes in support of an assault (Jellicoe at la Bassée on 10 January), but in particular in counter-battery or bombardment missions in action to neutralise trench lines. Hence Jellicoe in action at Beuvry 20-24 January, Churchill at Oosterkerke on 28-29 January, and against an observation post at Ennetieres on 11 February, Déguise at Beuvry firing on a rail junction on the 15th, among other targets, and Churchill against a battery at Fleur d’Ecosse on 3 March. The guns of the trains were extremely effective, notably against troop concentrations. On 18 February, H.M.A.T. Déguise fired seven shells at German troops to the South-West of La Bassée. These actions brought the trains within range of the German artillery. The Germans scored hits, but the armour protection and swift manoeuvring of the trains normally protected the crews, except on 25 January when Jellicoe was hit, wounding two men and killing the Belgian engine driver. Between 10 and 13 March, the three trains supported the action at Neuve Chapelle. On that occasion, Field Marshal Sir John French paid a surprise visit to H.M.A.T. Churchill, which was the command train for Commander Littlejohns. Towards the end of March 1915, the three trains were withdrawn from service. Baxter’s subsequent appointments included the minesweeping sloop Alyssum from December 1915 to February 1916, the Queenstown depot Colleen and the Grimsby base Pekin, and he was demobilised in March 1919.

The unique Great War D.S.M. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant C. A. Pearce, Royal Marines, for service in Serbia at the defence of Belgrade and subsequent retreat of the Serbian Army in 1915 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (9294 Sergt. C. A. Pearce, R.M.A. Service in Serbia.); 1914-15 Star (R.M.A. 9294 Sgt. C. A. Pearce.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. C. A. Pearce. R.M.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (9294 C. A. Pearce, Sergeant, R.M.A.); Serbia, Oblitch Bravery Medal, gilt; Serbia, Medal for Military Virtue, gilt, incorrect ribbon; Belgium, Croix de Guerre, ‘AI’ cypher, mounted court style as worn, very fine and better (8) £3,000-£4,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, April 1994 and May 2011. D.S.M. London Gazette 21 January 1916. The recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Egmont. Service in Siberia 5 to 8 October 1915. For services during the battle of Lisbona. Was the senior N.C.O. in charge of the two British 4.7in guns on Velike Vrachar which were in action against an overwhelming fire from the enemy’s artillery during the days and nights of the 5, 6, 7 and 8 October, until both guns were finally crushed and destroyed. They were fought to the last with superb bravery and devotion to duty.’ Charles Arthur Pearce was born on 22 May 1882 and enlisted as a Private in the Royal Marines on 23 January 1901. Ranked as a Gunner in November 1901, he became a Sergeant in September 1913 and Colour Sergeant in February 1916. During the early months of the war he served aboard H.M.S. Audacious; in February 1915 he was posted to the British Naval Mission in Serbia. The purpose of the Naval mission to Serbia was to prevent the Austrian monitors and patrol launches from using the Danube. As the Serbians had no floating forces and were weak in artillery, the Austrian monitors were free to bombard Serbian positions at will. Directly after the re-occupation of Belgrade by the Serbians in December 1914, a party of R M.L.I. and seamen were sent hither from Malta. This mission was strengthened in February 1915 by the arrival from England of eight 4.7-in, guns, accompanied by eight R.M.A. ratings under Sergeant C. A. Pearce. The eight 4.7's were organised in four batteries of two guns each, the R.M.A. providing the higher numbers of No. 1 Battery, and seamen those of the remainder. The 4.7 batteries were widely separated to command the rivers, only the R.M.A. No. 1 Battery, under Sergeant Pearce, being close to Belgrade itself, its position being on Veliki Vrachar Hill, on the south-east of the city. By 1 October the Austro-Germans had effected a great concentration opposite Belgrade, and on the morning of the 3rd a terrible bombardment was opened. It was estimated that in the first 24 hours some forty-eight thousand shells fell upon the doomed city. No one had better cause to appreciate the magnitude of Belgrade's bombardment than the occupants of No. 1 Battery on Veliki Vrachar Hill. Commanded by a Serbian artillery officer, with another Serbian officer as second-in command, the battery was composed of Sergeant Pearce with a Corporal and four gunners of the Royal Marines, and a small crew of Serbian soldiers to assist with the heavy work. Of the latter Sergeant Pearce said he could not speak too highly. For the first four days the battery reserved its fire, waiting for the first sign of the enemy to attempt to cross the river. On the 7th they could wait no longer, but opened fire on the batteries along the river front, and for the rest of that day carried on an engagement with no less than 24 Austrian guns. The inevitable happened. As soon as the battery opened fire the aeroplanes corrected the range, and the enemy shells, instead of passing overhead, began to fall upon it. They managed to keep up the unequal contest all day long, and most of the next day, until those two guns were all that was left of Belgrade's defences, and nearly the whole of the Austrian artillery was concentrated upon them. Inevitably, on the night of the 7th, the No. 1 gun was put out of action, and on the following day the No. 2 gun suffered a similar fate. In face of heavy fire, the breech blocks and carriers of both guns were stripped, and under cover of darkness the gun detachments retired to a small village a few miles from Belgrade. In all two were killed and fourteen wounded, these remarkably small casualties being attributed to the excellent construction of the battery. Sergeant Pearce and his gallant little team now joined the rapid retreat of the Serbian army which began on the 12th November, in the face of the advancing Austrians and Bulgarians. Reaching Ipek in Montenegro in late November the most difficult part of the journey remained to be made. The way was across the mountains of Albania to Scutari. Winter had set in, the tracks were so bad and so congested with the debris of the Serbian army that all wheeled transport had to be abandoned, and there was in consequence a great shortage of food. On 13 December the men of the batteries reached Podgaritza, on the 15th Scutari, and on the 19th San Giovanni di Medua. Sergeant Pearce was by now ill with dysentery but the remainder of the party were embarked on H.M.S. Dartmouth and proceeded to England. Sergeant Pearce and Corporal A. H. Turner were each awarded the D.S.M., the six Gunners all being mentioned in despatches. Pearce was uniquely awarded the Gold Medal for Bravery and the Gold Medal for Military Virtue, the other members of the battery between them being awarded a further 14 Serbian decorations, probably making them the most highly decorated battery in the history of the Royal Marine Artillery. Colour Sergeant Pearce was awarded the R.N. Long Service medal in October 1916 and was commissioned in September 1917. He was further decorated with the Belgian Croix de Guerre for his services with the R.M.A. Siege Guns in 1917. Temporary Lieutenant Pearce was placed on the Retired List in July 1919; appointed to the Special Reserve of Officer in November 1920, this being cancelled on 4 February 1921 on his being granted a permanent commission in the Army Educational Corps. Pearce died on 16 September 1966.

