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Lot

№ 591

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25 March 2015

Hammer Price:
£1,800

A good Great war D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel W. F. T. Corrie, Royal Artillery, a veteran of operations on the Punjab Frontier and Tirah 1897-98, including the action at Dargai, and of the Boer War, in which latter conflict he was twice mentioned in despatches for his command of a pom-pom section: having then seen action with the Aden Field Force 1915-16, he was decorated for his command of 69 Brigade, R.G.A. in France and Flanders - and added four further “mentions” to his accolades in the same period

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; India General Service 1895-1902, 2 clasps, Punjab Frontier 1897-98, Tirah 1897-98 (Lt. W. F. T. Corrie, No. 1 (Kohat) Mtn. By.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Capt. W. F. T. Corrie, R.A.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Capt. W. F. T. Corrie, R.A.); 1914-15 Star (Major W. F. T. Corrie, R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. W. F. T. Corrie), enamelled wreaths on the first slightly chipped in places, one or two edge bruises, otherwise generally very fine or better (7) £1800-2200

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

William Francis Taylor Corrie was born in April 1869, the son of Major-General W. T. Corrie, late Devonshire Regiment. Educated at Cranleigh and the R.M.A. Woolwich, William was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery in February 1898.

Advanced to Lieutenant in February 1891, he first saw action on the Punjab Frontier and in Tirah 1897-98, when he was present in the engagement at Dargai, the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga Passes, and in operations against the Khani Khel Chamkania in the Baza Valley (Medal & 2 clasps).

Having then been promoted to Captain in the interim, he witnessed further active service in the Boer War 1900-02, when he was present in assorted operations in Cape Colony, Transvaal and the Orange Free State (Queen’s Medal & 3 clasps; King’s Medal & 2 clasps): onetime C.O. of M1 Pom-Pom Section, he was twice mentioned in despatches (
London Gazettes 10 September 1902 and 29 July 1902, refer).

A Major by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Corrie served in the Aden Field Force from July 1915 until April 1916 and was again mentioned in despatches (
London Gazette 4 July 1916, refers). As a Lieutenant-Colonel, he then took command of 69 Brigade, R.G.A., in which capacity he served in France and Flanders from October 1916 until the war’s end, gaining the D.S.O. and three further “mentions” (London Gazettes 14 December 1917, 23 December 1918 and 7 July 1919, refer).

Corrie was placed on the Retired List in December 1920 and died at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea in February 1954; sold with copied research.