The Cavalry Officer’s Sword carried by Lieutenant-Colonel D. H. Talbot, D.S.O., M.C., 17th Lancers

1912 Pattern Cavalry Officer’s Sword, in field service leather scabbard, complete with leather frog, Wilkinson No. 48539, the blade with etched presentation panel, ‘Capt. D. H. Talbot, M.C., From the Officers and Other Ranks, 17th Lancers, 1917’, further etchings including the G.V.R. cypher, scrolling, etc., blade and handguard with rust patches £300-400

Ex Worrall collection, Wallis & Wallis, 29 April 1998 (Lot 115W).

Douglas Henry Talbot, a distant relative of the Earl of Shrewsbury, was born in June 1882 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 17th Lancers in January 1901. He subsequently witnessed active service out in South Africa and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 3 clasps. Advanced to Lieutenant in June 1904 and to Captain in May 1906, he was serving as Adjutant of the Lancashire Hussars on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. He first went to France as a Staff Officer in the 31st Infantry Division in March 1916 (following brief service in Egypt), was appointed a Brigade Major to the 92nd Infantry Brigade that September and latterly served in the same theatre of war as a G.S.O. 2 in the 48th Infantry Division. In late 1917, however, he was posted, in the same capacity, to the Italian front, where he remained until the end of hostilities. Talbot was awarded the D.S.O. and M.C., was twice mentioned in despatches and received the Italian Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus (5th class) and the Italian War Cross. Back on regimental duty with the 17th/21st Lancers after the War, he was advanced to Major in August 1922 but died while still in service, in the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, in March 1927.