The fine Great War Q-ship action D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer W. E. Swanson, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallant gunnery work in the three-masted barquentine Gaelic (Q-22) with an enemy submarine off Ireland in April 1917 Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (J.1599 W. E. Swanson, P.O. Atlantic Ocean. 22. Apl. 1917.); 1914-15 Star (J.1599 W. E. Swanson. L.S. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (J.1599 W. E. Swanson. P.O. R.N.); Naval L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue with fixed suspension (J.1599 W. E. Swanson, C.P.O. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth) edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (5) £1,800-£2,200 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, December 2000. D.S.M. London Gazette 20 July 1917: ‘For services in action with enemy submarines.’ The original recommendation states: H.M.S. Gaelic (Q. 22) Action with an enemy submarine on 22 April 1917. In charge of after guns during the engagement. Second shot from the port gun hit submarine in vicinity of conning tower. Fourth shot was also a direct hit a little further forward. Later when in charge of starboard after gun secured another direct hit striking the submarine just abaft the conning tower. In total 52 rounds fired from the two after guns.’ William Edwin Swanson was born in Ardglass, Co. Down on 5 March 1892, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1908. By the outbreak of hostilities, he was serving as a Leading Seaman in the battleship Colossus, in which he remained employed until removing to the Vengeance in December 1915. Advanced to Petty Officer in April 1916, he subsequently witnessed active service off East Africa, including the operations that led to the capture of Dar es Salaam in the same year. Having then volunteered for decoy ships on coming ashore from the Vengeance in early 1917, Swanson served in the Gaelic (a.k.a. Q. 22) from May-October 1917. A three-masted barquentine, built in 1876, she was surely one of the oldest ships to have been employed in decoy operations. On the evening of 22 April 1917, Gaelic sighted a submarine 5000 yards away, some 50 miles south of the Old Head of Kinsale. Hands were called down from aloft immediately and action stations sounded. The submarine kept its distance and fired shell after shell, of which six hit the Gaelic, killing two of the deck hands and wounding four, besides putting the port motor out of action and seriously damaging the rigging. After a while the sailing ship unmasked her guns and opened fire, prompting the submarine to alter course and fire a torpedo. Luckily Gaelic was able to manoeuvre sufficiently for this to pass harmlessly along the starboard side. After three misses, Gaelic’s forward gun obtained a hit on the submarine but then the firing pin broke and the gun was temporarily put out of action. Firing continued from her starboard gun and the two adversaries traded shells for about 40 minutes when the submarine moved slowly away to the south-west, still firing. Gaelic had sustained a hit in her fresh-water tank which leaked through the deck onto the starboard motor, putting it out of action, rendering her completely without power on a windless evening. However, Swanson and his fellow gunners maintained their fire, and another two hits were scored on the German submarine which eventually ceased fire, but not before Gaelic scored a final hit at a range of 4000 yards. Thus ended the protracted action, each side having fired about 100 rounds and, although the submarine, the UC-47, was not sunk, she was certainly badly knocked about. Gaelic set her sails despite the badly damaged rigging and made for the Old Head of Kinsale. At daybreak, when still 10 miles short of that landfall, she was picked up by H.M. sloop Bluebell and towed into Queenstown. Gaelic’s skipper, Lieutenant G. Irvine, R.N.R., was awarded the D.S.O. for this exploit, whilst Swanson’s impressive gunnery skills earned him the D.S.M. He subsequently saw out the war with appointments in Vivid I (October 1917-July 1918) and at the Granton naval base Gunner (July-December 1918), appointments that may have included further Q-ship operations. Then in January 1919 he joined the mine-sweeper Holderness, in which ship he served in the Baltic and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 22 January 1920, refers). He also added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in March 1925. Sadly, however, as verified by his service record, he started to suffer from a form of dementia and, in October 1926, he was invalided ashore and placed in the care of the Plymouth Poor Law Institution. Sold with copied research.

The rare Great War Lake Nyasa operations D.S.M. group of five awarded to Chief Petty Officer E. C. Mitchell, Royal Navy, who having survived the loss of H.M.S. Pegasus in her famous clash with the Konigsberg in September 1914, was seconded to the Lake Nyasa Flotilla, in which he ‘displayed much ability in drilling the native boat crews to a very creditable state of efficiency’ in the ex-missionary steamer Gwendolen Distinguished Service Medal, G.V.R. (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. H.M.S. Gwendolen.); 1914-15 Star (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (204906 E. C. Mitchell. P.O. R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (204906 E. C. Mitchell Act. C.P.O. H.M.S. Hyacinth) edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine (5) £2,400-£2,800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, April 2004. D.S.M. London Gazette 24 February 1916. The original recommendation states: ‘H.M.S. Gwendolen Lake Tanganyika, whose shooting was of a very high standard rendered the redoubt untenable in the morning engagement, and hampering the enemy’s movements during the afternoon engagement. Petty Officer Mitchell displayed much ability in drilling the native boat crews to a very creditable state of efficiency, and it was largely due to his efforts that a rapid and safely conducted embarkation was achieved.’ Ernest Charles Mitchell was born in Plymouth, Devon on 3 February 1884 and entered the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in June 1899. By the outbreak of hostilities, he had been advanced to Petty Officer and was serving in the cruiser H.M.S. Pegasus, and he was likewise employed at the time of her memorable action with the Konigsberg off Zanzibar on 20 September 1914. In the lead up to her final action, Pegasus had bombarded the customs house at Bagamoyo in German East Africa, when the port authorities refused to agree to a truce. Less than a month later, on 20 September 1914, her consorts Hyacinth and Astraea having been called away, she was undergoing repairs at the port of Zanzibar when she fell victim to a surprise attack launched by the Konigsberg. Deeds That Thrill the Empire takes up the story: ‘For twenty-five minutes the Konigsberg poured in her relentless broadside, steaming slowly in until she had reduced the range from nine thousand to seven thousand yards; and still the shells of the Pegasus failed to reach her. The shot fell harmlessly into the water hundreds of yards short of the enemy cruiser. The poor little Pegasus was in a bad way from the start. The enemy’s shooting was not good, but with the advantage of range they were able to take their own time, and the British ship soon began to suffer severely. One of the first to be hit was the gunnery officer, Lieutenant Richard Turner, whose legs were shattered by a shell. As he lay stricken and bleeding to death his thoughts were all for the honour of his ship and his service “Keep it up, lads,” he said to his men. “We’re outclassed and done for; but d--- them, and keep it up!” So, having asked for brandy and a cigarette, Lieutenant Turner died; but the men “kept it up.” In fifteen minutes all the guns of the Pegasus had been silenced and not one of their shells had reached the enemy, whose guns had a range greater by two thousand yards. The cruiser’s flag was shot away from its staff. Instantly a Marine ran forward, seized the flag, and waved it aloft; and when he was struck down another came and took his place. The flag flew until the end. There was no braver man that day than the medical officer of the Pegasus, Staff-Surgeon Alfred J. Hewitt. Nearly all the casualties occurred on deck, and there he was from the start to the finish, giving what help he could to the wounded men. On one occasion he was holding a ruptured artery in the neck of one man, and, with his other hand, stanching the flow of blood in the leg of another, while his assistants went for bandages. He could do nothing to help in the fighting, but there was certainly no braver man in the ship. When she had fired about two hundred shells, the Konigsberg withdrew, leaving the Pegasus a battered and fast sinking wreck. At the beginning of the action there were 234 officers and men on board the British vessel, and of these 35 were killed and 53 wounded … ’ In a controversial decision, Commander R. Ingles, R.N., Pegasus’s captain, had in fact struck her colours to avoid further bloodshed, but his action was ignored by the Konigsberg. Among the survivors, Mitchell was borne on the books of the Hyacinth and selected for special duties on Lake Nyasa. The lake had already witnessed the first naval engagement of the Great War, when H.M.S. Gwendolen, an ex-missionary steamer which had hastily been converted for use as a gunboat, attacked the German gunboat Hermann von Wissmann on 14 August 1914. The latter was on a slipway at Sphinxhafen and sustained serious damage. Mitchell was otherwise occupied aboard the Pegasus at that time, but he was clearly present in future actions fought on the lake, the first of them following the arrival of Lieutenant-Commander G. H. Dennistoun, R.N.V.R., who took command of a budding British flotilla, including the captured German tug Helmuth. And that action took place on 30 May 1915, after local fishermen reported that the Hermann von Wissmann was under repair. Gwendolen landed a detachment of Askaris, who secured the area, prior to charges being placed on the enemy gunboat, and further action being taken by way of gunfire. The recommendation for Mitchell’s D.S.M. certainly appears to fit this action, rather than a later quoted date in December 1915 on Lake Tanganyika. Be that as it may, the Germans once more set about restoring the von Wissmann to operational fitness, thus resulting in another visit by the Gwendolen to their lake shore base at Spinxhafen. A boarding party of Askaris found the enemy gunboat unmanned and, taken in tow by Gwendolen, it was re-christened ‘H.M.S. King George V’ of the Royal Navy’s Nyasa Flotilla. Dennistoun and the flotilla remained actively employed until his return home in 1918, assisting in the transportation of supplies for our land forces. He was awarded the D.S.O. For his own part, Mitchell was gazetted for his D.S.M. in February 1916, added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in September 1917, and appears to have remained actively employed on the East Africa station until returning to an appointment in Vivid in June 1918. He was finally pensioned ashore in February 1924. Sold with an original letter from the recipient, written in January 1964, in which he explains the background to the Lake Nyasa operations, and his part in them.

