Medals: MBE (1st Type, Military Division, first type ribbon), 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal (entitled to MID but not with group).

All correctly named: MBE (unnamed and hallmarked), Star (C.M. STKPR J.S. ROBERTSON E.AFR.M.S.), Pair (Captain J.S. Robertson)

This is his full medal entitlement. Extremely rare group to a scarce unit.

Comes with confirmation of MBE and copy of his MIC which comfirms commission, ranks, medals and MID.

MIC (A3 copy) list's MBE no L/Gazzette date given medal entitlement 1915 Star Trio - Date of entry to Theatre 4a (Theatre 4a was Egypt) on 6.8.14. Chief Med Store Keeper - Capt - Lt, date of commission 9.12.15. L/Gazzette date mentioned in connection with commission as 9.8.21.

The book by C.P.Fendall "The East African Force 1915 - 1919" (1922 reprinted by the Battery Press, Nashville 1992 ISBN : 0-89839-174-1),contains some descriptions of the East African Campaign and some organisational details of the EAF, from which the following is an extract from the chapter on Medical Administration.

"In East Africa prior to the formation of the East African Force there was a dual system of medical administration in British East Africa and Uganda. The principal medical officer of the East African Protectorate was given a commission, and was in charge of the Protectorate troops in addition to his civil duties, the senior medical officer of Indian Expeditionary Force B being in charge of the remainder. Many of the medical officers of the two Protectorates were given commissions.....when the East African Force was established the Director of Medical Services of the force took over supreme control. The senior medical officer of Indian Expeditionary Force B then became Assistant Director of Medical Services of the lines of communication, the Principal Medical Officers of the Protectorates continued to give their services in matters connected with troops belonging to their respective governments."

Mounted as worn, NEF to EF. Very rare.

320 GBP  Sold

135 GBP

MC, T/LIEUT L.S. GREENING W.YORK.R:
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on two different occasions when in charge of brigade transport, in spite of intense shell and machine gun fire which caused very heavy casualties to animals and men he brought his transport up with the greatest energy and determination knowing that his supplies were urgently required for the front line trenches, but for his splendid personal example it is unlikely that this supplies would have reached their destination."

BAR TO THE MC, LIEUT L.S. GREENING. W.YORK.R:
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when ordered to deliver an urgent operation order, involving a journey of about 2 miles under heavy fire and at close range. His horse was shot shortly after starting and he performed the remainder on foot. He successfully delivered his orders and finding his return cut off he materially assisted in the organization of a rearguard action. His courage and resource were most marked"

OBE 1 Jan 1941 (LGp21) Admin Officer, Colonial Administration Service, Cyprus.

Otherwise unresearched so there is a lot to do on this one.

Attempt erasure of Victory medal, but name is still visable.

250 GBP

Major H. C. Crone MC, Order of St Anne (Imperial Russia), Royal Engineers

Military Cross (GV), 1914/15 Star [2Lt RE], British War Medal [Major], Victory Medal [Major], Russia Order of St Anne 3^rd Class (non-Christian - in Gold and enamel).
Photo: CLICK HERE

Major Harold Cartwight Crone, Royal Engineers, formerly Driver HAC was the only Royal Engineer officer to receive this combination of medals and thus the group is unique to the regiment - possibly the British Army. One other RE officer qualified for the MC and St Anne but did not qualify for the 15 Star. In addition to which this other officer was a Christian and was awarded the standard St Anne. Crone's St Anne is the very scarce non-Christian type.

MC – London Gazette 26 September 1918
"2/LT (A/Major). For conspicuous gallantry. He worked tirelessly night after night supervising the digging of cable trenches and laying of lines under heavy shellfire, establishing good communications, in spite of the fact that forward lines were constantly being cut and many signalers and runners killed."

White Russian Awards (Brough) confirms the Order of St Anne:
P 24 “CRONE Lieut. Harold Cartwight, RE (TF) - St Anne 3^rd Class”

Harold Cartwight Crone was born on 24 October 1899 to Mary (née Cartwright) and Stephan Campbell Crone, a coal merchant. He was born at Victoria Road, Penarth, Glamorgan, South Wales.

By September 1904, his father's business interests prospered the family relocated to Richmond, Surrey, England, where, at the age of 14 Harold was admitted to Marlborough College, Wiltshire, England. He became a border on C1 boarding house.

