A RARE GONA BEACH 2/16th CASUALTY
Five: 1939/45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939/45 and Australian Service Medal 1939/45 all correctly impressed to WX9438 S. SMITH
Living in Bridgetown, Stanley Smith Enlisted on the 4th of December 1940 and was taken on strength with the 2/16th Battalion Bravo Coy.
First serving in Palestine before reaching PNG and the Kokoda track (now as a member of Delta Company).
Private Stanley Smith was wounded in action in Gona and succomed to his wound on the 4th December 1942 at the age of 29.
The medals come in the original box of issue and also accompanied with research and his "South West Amatuer Wrestling Championship", Middleweight trophy won by him in 1939.
This is a rare chance to purchase a true bit of Australian History as 2/16th Battalion medals seldom appear on the market.
SOLD
A rare Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Member of the British Empire (MBE) group for North West Europe the recipient being in addition Mentioned in Despatches for North West Europe and Korea later serving in Malaya
Nine: Member of the British Empire (MBE) 2nd type Military 1939/45 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence & War Medals with Mentioned in Despatches Oak leaf Queen's Korea Medal with MID Major J R Matthews MBE REME, General Service Medal E2 bar Malaya Major J R Matthews MBE REME, United Nations Medal for Korea Queen Elizabeth 2 Coronation Medal 1953 – mounted as worn
MBE London Gazette 11 October 1945
'For gallant & distinguished service in NW Europe'
MID London Gazette 23 March 1945
'For gallant and distinguished service in NW Europe'
MID London Gazette 7 September 1952 'For gallant and distinguished services in Korea during the period 1 January to 30 June 1951'
With copy Medal roll entry for Elizabeth 2 Coronation Medal and MBE recommendation as Deputy Assistant Director of Mechanical Engineering 8th Corps stating 'This officer has held the appointment of D.A.D.M.E since the early days of the Corps in February 1943. His untiring application has played a great part in the work which REME have been able to undertake. Throughout the operation from HOLLAND to SCHLESWIG he has put in a degree of work that has enabled the branch to function normally in spite of severe reductions in personnel from accidents and sickness'.
Second Mentioned in Despatches was awarded commanding the 11th Infantry Brigade REME Workshop in Korea.
John Rose Matthews, MBE, MA was born 21 June 1914 and obtained an Honours Degree in Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge University commissioned Lieutenant 23 March 1940 promoted Captain 11 January 1943 and acting Major from 11 October 1942 and War Services substantive Major 8 November 1945 and acting Lt Colonel 8 August 1945 to 7 November 1945 and Temporary Colonel 8 November 1945 to 23 May 1947. Reverted to substantive Major on the 21 June 1950 from acting rank of Lt Colonel. Retired 21 June 1969 and granted the hon rank of Lt Colonel. John Ross Mathews died in Chichester in 1999
Note: Johnathan Collins, Warsash Hampshire 1st June 2008 £1150
GVF - NEF SOLD
A Rare white Cloth State of Victoria Colonial 6 panel Pith Helmet complete with badge for the Victorian Military Forces which is original to the helmet. The badge is an Officers issue gilt on a silver star and is circa 1893. The elongated neck and body is still quite firm, with excellent puggaree. Good condition leather sweat band with sound silk attachment. Internal body has full quilting. Complete with leather lined chin chain.
Colonial helmets are now considered extremely rare in this country and only seem to appear as a result of old collections being dispersed.
Good condition SOLD
A rather nice White Cloth Helmet Circa 1890 by Hawkes. Typical six panel with square back. The body is firm with tight puggaree. Silk still attached to the leather sweat band. Chin chain and spike in brass.
Very good condition $3500
A Record of War Service 28 Bn. By H. B. Collett (Burridge reprint No 85/200).
SOLD
A Royal Medical Corps Officers Blue Cloth Helmet 1902-08. Quality gilt helmet plate which is original to the helmet. Buff leather sweat band with fully attached silk liner. Leather backed chin chain. No visible makers mark.