The important Jutland C.B. group of seven awarded to Vice-Admiral A. Craig-Waller, Royal Navy, who commanded H.M.S. Barham on that memorable occasion; in company with her consort Valiant, Barham was credited with being the most accurate British battleship engaged at Jutland, when she fired a staggering total of 337 15-inch shells with commendable results: but her achievements came at a cost, six direct enemy hits causing her casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s, breast badge converted for neck wear, silver-gilt and enamels, in Garrard, London case of issue gilt inscribed ‘A. W. Craig’; 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. W. Craig, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals,with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. A. W. Craig. R.N.); France, 3rd Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, gold and enamels, these last four mounted as worn; Japan, Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, with central cabochon, with neck cravat in its original black lacquered case of issue together with various fitments; Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Military Division, 2nd Class neck badge, gold and enamels by Edouard, in original case of issue and outer paper envelope, both marked for 2nd Class, the mounted group contained in an old leather case, the lid gilt inscribed, ‘Vice-Admiral A. Craig-Waller, C.B.’, good very fine or better (7) £3,000-£4,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Spink, July 2000. C.B. London Gazette 15 September 1916: ‘The Rear-Admiral commanding reports that the ships under his command were handled and fought by the captains in the manner one would expect from those officers and in accordance with the best traditions of the British Navy.’ M.I.D. London Gazette 15 September 1916. Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class, with swords London Gazette 5 June 1917. Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class London Gazette 29 August 1917. French Legion d’Honour, Officer London Gazette 27 May 1919. Arthur William Craig (later Craig-Waller) was born at Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland on 18 June 1872, the son of a clergyman. Having attended the training ship Britannia as a Cadet in 1884-85, he specialised in gunnery and passing out with five Firsts was advanced to Lieutenant in June 1892. A succession of seagoing appointments having ensued, he was advanced to Commander in December 1902 and to Captain June 1908, in which rank he served as Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance in 1909-11. By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, however, Craig-Waller was back at sea with command of the battleship Albemarle, in which capacity he remained employed until June 1915, when he removed to the battleship Barham. And it was for his command of Barham in the 5th Battle Squadron at Jutland that he gained wider fame and recognition, not least her excellent gunnery discipline which inflicted serious damage on the S.M.S. Derfflinger, Lützow, Moltke, Seydlitz and von der Tamm. Admiral Scheer later paid tribute to Barham and her consorts, describing their arrival on the scene of battle as a critical moment for his battle cruisers: ‘The new enemy fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy.’ Barham’s rate of fire was indeed phenomenal: she expended 337 15-inch and 25 6-inch shells and, with Valiant, was credited with a combined total of 23 or 24 hits, thereby winning them the accolade of the most accurate British battleships engaged. But Barham also suffered severe damage, most notably when Admiral Evan-Thomas turned the 5th Battle Squadron north at around 1650 hours on the 31 May, a manoeuvre that placed Barham in the killing zone of Admiral Hipper’s battle cruisers. One heavy calibre shell from the Derfflinger detonated above Barham’s medical store compartment, blowing a 7ft by 7ft hole in her main deck and sending lethal shell fragments through her middle and lower decks; another destroyed the ship’s sickbay, killing the staff and its patients, including eight boy ratings. In total, Barham was hit by five 13-inch shells and one 11-inch shell and suffered casualties of 26 killed and 46 wounded. Craig-Waller - who had also done his best to persuade Evan-Thomas to follow Beatty’s main battle group in the absence of a signal - was appointed C.B., in addition to being awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd Class, with swords; his subsequent award of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, in August 1917, likely reflected his part in the battle, too. Appointed to the command of the battleship Renown in April 1918, Craig-Waller was appointed an A.D.C. to the King in February 1919, awarded the French Legion d’Honour in May 1919, and advanced to Rear-Admiral in November 1919. He retired in the rank of Vice-Admiral in 1922 and submitted an account of the 5th Battle Squadron at Jutland to the R.U.S.I. Journal in the 1930s; see Volume 80, Issue 520. Having then volunteered his services after the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, by which date he was aged 67 and ‘employed on A.R.P. work’, the Admiral died in Walton-on-Thames in February 1943.

