Under the hammer

Duncan Evans reports on the latest militaria sold at auctions around the country

Let’s have a look at what’s gone under the hammer in auction rooms, with Victorian medals at C&T, WWII medals at Dix Noonan Webb, Third Reich militaria at Ratisbon’s and some spectacular firearms at Rock Island Auctions.

The two day fine militaria auction at C&T Auctioneers featured plenty of medals so let’s start with a British Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840, with single clasp for ‘Navarino’, awarded to a John Cock. Medal remains in good condition. John Cock was born at Cawsand, Cornwall c.

1809. He entered HMS Talbot on 27 October 1825, a volunteer from Plymouth. John Cock served on HMS Talbot from October

1825 until the ship was paid off in December 1828. HMS Talbot is famously shown in the painting by John Christian Schetky of the battle of Navarino between the British fleet and that of the Ottoman Empire. It sold for £1,832.80 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 26.4%).

Waterloo medals are always keenly sought after, which proved the case here with a British Waterloo Medal 1815 to a member of Captain Sandham’s Company, said to be the First Allied

Artillery Company to fire at the Battle of Waterloo. The medal is fitted with a steel clip and ring suspension. Awarded to ‘WILLIAM STANDING

GUNNER ROYAL FOOT ARTILLERY’. William Standing attested for the Royal Artillery on 10 October 1807 and served with the 3rd Battery Artillery during the Peninsular war. Standing was serving with the 3rd Battalion Royal Artillery, under the command of Captain Sandham at the Battle of Waterloo. It sold for £2,780.80.

A little more affordable, an Indian General Service medal of 1854-95 to a member of the Highland

Light Infantry. The medal has been re-named to ‘4232 PTE, J. WATSON

71/ H, L, I’ with one clasp for ‘UMBEYLA’. It sold for £94.80. Another IGS Medal, but this one with a more iconic clasp for ‘NORTHWEST

FRONTIER’. This one was awarded to ‘961. M FLYNN H

M’s 1st BN 6TH REGT’. Medal with correct impressed naming style shows some wear but generally good condition. Private Michael Flynn attested for 10 years service and served with the regiment in India, being awarded the Indian General Service medal for his involvement in the campaign in Hazara. It sold for £278.08.

Back to those sought-after campaigns and it’s the turn of the Crimea next. Here are three medals consisting of Crimea medal 1854-56 with single clasp ‘Sebastopol’, depot naming ‘---OBT DYBALL R.M H.M.S ODIN’; a

Baltic medal 1854-55 unnamed as issued; and a Turkish Crimea medal 1855, Sardinian issue, unnamed. Robert Dyball attested for the

Royal Marines on 28 October

1845, starting as a Private and rose to the rank of Sergeant, gaining four good conduct badges. He served on HMS Odin which was a steam-powered first class paddle frigate of the Royal Navy that only served in the Baltic and Crimea theatres. The lot sold for £429.76.

British cap and shoulder badges didn’t draw much attention at the auction, with many single lots going unsold. Buyer’s were looking for value, found typically in this lot of 30 British Corps cap badges including Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, RAOC, RAEC, Army Dental Corps, Royal Army Dental Corps, 1st type Army Pay Corps, plus others. The lot sold for £82.16. This group of Regimental shoulder titles also found a new home. It featured 40 various infantry and cavalry regiments, including KOSB, HLI, Somerset Light Infantry, Northamptonshire regiment, Notts & Derby, Royal Berks, South Notts Hussars (SNH), plus others. The lot went above estimate for £176.96.

If you recall, last month we featured a Russian Crimean War Pickelhaube, and here was one just like it, up for grabs. Standard Pattern for enlisted ranks it featured the large central brass regimental helmet plate in the form of double headed Russian eagle with white metal numerals ‘26’ to the lower section for the 26th Infantry regiment. The 26th Russian Infantry regiment were overrun when Sebastopol (Sevastopol) was taken. It sold for £1,706.40.

Finally, this next helmet got the bidders’ interest. It was a post-WWI Tank Corps/Royal Tank Corps Foreign Service helmet, being a good example of an early Wolseley helmet in khaki covered cork. Thick padded pagri to the centre of the helmet and find regimental pagri flash in the form of the regimental colours and embroidered ‘2’ to the centre for the 2nd battalion. Leather sweatband with punched retailers/ makers details. Some service wear and light spotting to the rear peak but otherwise a good example. It went for £1,011.20.

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