Very good condition $1425
A Royal Regiment of Artillery Officer’s Full Dress Sabretache to the 8th Lancashire Artillery.
A fine example c.1870-1901, the pouch and back of black Moroccan, the face of blue cloth overlaid with silver train lace, in the centre the Royal Arms of Great Britain in silver thread, velvet and silks, the honour ‘Ubique’, sprays of oak and laurel, a silver metal cannon and bottom scroll ‘Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducant;’, complete with 3 D rings, together with its black Moroccan foul weather cover, There are no loose or broken wires in the embroidery.
UNDER OFFER
Very good condition $950
A scarce 1796 Pattern Troopers Heavy Cavalry DISC HILT Sword. True to pattern in all respects still retaining its langets and hatchet point . A good heavy scabbard which is dent free and marked C over 17 with matching marks on the hilt.
Blade marked crown over 3. Back strap marked with remnants of WOOLLEY.
Very good condition
A scarce 1871 Pattern British Cavalry Helmet of the 1st (Royal) Dragoons.
Regulation form with nickel skull and brass fittings including helmet plate and chin chain.
Leather liner is in good condition. The nickel Dragoon helmets are much rarer than the 7 Dragoon Guards Regiments who wore brass helmets.
Very good condition $2850
A Scarce Albert Pattern 1844 helmet plate to the 69th South Lincolnshire Regiment of Foot. Complete with both lugs.
Good condition $685
A scarce Cavalry Officers Mameluke Hilted dress sword with blade etched with crossed Lancers over IX Lancers and maker Prosser. The etching is worn but still very readable.
Red velvet covered scabbard in very good condition. Sword being similar to Plate 12.9 page 112 of Richard Dellar’s book. Circa 1822-37.
Overall good condition $6950.00
A scarce Cavalry Officers Mameluke Hilted dress sword with blade etched with Kings Hussars and makers details
Hawkes & Co London Manufacturers to the Queen. All etching very clear. Sword being very similar to Plate 12.12 Page 113 Of the British Cavalry Sword by R. Dellar. Circa 1838-1868. Complete with scabbard & sword knot.
Overall good condition $6950.00
A Scarce Colonial Australian sword being an 1882 pattern British cavalry trooper’s sword and scabbard well marked with impressed numbers and letters N.S.W.G.C over C over 1256 over 00. The scabbard number is matching. Another scarce item from this old established collection.. $2450.00
A scarce French XIII Heavy Cavalry sword with full Klingenthal engraved backstrap dated June 1813.
Wire on the grip has only a few bits remaining (near the pommel). Good markings in all the right places (as shown by the photos) and is complete with a nice dent free scabbard.
This sword has been in a local collection for between 30 & 40 years. Blade length 37 ½ inches.
Overall in Very good condition $2850
A scarce Great War ‘French theatre’ M.M. awarded to Lance Corporal M. J. Sheridan, 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company, Australian Imperial Force, who was wounded in action 18 February 1917
Single: Military Medal, G.V.R. (1163 L. Cpl. M. J. Sheridan. Aust: E.)
M.M. London Gazette 17 June 1919.
Michael Joseph Sheridan was born in Kingston, Dublin, Ireland in 1886. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Blackboy Hill, Western Australia, 29 November 1915, and served with the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company, Australian Engineers in the French theatre of war from 5 May 1916. The Australian company relieved the 255th Tunnelling Company in the Laventie/Fauquissart area in May 1916.
Sheridan was wounded in action, 18 February 1917, and having returned to his unit was posted to work around the Cité St. Pierre area near Lens in late 1917. In February 1918, ‘a party of men from the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company’s headquarters at Bracquemont travelled 40 kilometres to the British Tank Corps headquarters located at Bermicourt. On 10 February, an overcast day which saw men thickly clothed and cloaked in their trench coats to stave off the chill wind that swept across the open landscape, the tunnellers prepared and simultaneously blew two mines placed next to each other on the Tank Corps’ tank testing area.