‘As Kingsmill, the third to attack, levelled up for his torpedo drop, Samples saw that the fabric of the aircraft's wings had been torn by enemy flak and was full of holes. But the Swordfish flew on until a cannon shell hit the fuselage immediately between them, wounding both men. When the air gunner, Don Bunce, looked up from his Vickers machine gun, the bloody Samples was shouting directions at him and Kingsmill. Then, screaming insults at the Germans, Bunce shot down one plane while Kingsmill struggled to control the Swordfish. Samples was looking at the German gun crews in their sleek, black anti-flash overalls when he felt a sudden burning sensation in his leg. Looking down, he was astonished to see a neat pattern of holes in his flying boots. But although blood was oozing out, he felt no pain, and he failed to notice that Kingsmill had dropped his torpedo, aimed at Prinz Eugen from about 2,000 yards. With the aircraft on fire and ripped by the flak, Kingsmill struggled to maintain height. He tried to communicate with Samples, not realising that the speaking tube had been shattered. Despite his wounds, Samples climbed up and shouted into his ear: “We'll never make it, ditch near those MTBs" – pointing towards some British boats which had also attacked the Germans. Shortly afterwards the three men were pulled from the drink by friendly hands … ’ The fate of Swordfish W5907 on 12 February 1942, as described in the obituary notice of Lieutenant-Commander ‘Mac’ Samples, D.S.O.; The Daily Telegraph, August 2009, refers. The post-war diplomatic service C.M.G., O.B.E., and outstanding Second War ‘Channel Dash’ D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Commander R. M. ‘Mac’ Samples, 828 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm Flying immediately behind the force leader’s aircraft, as observer to ‘Pat’ Kingsmill in Swordfish W5907, amidst curtains of flak and swathes of cannon shell, Samples sustained extensive wounds, including a smashed ankle and leg, and shrapnel to his right hand, backside and lower back; of the six Swordfish that went in, none returned, just five airmen out of 18 living to tell the tale. The force’s leader, Lieutenant-Commander Eugene Esmonde, D.S.O., R.N., was awarded a posthumous V.C., a distinction which recognised the valour of all of 825’s participating aircrew: ‘Their aircraft shattered, undeterred by an inferno of fire, they carried out their orders, which were to attack the target. Not one came back. Theirs was the courage which is beyond praise’ The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with neck cravat in its Spink, London case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamels, reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1942’, with its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil), Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Nepal, Coronation Medal 1955, generally very fine or better (8) £30,000-£40,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1971. D.S.O. London Gazette 3 March 1942 – joint citation: Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenant (A.) Charles Major Kingsmill, R.N.V.R. Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A.) Reginald McCartney Samples, R.N.V.R., who were Pilot and Observer of a Swordfish that was badly hit early in the action by cannon shells from an enemy fighter. Both were wounded but with part of the aircraft shot away, and the engine and upper wings in flames, they flew on undaunted until they had taken aim and fired their torpedo. They then turned and tried to come down near some ships, but these opened fire, so they flew on until their engine stopped and their aircraft came down into the sea. Soon afterwards they were picked up, still cheerful and dauntless, by one of H.M. vessels.’ O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1963. Reginald McCartney Samples was born in Liverpool on 11 August 1918 and was educated at Rhyl Grammar School and Liverpool University, where he was reading commerce when war was declared. It was direct from university that he joined the Fleet Air Arm in the summer of 1940 and, on completing his training as an observer, he was posted to No. 825 Naval Air Squadron (N.A.S.) in January 1942; some sources state that he was present in the Bismarck action of May 1941, whilst under training. Samples’ hitherto unpublished account of his part in the Channel Dash action, as requested by Commander Prentice, R.N., and dated at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood, Middlesex, on 26 June 1942, is reproduced here: ‘Sir, I have the honour to submit, as requested, a report on the operation carried out by 825 Squadron against the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prince Eugen in the Channel on Feb. 12th last. May I first of all thank you, sir, for your congratulatory letter and apologies for my belated reply due to difficulties in writing with a damaged hand. 825 Squadron, consisting of 6 Swordfish aircraft and led by Lt. Cdr. Esmonde, took departure over Ramsgate at 1220 on 12th Feb. at a height of 50 ft. to contact the German warships on a course of 142 (T). Kingsmill (my pilot), N.A. Bunce and myself were in ‘C’ machine of the first sub-flight, the second sub-flight being led by Lt. Thompson, R.N. Visibility was patchy and hazy over the sea (there were several feet of snow and ice on land) and though we sighted at about 4-5 miles, the Gneisenau and Eugen were only vaguely to be seen, Scharnhorst apparently being farther north and not visible. The enemy had a screen of destroyers and to make the run on Gneisenau we had to pass between two of them at a range of approx. 3 miles to port and starboard of us. Very heavy flak was encountered at this time and at about 5000 yds. We were attacked by a squadron of Me. 109s which peeled off from about 1500 ft. on our port quarter and came in singly from astern, setting all mainplanes on fire and destroying part of the tail unit and fuselage. Simultaneously, we were hit by flak coming up through the deck, and Kingsmill and myself were both wounded in the left foot and leg. It was very apparent that to maintain the run in would be ridiculous, particularly in the face of enemy F.W. 190s forming astern, so we took a staggering, avoiding turn to port, noticing as we did that the C.O., who had obviously been hit badly, stalled about 200 yds. ahead of us and hit the water. Our aircraft was rather difficult to manage but we were able to come round in a circle and make a second run. It is rather interesting to note here that we passed below the second sub-flight coming into the attack. They were tucked in very close formation – a fact which no doubt explains their total loss. On our second run we were again attacked by fighters but dropped our torpedo at about 2000 yds. and again took avoiding action. We did not claim a hit, as we did not wait and see! Our aircraft was in very bad shape and was lolloping rather than flying along; the rockets and distress signals in the dinghy were exploding in the wing and creating a sight that might have been pleasant to see could we have appreciated it at the time. I endeavoured to get a course home, and the A.G. took over look-out astern, but unfortunately some M.T.Bs which my pilot made for turned out to be E-boats and gave us a hot reception with...