It was at Marlborough College that his talent for art developed, and which probably had a bearing on his subsequent choice of profession - architect. In 1906 Harold won the Voluntary Drawing Prize and Mr. Lloyd's Sketching Prize. 1907 he was a member of the College Gymnasium 1^st VIII and played regularly on the wing for his House Rugby Team.

Harold left Marlborough in March 1907, at the age of 17 and moved to London to commence training as an architect. It is not yet known where he completed his professional studies but he had qualified and was still living in London in 1914.

On the 3 August 1914 (by a coincidence the last day of peace for 5 long years) Harold was admitted to the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) as a Driver. The HAC was part of the Territorial Force (TF) and was considered one of its Elite units from which many officers of the regular and TF were recruited. It was also a popular pastime and part-time hobby for many of the Capital's young professional classes.

Within two days of enlistment Harold was embodied and served as a full time serviceman until the end of hostilities. With his Public School education and impeccable credentials Harold was soon considered Officer material, and was Commissioned as Second Lieutenant into the Royal Engineers (TF) on 18 October 1914. He was posted to the London Cable Signal Company.

Each of the Home Commands (including London Command) consisted of several Divisions. Each Division consisted of 16 Companies - one Signal Company and fifteen Army Troop Companies (5 Airline Companies, 5 Cable Companies and 5 Wireless Companies). Army Troop Companies were grouped into threes, one of each type (Airline, Cable and Wireless) under the command of a Lt Colonel. The Signal Company provided the communications between these 5 groups and their job was extremely technical. Their tools included the new Cable Wagon which had replaced the Cable Cart first used in the South African War of 1899 - 02; apart from this new piece of equipment the Signal Service was largely the same as it was 15 years earlier. These Commands were small as it was thought that they would require several months of post-embodiment training before they were fit for active service.

In 1915 the Signal Service Training Centre (SSTC) was created in Bedfordshire as the result of an amalgamation of the Signal Depot (Aldershot) and Reserve Signal Companies. The SSTC was originally Headquartered in Ridgemont but later moved to Bedford. It had a number of Depots commanded by Territorial Lt Colonels at Houghton Regis (near Dunstable), Fenny Stratford, Haynes Park, Stevenage and Baldock. It's purpose was to provide technical training for Officers, recruit and train other ranks, and the formation and training of non-divisional Signal Units. Divisional Signal Companies carried out all their training within their Divisions. The London District Signal Companies were absorbed into the SSTC, and it's members were then drafted overseas as required.

2Lt Crone was based at Houghton Hall, Houghton Regis and on 15 December 1914 he applied for appointment as a Temporary Commission in the Regular Army. By the following Spring 2Lt Crone had completed his Technical Training Course at the SSTC and was drafted to the Western Front on 7 April 1915, to join the BEF. He was to serve in France and Flanders continuously until the 11 November 1919, apart from some brief periods of leave.

He seems to have been employed with Cable Sections. These Sections were Army Troops and frequently moved from one formation to another as circumstances dictated, in support of Army or Corps Signal Companies. The Signal Service had been designed to work with a moving army and communicated mainly by telegraph.

During the campaign Crone was wounded at least once (SMO 1920) and was decorated for gallantry in the Flanders Offensive of 1917.

After the Armistice he joined the British Military Mission in South Russia April 1919 for service as a Specialist Signal Instructor to Denikin’s White Armies. The force consisted of 1500 British Troops. In December 1919 the White Army was driven back to the Black Sea by the Trotsky Army and the British Volunteers escaped from Novorossisk* on 27 March 1920 just as the Bolshevik Troops were entering the city. He returned to UK from Constantinople 17 April 1920 and resigned June 1920. He then went to Australia where he was an architect in Canberra, Australia.

*Novorossisk was an important port on the Black Sea, supplying the British Mission which was aiding General Deniken in south Russia against the Bolsheviks. In October 1919, Deniken was having his greatest successes and on 14 October, the culminating point of his bid to seize Moscow being the capture of the town of Orel on 14 October, less than 250 miles from the capital.

It was for his service in South Russia that he was awarded the Order of St Anne.

1670 GBP  Sale Agreed

Albert James Frederick Berry was born in Devon, UK on 28 April 1888. His next of kin (mother) is listed as Mrs H.A. Berry of Bridgend, Cornwall, UK. He was a schoolmaster and was attested in the NZEF on 29 May 1915.