The mines were blown as part of a trial designed to test the effectiveness of mine craters as a defence against tanks, and British tanks were used to negotiate the obstacles thus created. The group of Australian tunnellers comprised the company’s CO, Major Alexander Sanderson, Sergeant 1012 Matthew Goodlad, 2nd Corporal 1163 Michael Sheridan.... [and 7 others]... Two tanks rumbled down into the mine craters until their roofs were flush with ground level. Then, amid clouds of exhaust fumes and the roar of engines, they struggled to gain sufficient traction up the steep, crumbly crater walls to haul themselves out.
Among the witnesses to the trial were Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Holland, the General Officer Commanding I Corps, his Chief Engineer, Brigadier General H. Gordon, D.S.O., the commanding officers of the 185th Company and the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company, Majors Tulloch and North respectively, and Charles Bean, the Australian Official Historian.
The information gained on this day proved to be of immense value to the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company, then operating in the I Corps area, in its preparation of defensive works to meet German tank assault along the front at Loos....’ (Crumps and Camouflets, Australian Tunnelling Companies on the Western Front by D. Finlayson refers)
Sheridan advanced to Lance Corporal in April 1918, and returned to Australia in June 1919. He was discharged, 19 December 1919.
Nearly very fine $2250
A scarce Grey Cloth Quilted Shako of the 1861 Pattern.
Body of helmet in good condition minus leather chin strap. Correct rear gorgons head for ventilation. Shako plate being the Militia General Service type worn by Militia Battalions which did not have plates of their own. Plate not original to shako possibly due to a unit transfer. Good strong leather liner. I have found this colour shako extremely difficult to find.
Good overall condition $1475
A scarce Napoleonic Bi-Corn General Officers hat. The bow in the liner would indicate this hat was worn shoulder to shoulder. Unfortunately the large silk cockade and button are no longer present, but the liner shows good honest overall wear and is all present.
Overall good condition $1650
A scarce ROYAL MARINE Foreign Service Helmet post 1905 when the Home Service Helmet was discontinued for the Marines. Classic six panels of white cloth with leather sweatband and regulation eight cork spacers. Plate appears original to the helmet with no multiple holes. Size 7 stamp plus what appears to be a Regimental number 2618 which is also present on the separate (almost impossible to find) storage helmet cover. Overall the helmet is in very good condition and retains its attractive shape.
Very good condition SOLD
A scarce Royal Naval Pursers sword 1825 pattern engraved on scabbard with makers details Firmin & Sons, sword cutlers, 153 strand, London.
True to pattern with crossed anchors on hilt. Retaining 80 percent Blue & Gilt in an excellent brass mounted leather scabbard retaining all its strength with no damage.
Overall excellent condition $3750
Good detail in silver work $2850
A scarce Shoulder belt plate overlay to the 12th Regiment being of the type worn by the Regiment at Eureka Stockade in 1854. Complete with all four lugs and in excellent condition.
$1500.00
A scarce Victorian Military Forces Officers Blue Cloth Helmet C 1880-93 complete with “double wreath” helmet plate. Plate not original to the helmet but may have been changed from the single wreath. I have not had the maker before, being T. WHITE & CO Union St. Aldershot. Silk liner complete and still attached to buff leather liner.
Very good condition $2650
A Selection of 9 KINGS COLONIAL INSIGNIA. A very fine carded display of unissued examples. All with original Gilt. This collection of badges comes from the original J.R. Gaunt and Son Ltd. Pattern book archive and was originally sold in the UK by the National Army Museum.
This is only the second time in 35 years I have offered a series of these badges with a good gilt finish. Discussions with various serious badge collectors indicate that the splendour of the K.C. uniforms is that there is every chance that all ranks may have worn Gilt badges.
A unique opportunity to obtain guaranteed original badges, complete with lugs.
Excellent condition SOLD
A slightly heavier 1796 Blue & Gilt Officers Light Cavalry Sword. True to pattern with excellent steel scabbard maker marked Durs Egg Haymarket London in cartouche (1788-1804). A extremely good wire bound hilt. Blue & Gilt showing withdrawal from scabbard marks and wear.
Good overall condition SOLD