The rare Second War Landing-Craft Operations Clearance Unit (L.C.O.C.U.) D.S.M. group of five awarded to Petty Officer H. C. Gore, Royal Navy, who was decorated for his gallantry as a frogman and demolition expert on D-Day and in the contested landings in the South of France Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (P.O., H. C. Gore. R/JX.209374) officially engraved naming; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted as worn, extremely fine (5) £2,400-£2,800 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Seedies Roll lists a total of just 10 D.S.M.s, 3 D.S.C.s, and one D.S.C. and Bar to L.C.O.C. Units during the Second World War, mainly for the landings in Normandy and the South of France. D.S.M. London Gazette 6 November 1945: ‘For bravery, skill and great devotion to duty in the reconnaissance and destruction of unknown obstacles and mines, and in the rescuing of survivors whose craft had been destroyed in a minefield during the Allied landings in the Baie de Cavalaire in the South of France, June-August 1944. And for similar good services in the landings in Normandy.’ The recommendations for this batch of awards are to be found in the National Archives under reference ADM1/30497 which reads: ‘The Honours and Awards Committee has considered the good services of certain ratings in the destruction of underwater obstacles and mines during the invasion of the South of France, and submits that the King may be asked to approve the Awards set forth below. During the landings in the Baie de Cavallaire in the South of France these ratings successfully carried out under fire the initial reconnaissance of unknown obstacles and mines and achieved their destruction. They also did good work in helping to save the lives of wounded soldiers of the United States Army when the craft in which they were embarked struck mines and was sunk.’ Henry Charles Gore was a frogman in a Landing-Craft Obstruction Clearance Unit, one of 120 such men engaged on D-Day, two of whom were killed and ten wounded; six of them were awarded the D.S.M. Just two L.C.O.C.U. units subsequently participated in the landings in the South of France, making Gore’s award of the D.S.M. most unusual. Lieutenant H. Hargreaves, a L.C.O.C.U. commander, later described what he and his fellow frogmen, such as Gore, faced on D-Day: ‘The invasion of Normandy to the average person was the greatest combined operation that had ever taken place, and that in fact was the truth. However, few people know of the work carried out by small, special units, both before the operation, and during the initial assaults. We were one of the small units which had this particular role to play. A role which was not easy, and from which many of us did not expect to return, but one which we were determined to carry out until our work was completed. For the invasion of Normandy the Force Commanders used approximately a hundred and twenty officers and men of the ‘Locku’ units divided into ten parties, or units. Each unit had an officer and eleven men, and each was allotted to its own beach and had its own particular job to do. In my case, and that of a brother officer, we found ourselves detailed to deal with the obstacles on a beach near the village of La Riviere. We were supposed to go in at H hour, which was the very beginning of the assault. We were dropped into our craft from an L.S.I. at seven o’clock in the morning and went hell-for-leather for the beach, and arrived hoping to find the front row of obstacles on the water’s edge, and not in the water, but discovered some two or three feet of water over them. We left our craft and got to work at once on posts with mines secured to the tops of them, specially constructed wooden ramps which were mined, and steel hedgehogs with mines and anti-aircraft shells on top of them, and we were subjected the whole time to quite a hot fire from rockets, shells and bombs. We must have been about four hundred yards from the beach when the firing first started, and they didn’t forget to inform us that they knew we were coming. When we finally got on the beach we discovered that we were being systematically sniped, not only with rifles but also by odd bursts of machine-gun fire - a most unpleasant experience - but one that we soon got used to. As time went on we almost forgot about it until we realised that opposition was dying down because in the meantime the Army had landed and was dealing with machine-gun posts, mortar posts, and all the other unpleasant places Jerry had prepared for us. The weather was very much worse than anyone would have expected in June, and we had the greatest difficulty working in a very heavy surf. It was hard going and we soon got pretty tired, but in the meantime the obstacles were being slowly but systematically destroyed. As we made an initial gap for the landing craft to come through, so we increased the size of the gap as time went on. We succeeded in clearing the whole of the beach some thousand yards in length, with obstacles going out to over four hundred yards by the end of D Day. That didn’t end our work, of course, although the worst was over. Landing craft of all shapes and sizes were simply pouring on to the beach, and in the meantime, having cleared that beach, we had to proceed to another beach and get rid of the obstacles there. In all, we successfully disposed of over two thousand five hundred obstacles, practically every one mined, in addition to this, as a sort of savoury, we cleared the explosives out of half a dozen beetle tanks. Not long before D Day a special jacket had been invented to protect us against that terrible blast which can be experienced when a mine or shell explodes underwater. This jacket was known as a ‘Kapok Jacket’ and was worn underneath our swim suits. It proved to be a most wonderful thing, and saved the lives of no less than three of my men. One of my Petty Officers, who was working in about six feet of water, had a shell or mortar bomb explode in the water quite close to him, and although he was completely knocked out, and in fact paralysed for several hours, he had no injuries whatever, and no after effects. A Royal Engineer who was swimming towards the beach from one of the landing craft, and was some distance farther away from the explosion than the Petty Officer, was killed outright, and I have no doubt that many men suffered the same fate on that day. I would like to make it quite clear that we don’t in any way look upon ourselves as supermen, or heroes, or anything like that at all, and we did not by any means clear all the obstacles off the beaches in time for the landing craft to get in. There were nowhere near enough of us to have hoped to do it. What we could, and did do, was to clear an initial gap for the landing craft to beach safely, and to increase that gap as quickly as possible until the beach was entirely free from obstacles. Consequently many of the landing craft who didn’t use the gap, because of the simple fact that there just wasn’t room for them, struck obstacles, or had holes blown in them or their bottoms torn out, with the result that many men had to swim ashore with full equipment. When our original job had been completed we had to keep our reputation as ‘Jack the Handyman’ by doing many jobs to assist on the beaches, such as winching drowned vehicles out of the water. We did this by taking a wire with a hook on the end, right out to sea in our swim suits and breathing sets, hook up the vehicle, come to the surface and signal to the operator ashore to...