15 November 1915 he arrived in Suez, Egypt and on 19 December he was sent to Marsa Matrum per SS Scouter. On 12 February 1916 he was admitted to No 16 Staff Hospital, Marsa Matrum with Influenza. A few days later on 17 February 1916 he was admitted to 21^st General Hospital Alexandria, Egypt, when his conditioned worsened. There he was diagnosed as having Severe Pleurisy. A month later he was back on his feet and rejoined his unit. On the 6^th of April 1916 he sailed, with his unit, to France on SS Arcadian and on 20 April 1916 he was attached to the School of Gas Instruction, and returned to his unit in July of that same year.

The Commonwealth Wargraves Commission records that ALBERT JAMES FREDERICK BERRY, Second Lieutenant 23/362, 4th Bn. 3rd, N.Z. Rifle Brigade who died on Friday, 12th October 1917. Age 31. Son of John and Helena Augusta Berry, of Walkham Row, Bridgend, Lostwithiel, England. Born at Stoke, Devonport. Commemorative Information: Cemetery: PASSCHENDAELE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Grave Reference/ Panel Number: XVI. C. 24.

425 GBP

Medals are EF

110 GBP

British War Medal & Victory Medal (with MID)
Named: Lt J. W. Anderson
Photo of obverse: CLICK HERE

London Gazette Thursday, 5 June 1919:
"Sir: With reference to paragraph 39 of my despatch dated 1st February 1919, I have the honour to submit herewith a list of names of those officers, ladies, warrant and non-commissioned officers and men serving, or who have served, under my command, whose distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty I consider deserving of special mention.
W.R. Marshall, Lt-General, Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force"

Indian Army, Engineers, Signal Service:
Anderson, Lt. J.W., Royal Engineers (TF)"

It would be worth tracking down Marshall's original despatch of 1st Feb. 1919 to see a more detailed description of the action.

55 GBP

25 GBP

General Service Medal [Palestine], Africa Star, War Medal and Regimental Shooting Medal
Named: GSM: 3448884 Pte A. Goodwin King's Own R., Regt. medal: "3448884 Pte A. Goodwin February 1939", other two unnamed as issued.
Photo of Group: CLICK HERE
Photo of Regt Medal: Obverse and Reverse (200%)

Private (3448884) Alfred Goodwin was Killed in Action on 11 July 1941 in Syria where the King's Own were engaged against the Vichy French.

Only the 2nd Battalion qualified for the GSM with Palestine (the 1st Battalion was in India) and the regimental medal can be considered scarce.

Comes with a letter from the KORR museum confirming Pte Goodwin's death and with interesting research about the campaign in Syria. This includes:

• "2nd Batt. KORR in Syria: An eyewitness account" by Private H Livesey, B coy.
  The battle leading to the fall of Merjayoun 23rd June 1941, in which Goodwin took part.
  (2 pages).
  Extract: "There we lay, tensed for any counter-attack which might be launched. Although the enemy used everything they had, we hung on like grim death, and he failed to dislodge us."
  
• "The King's Own Volume 2" - the official history of the regiment.
  (10 pages)
  Includes the battles of Merjayoun, Jebel Mazar (the battle in which Goodwin lost his life).
  Extract: "Jebel Mazar: The brigade was to make a silent attack as no heavy guns were available... the King's Own objectives were two peaks... rising 1404 feet and 1455 feet. Both had rocky precipitous faces, more suitable for a mountain goat than for a human being; the position was known to be strongly held and it looked impregnable.."
  
• "An account of the 2 King's Own in the Syrian Campaign of 1941" by Major Batchelor
  (7 pages)
  Extract: "Jebel Mazar: .. It is worth noting at this time that a 2nd Lt of the Regiment (E.S. Bailey) gained the top of the enemy cliff and was subsequently found at the conclusion of hostilities impaled on a bayonet, still grasped in the hands of a French Sergeant whom he had shot with his revolver.. it was shown that he also killed their company commander"

From the research it is clear that Private Goodwin was either fatally wounded on the first day (the attack) of the battle of Jebel Mazar and died of his wounds the next day, was killed in a bayonet charge on the second day of the battle (taking of the ridge) or later that afternoon in one of the many French counter attacks.

Other units that took part in this battle include: 2 Queen's, 2 Leicester's, Free French Marines, 21 & 25 Australian Brigades. The Vichy French had a large number of infantry as well as artillery and, surprisingly, tanks.

290 GBP

55 GBP