The rare and important Second War St. Nazaire raid D.S.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Commander (E.) W. H. Locke, Royal Navy, who was Warrant Engineer aboard H.M.S. Campbeltown and taken P.O.W. after the loss of M.L. 177 Distinguished Service Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’, hallmarks for London 1948; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; Korea 1950-53, 1st issue (Lt. Cdr. W. H. Locke. R.N.); U.N. Korea 1950-54, unnamed, mounted court-style as worn, good very fine or better (7) £30,000-£40,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 2008. D.S.C. London Gazette 11 September 1945: ‘For gallantry, determination and devotion to duty in H.M.S. Campbeltown in the raid on St. Nazaire in March 1942.’ Wilfrid Harry Locke was born in Surrey on 5 March 1910 and entered the Royal Navy in January 1926. Appointed as a Warrant Engineer in October 1941, he was placed in charge of the engine-room of the former American four-stacker Campbeltown in early 1942, which ship had been allocated a key role in forthcoming Operation ‘Chariot’, namely to ram the southern caisson of the Normandie Dock in St. Nazaire, laden with delayed action explosives, thereby destroying the facility and denying the Tirpitz use of the only suitable dry-dock on the Atlantic coast. Accordingly, over a two-week period in March 1942, the Campbeltown was fitted out at Devonport and outwardly altered to resemble a German Mowe-class torpedo boat, while internally she was fitted with a special tank containing four tons of T.N.T. and eight-hour delay fuses, which were to be activated two hours before she reached the Normandie Dock. Setting out on her final voyage with the raiding force on 26 March, she took over as Force Leader shortly after midnight on the 28th, when seven and a half miles remained in the run up the Loire. Finally, at about 0130, with less than two miles to go, the German defences awoke. C. E. Lucas Phillips takes up the story in The Greatest Raid of All: ‘A continuous stream of projectiles of all sorts was now striking the Campbeltown, but so violent was the sound of our own weapons that the ring of bullets on her hull and the crack of small shells was hardly noticed; but when larger shells shook her from stem to stern none could be unaware, and what every survivor was to remember for ever afterwards was the unchecked glow of the darts of red and green tracer flashing and hissing across her deck and the quadruple whistle of the Bofors shells. Bullets penetrated her engine and boiler-rooms, ricocheting from surface to surface like hornets, and Locke, the Warrant Engineer, ordered hands to take cover between the main engines of the condensers, except for the throttle watchkeepers ...’ With 200 yards to go a searchlight fortuitously illuminated the check-point of the lighthouse on the end of the Old Mole, enabling Lieutenant-Commander S. H. Beattie on the Campbeltown’s bridge to correct his aim on the caisson. Having then ploughed through the steel anti-torpedo net, the old four-stacker closed on her collision course at 20 knots, and every man aboard braced himself for the impact. At 0134 the Campbeltown crashed into the gate, rearing up and tearing the bottom out of her bows for nearly 40 feet. Commando assault and demolition parties streamed ashore, while below the sea cocks were opened to ensure the Germans could not remove her before she blew up. As she settled by the stern, Beattie evacuated the crew via M.G.B. 314, and Lieutenant Mark Rodier’s M.L. 177. Locke and Beattie, with some 30 or more of Campbeltown’s crew boarded the latter, and started off down river at 0157 hours. Lucas Phillips continues: ‘The boat was embarrassingly overcrowded but Winthrop, Campbeltown’s doctor, helped by Hargreaves, the Torpedo-Gunner, continued to dress and attend to the wounded both above and below deck. Very soon, however, they were picked up again by the searchlights lower down the river and came under fire from Dieckmann’s dangerous 75mm and 6.6-inch guns. Rodier took evasive action as he was straddled with increasing accuracy. The end came after they had gone some three miles. A shell ... hit the boat on the port side of the engine-room lifting one engine bodily on top of the other and stopping both. Toy, the Flotilla Engineer Officer, went below at once. Beattie left the bridge and went down also. He had no sooner left than another shell hit the bridge direct. Rodier was mortally wounded and died a few minutes afterwards ... The engine room was on fire, burning fiercely, and the sprayer mechanism for fire-fighting had also been put out of action. Toy, who had come up momentarily, at once returned to the blazing compartment but was never seen again. Locke, Campeltown’s Warrant Engineer, was able partially to repair the extinguisher mechanism. The flames amidships divided the crowded ship in two, but the ship’s company continued to fight the fire for some three hours by whatever means available. At length, when all means had failed and the fire had spread throughout the boat, the order to abandon ship was given at about 5 a.m. One Carley raft had been damaged, but few of the wounded ratings were got away on the other, and the remainder of those alive entered the icy water, many of them succumbing to the ordeal. All of Campbeltown’s officers were lost except Beattie and Locke, among those who perished being the brilliant and devoted Tibbets, to whose skill and resourcefulness the epic success of the raid was so much due and whose work was soon to be triumphantly fulfilled.’ Locke and the other survivors were rounded up by the Germans by 0930 hours, which was expected to be the last possible time for the acid-eating, delayed action fuses in Campbeltown to work. Thus it was with all the more satisfaction that at 1035 hours the British prisoners, gathered together in small groups across the St. Nazaire area, heard the terrific explosion which blew in the caisson and vaporised Campbeltown’s bows. The stern section was swept forward on a great surge of water and carried inside the Normandie Dock where it sank. Thus, the main goal of the operation was achieved for a cost of 169 dead and about 200 taken P.O.W., many of them wounded, out of an original raiding force of 611 men. Yet only six of Campbeltown’s gallant crew were eventually decorated, Beattie being awarded the Victoria Cross. For his own part, the wounded Locke was hospitalised at Le Baule and Rennes, prior to being transferred to Marlag und Milag Nord camp at Tarnstedt at the end of April 1942. Nor was he a willing prisoner, official records revealing his part in the digging of a 130ft. tunnel from the camp’s dining room in September 1943, as part of a team of 30 men. That having been discovered by the enemy, he joined a team of 60 men in April 1944 in digging another tunnel parallel to the old one, but this too was discovered when a section of the roof collapsed. He also volunteered to make a hasty exit by wire cutting, but this plan was vetoed by the Escaping Committee. His award of the D.S.C. was not gazetted until after his liberation, a distinction that prompted his former boss, Lord Mountbatten, to write in person: ‘From my personal knowledge as Chief of Combined Operations, I know how well deserved this recognition is and am delighted to see that the part you played in such a hazardous expedition has been recognised nearly four years afterwards. I hope that you have fully recovered from your captivity and should like to wis...

The unique Great War Red Sea operations C.G.M. group of nine awarded to Sergeant J. F. McLaughlin, Royal Marine Light Infantry, who was decorated for his gallant deeds at the capture of Salif in June 1917 Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, G.V.R. (P.O. 8873. Sergt. J. F. McLaughlin, R.M.L.I. H.M.S. Topaze. Salif. 12. June 1917); China 1900, 1 clasp, Relief of Pekin (P.O. 8873. J. F. McLaughlin, Pte., R.M., Nav. Depot. Wei-Hai-Wei.); Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-1914 (P.O. 8873. Corpl. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I. H.M.S. Proserpine); 1914-15 Star (P.O. 8873. Sgt. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I.); British War and Victory Medals (P.O. 8873 Sgt. J. F. McLaughlin. R.M.L.I.); Naval Good Shooting Medal, E.VII.R. (P.O. 8873. Cpl. J. F. McLaughlin, H.M.S. Hermione. 1910. 6 In. Q.F.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (P.O. 8873 J. F. McLaughlin, Corporal R.M.L.I.); France, 3rd Republic, Medaille Militaire, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, contact marks, otherwise very fine or better (9) £12,000-£16,000 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, June 1999. A unique combination of awards to the Royal Marines. C.G.M. London Gazette 11 August 1917: ‘For conspicuous gallantry at the capture of Salif on the 12 June 1917. Just before the surrender he came across 11 unwounded and 1 wounded Turkish soldiers. Followed by one Petty Officer, Sergeant McLaughlin jumped among them, shot one, and made seven surrender.’ James Francis McLaughlin was born in Gibraltar on 6 January 1878, and joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Eastney in January 1897. Among those landed with the North China Field Force in July 1900, he took part in the relief of Pekin operations in the following month, in addition to serving at the R.M. depot at Wei-Hei-Wei. Advanced to Corporal in February 1902, he subsequently qualified as a gun layer and 2nd captain of gun and, whilst serving in H.M.S. Hermione in 1910, he was awarded the Naval Good Shooting Medal for his skills on her 6-inch Quick Firing gun. Having then witnessed active service in the Persian Gulf aboard the Proserpine, he added the L.S. & G.C. Medal to his accolades in August 1912. Advanced to Sergeant in June 1913, McLaughlin was serving in the battleship Queen on the outbreak of hostilities, and he quickly saw action off Gallipoli during the landings in April 1915. Transferring to the Topaze in the Adriatic in February 1916, he participated in operations in support of the Regia Marina, prior to her transfer to the East Indies station in March 1917. Red Sea C.G.M. Operating out of Aden, Topaze saw action against the Turks in support of the South Arabian campaign, her guns contributing to the bombardment of enemy positions on the island of Kamaran on 10 June 1917. But it was for his deeds in a related action at Salif two days later that McLaughlin was awarded his C.G.M., when Topaze and her consorts closed the enemy batteries and landed parties of Marines and bluejackets to capture the position. Salif lies on a peninsula, the north end of which is a mud flat covered at high tide by the sea. On the east side of the village is a hill with a hollow depression in its face, in which the enemy garrison took up their position, when the ships approached at dawn on the 12th; here they were well screened from the fire of the ships. The Espiegle entered the inlet between the peninsula and the mainland, so as to bring a cross fire on the place. The Northbrook went close inshore at the south end of the peninsula; Minto, Topaze and Odin made a line to the north of her, as near the shore as possible. The Topaze and Odin ran in so close that the enemy could not depress their guns sufficiently to reach them. The Turks had two Krupp mountain guns and three one-inch Nordenfeldts; their shells did no harm as they had to be laid so that their line of fire would clear the crater. The Northbrook’s men landed at the south end of the peninsula and took up a position on the right of the town, the others all landed at the pier and extended behind a ridge, which was flanked by a salt mine on the south, and by houses on the north. The Royal Marines were in the centre of the line. The Odin’s seamen entered the village and took possession of the condensing plant and the telegraph office. Commander A. R. Woods, D.S.O., R.N., of the Topaze, was in command, with Commander Salmond second-in-command; there was no Royal Marine officer present. The ships’ guns fired a barrage on the hill, and under cover of this the parties advanced and gained the foot of the hill. The attack was directed against three sides, the fourth being closed by the Espiegle. At a given signal, the hill was rushed and they completely surrounded the Turks, who made a good fight, the engagement lasting for over three hours. In the course of the fighting, McLaughlin encountered 12 Turkish soldiers and went for them single handed, followed by one Petty Officer, and between them they shot one, took seven prisoner and the rest bolted. He and two Naval ratings were subsequently awarded the C.G.M., whilst Commander Woods was awarded a Bar to his D.S.O. McLaughlin remained employed in the Topaze until the summer of 1918, when he returned home to an appointment in the Portsmouth Division. He was demobilised and pensioned ashore in October 1919. Sold with his original parchment Certificates of Service (2), and another on paper; Certificate of Discharge and Character Certificate on Demobilisation; Pension Certificate for Conspicuous Gallantry, and a postcard photograph of McLaughlin and other Royal Marines aboard H.M.S. Topaze in 1917.

▲ Jenny McNulty (1942-2016) 'Still life (Square of Shells)'signed and dated 'Jy McNulty 1999' u.l., also signed and dated verso, oil on canvas 41 x 41cm, unframedProvenance: With Duncan Campbell Fine Art, London.Condition ReportThe signature and date on the front are scratched into the paint. A tiny spot of paint loss to the extreme top left corner. A 5cm long crack to the centre of the right edge. The work presents well overall and is ready to hang. Not examined under UV light, for a full report please contact the department.

Chinese cherry blossom bowl with green background - Chinese teapot and small vase, Kokura Japan jug, carved wooden needle pot with lion chasing gazelle and 2 mother of pearl oyster shells with plastic bead

Boxes and Objects - a mid 20th century leather suitcase, initials E.W.D, Blue Star Sunshine Cruises label;   R Greaser's Mineral Water tear shaped bottle;  others, Hanson & Mitchell;  shells; a leather suitcase;  wash jug and bowl;   etc

A reproduction mahogany display cabinet, moulded dentil  cornice above astragal glazed door and glazed side panels, the projecting base with fielded cupboard door, shells to angles, flanked by quarter columns,  plinth base, 193cm high, 67cm wide, 43cm deep

A PAIR OF ASIAN DANCERS AND A WOODEN BUDDAHwith other items including shells, a tile dish stand, a hat brush, marbles etc.

A George III silver basket, of gadrooned oblong form with shells and foliage at intervals, reeded sides and swing handle, on conforming foot, 33.5cm l, maker's mark rubbed, London 1810, 39oz 10dwt A well made basket in good condition with little wear, no play in handle, no dents, engraving or repairA little used example

A George II silver salver, engraved at later date with crest, coronet, initial H of Hamilton and motto THOROUGH, in gadrooned rim with shells at intervals, on three ball feet, 23cm diam, by Dorothy Sarbitt, London 1754, 14oz 5dwt Field 'whippy' and with light wear and polish scratches consistent with age, no repair, feet undamaged

A 1941 dated Zuckermann helmet complete with liner and chin strap and two Third Reich Fire Police helmet shells one with post war re-issue emblem, together with an Indian bone and ebony swordstick. (4)

Victorian rosewood writing box, brass banded corners, width 45cm; rosewood banded satinwood work box, 30cm; two black lacquered boxes with Japanese figural panels, one full of Cowrie Shells.Qty: 4

A Chelsea porcelain Kakiemon plate and a Chelsea porcelain Kakiemon soup plate, c.1755, red anchor mark to soup-plate, each plate after Meissen originals, moulded with cruciform Gotzkowsky Erhabene Blumen and painted in the Kakiemon palette, the centre of one painted with a circling phoenix, the border painted with two lotus flowerheads alternating with shells, 24.3cm wide; the other with a central crane, the border with two birds in flight alternating with flowering shrubs and fences, each enriched in gilding, brown line rims, 23.6cm wide (2)Provenance: Property of the late Hugo Morley-Fletcher MA FSA (1940-2022).Note: For a similarly-moulded Meissen-style plate decorated with the Kakiemon ‘two quail’ pattern at the centre, see Elizabeth Adams, Chelsea Porcelain, London, 1987, p. 102.

A Napoleon III ormolu-mounted tortoiseshell and brass-inlaid 'Boulle' marquetry mantel clock, the mounts cast by Auguste Delafontaine, third quarter 19th century, the arched case surmounted by a figure of Chronos, the repousse brass dial with enamel Roman numerals within a laurel wreath border, above a glazed panel behind figures of the Fates, flanked by uprights headed by scrolling pilasters surmounted by shells, the apron inlaid with the inscription CUNCTA CUM TEMPORE REGUNT between scrolling feet, the sides and back inset with glazed panels, on a conforming bracket, the mounts stamped AD, the twin train movement stamped EM 7370 and 10.6, 114.5cm high, 44.5cm wide, 22cm deepNote: This clock is a direct copy of a Louis XIV period clock and bracket, attributed to the workshop of André-Charles Boulle, with movement by Antoine Gaudron, which is now in the Louvre, having been gifted in 1985 by Jean-Paul and Michel Fabre (OA 11029). In the 1732 inventory of André-Charles Boulle's atelier, a clock of this model is listed as 'une boeste contenant les modeles de la pendule a Parques avec le Temps isolé', clearly indicating a clock depicting the three Fates with Time 'isolated', watching the three sisters from above as Clotho divides the thread of life, Lachesis measures it, and Atropos cuts it. The model derives from a design by Boulle, published by Mariette in 'Nouveaux desseins de meubles et ouvrages de bronze et de marqueterie inventés et gravés par André-Charles Boulle', circa 1715. The Delafontaine bronze factory was first established in the late 18th century by Jean-Baptiste-Maximilien Delafontaine (1750-1820), and was subsequently under the direction of Jean-Baptiste's grandson, Auguste-Maximilien, under whose tenure the present clock was most likely produced. In 1870, located at 10 rue de L'Université, the firm created decorative works of art of the highest quality and was a main competitor to the Barbedienne foundry.Please note that Roseberys do not guarantee the working order or time keeping of any timepiece.  

A Sèvres porcelain cup and saucer (Gobelet ‘Hébert’ et soucoupe of the second size), c.1770, the interlaced foliate handle on the cup with gilt foliate terminals, the body decorated with a broad rich frizes colorées of shells, diaper, hatched and scale ornament panels suspending garlands below from gilt looped scrolls, the saucer similarly decorated, gilt dentil rims, the cup - 5.9cm high, the saucer - 12cm diameter (2)Provenance: The Antique Porcelain Company, New York (according to the paper label attached to the reverse of the saucer). American Private Collection. Anonymous sale, Bonhams, London, 5 July 2018, lot 174. Property of the Late Hugo Morley-Fletcher MA FSA (1940-2022).Condition Report: This cup and saucer appear to be in very good condition and are bright and fresh in appearance. On the cup there are some minute areas of mis-firing to the green enamels of the leaves and to some arched hatched panels – these date from the time of manufacture, they are extremely small and minor (and are barely discernible). On the saucer there are some minute areas of wear to the gilding – this is also very minor and barely noticeable.

A gilt-pewter salt cellar, French or Italian, late 19th century, modelled with Neptune astride a dolphin and holding a hinged lidded shell-shaped well, flanked by two scallop shells, on a rococo style pierced and scrolling foliate base, with incised L to underside, 17cm high, 25cm wide (VAT on hammer price)Provenance: The George Farrow Collection.

A Sèvres porcelain coffee-can and saucer (Gobelet 'litron' et soucoupe of the fourth size), c.1766, blue interlaced L cyphers enclosing date letter N, painter’s marks for L. J. Thévenet, the blue-ground borders with gilt diaper panels divided by brightly-coloured shells and gilt scrolls suspending pendant swags, gilt dentil rims, the can - 4.7cm high; the saucer - 10.6cm diameter (2)Provenance: American Private Collection. Anonymous sale, Bonhams, London, 5 July 2018, lot 175. Property of the Late Hugo Morley-Fletcher MA FSA (1940-2022).Note: Louis-Jean Thévenet (père or l’aîné) was a painter of flowers and patterns at Sèvres from 1741 to 1748. Condition Report: There is slight wear to the gilt rims and the scrolls and diaper panels on the saucer, but these are otherwise in good condition.

A box of miscellaneous shells

A COLLECTION OF MAJOLICA CERAMICS to include four Bretby items comprising a nineteenth-century glazed garden seat with foliate and floral patterns to the stand and concentric mustard and yellow coloured circles to the seat, height 43.5cm x diameter 28.5cm, manufacturers marks to the interior (crack across the seat, signs of restoration under the rim of the seat, signs of wear to the rim of the seat, crazing, chips to the base), a Leaf plate with walnut decoration, manufacturers mark to the underside (a chip to the rim, crazed), and a leaf-shaped cake stand height 10cm x diameter 24cm (flecks of white paint), and a planter with wavy rim (hairline crack to the rim, areas of white paint, wear to the interior, height 20cm x diameter 23cm), and a Crab sculpted wall plate with various seas shells, marked 'Alvaro Jose, Caldas' underside, diameter 31cm (one of the crab legs is broken but included)

A LEGA 'SAKIMATWEMATWE' MULTI-FACED SCULPTURE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO depicting a local multi-faced Bwami deity, carved from wood with two faces to the front, and another to the reverse, all with varying expressions, all faces inlaid with cowrie shells in the eyes, one with a cowrie shell to the mouth, the other two have two cow teeth inset to the upper part of the mouth, natural pigments around the facial features, with two horns to the top, height 47cm x width 18cm (1) (Condition Report: one of the teeth is chipped, some chips to the painted areas noticeably around the lips)

Golden-Coloured Matching Pair of Mortar Shells Marked "2 BTT 70" and a Single White Mortar Flare Casing with Rusted Tail Marked "P1 1/79"This collection comprises three mortar shells, featuring a matching pair with gold-coloured bodies marked "2 BTT 70" and a distinctly different single mortar shell with a white body and rusted tail section, marked "P1 1/79". The gold-coloured mortars are identical, bearing the same markings and overall design. Contrasting with these, the central white mortar exhibits visible rust near its open end and along a band encircling its body. The fins on the rusted and gold mortars are visible, indicating their intended aerodynamic stability. Importantly, the white mortar’s tail section also includes a metal fin assembly with minor rust and the stamp "P1 1/79", adding to its identifiable features.

A small collection of exotic shells within a woven bag.

A pair of small bonbon dishes, decorated in the Victorian high rococo style with shells, flowers, garlands and pierced panels each raised on four paw feet with shell knees, Marks & Cohen (Walter Henry Marks & Samuel Tobias Cohen, London 1902, complete in original fitted case, together with a later silver mustard pot, with later plated spoon, total silver weight 3.09toz.

Quantity of shells.

Hard stone eggs and shells etc.

13 Boxed Triang Rolling stock with 3 OO Graham Farish packaged Brown/Cream coaches, plus others(3800g)Triang R332 GWR Composite coach Celestory roof boxed, plus another un-boxedTriang R333 GWR Brake/3rd coach Celestory roof boxedTriang R227 BR Utility van boxedTriang R622A SR Composite coach boxedTriang R728 Brake 2nd Coach Blue with seats boxedTriang R729 Blue buffet car boxedTwo boxes of Triang R384 'Completely Knocked Down' Pair of Marron buffet cars, three built, one part-builtTriang R122 Cattle wagon boxed w/internal packingTriang R124 Brake van boxedTriang R561 'tri-ang' container wagon boxed9 un-boxed Triang coaches and wagons including one dummy logoThree Triange loco shells Condition: Rolling stock - FairBoxes - Fair

A mixed lot, to include shells and a French novelty walnut cracker.

Deborah Jones, still life of a bust, shells and flowers, signed and dated 1974 in Roman numerals, oil on canvas, 44 x 60cm.

Este Ceramiche for Tiffany & Co, a faience charger, decorated with applied shells to the centre within a blue and yellow banded border 42cm diameter, 11cm high Provenance: From the estate of a private collector.