The extremely well-documented Great War ‘Italian theatre’ O.B.E., and Italian War Cross group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. ‘Bob’ Curling, Royal Horse Artillery, who was gassed in France in November 1917, before commanding the 103rd Brigade, 23rd Division during the Piave Offensive in Italy in October 1918

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E., (Military) Officer’s 1st type, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914 Star (Capt: J. Curling. R.H.A.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Col. J. Curling.); Italy, Kingdom, War Cross, bronze, unnamed as issued; together with the recipient’s Italian Armata Altipiani Medal 1918, silver, unnamed as issued, mounted as worn, lacquered, good very fine (6) £1,000-£1,400

O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919:

‘For valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations in Italy.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 17 June 1919.

Italy, War Cross, London Gazette 20 May 1919.

Joseph ‘Bob’ Curling was born in Newfoundland, Canada, in August 1880, and was educated at Eton. He was the son of the Reverend Joseph James Curling, who had also held in commission in the Royal Engineers (and was educated at Harrow, rather than Eton). Curling was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery in January 1900. Curling advanced to Lieutenant in April 1901, and to Captain in April 1908. Curling served in South Africa from 1905 to 1907, before serving in Ceylon as A.D.C. to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Colonel Sir H. E. McCullum, G.C.M.G.

Curling returned to serve in South Africa between 1909 and 1911, before being posted to India prior to the Great War. He served with ‘J’ Battery, R.H.A. on the Western Front from 16 August 1914, and advanced to Major in October of the same year. Curling’s Great War service is given in his Senior Officers’ School Confidential Report of March 1921:

‘August 1914 to January 1915 - Captain of ‘J’ Battery R.H.A. With Chetwode’s Independent Cavalry Brigade. Fighting at Mons and throughout retreat. Cavalry action at Cerizy. The advance to the Aisne including the fighting on the Marne. Attached 4th Cavalry Brigade. Fighting on the Chemin des Dames. Belgium: the advance to the Lys. Withdrawal from the Lys at Warmeton. Fighting round Wytschaet and Messines. Attached 4th Divisional Artillery. Beginning of Trench Warfare in the Messines Sector.

February 1915 to May 1915 - IXth Division, trained A/52nd Brigade.

May 1915 to April 1916 - Attached 3C Reserve Brigade for training Officers.

May 1915 - Appointed Chief Gunnery Instructor No. 2 R.F.A. Cadet School.

October 1916 - Reorganised No. 2 R.F.A. Cadet School and appointed 2nd-in-Command.

April 1917 - Appointed Commandant No. 2 R.F.A. Cadet School.

September 1917 to France to command ‘A’ Battery 96th Army Brigade in XIVth Corps - Polkem Ridge; Langemarck.

Gassed in November.

December 1917 to Italy - Posted to 35th Howitzer Battery - Trench warfare on Montello and Assiago.

April 1918 - Posted to command 103rd Brigade, 23rd Division in Asiago. Austrian attack in June 1918. Piave Offensive in October 1918.’

Curling subsequently served as Superintendent, Remount Service Depot, and as Assistant Commandant, Remount Service Depot. He retired as Lieutenant-Colonel in 1920, and later was employed as Sales Manager for the Southampton motor car dealers Messrs. Munn and Underwood. Curling died of pneumonia in Gosport, Hampshire, in January 1937.

Note: The Armata Altipiani Medal 1918 was awarded for the Battle of the Piave, Asiago Plateau, on 15 June 1918. About 450 of these medals were awarded to British Officers. The medal is not official but was created by the Italian authorities on the initiative of General Montuori, commander of the Italian 6th Army, and awarded early in 1919 to Italian, British and French officers of the forces that had fought in the Battle of the Piave from 15 to 24 June 1918. The medal, when attributed, is scarce.

Sold with a particularly fine archive of original photographs of the recipient in uniform, and of several other generations of the family; also the original warrants for the O.B.E. and Italian War Cross; M.I.D. Certificate; Senior Officers’ School Confidential Report, quoted from above; several letters home from Pretoria in 1907, and written whilst on active service in Italy in 1918; a copy of the Life of Joseph James Curling, Soldier and Priest, by Colonel R. J. Jelf, R.E.; a number of photographs relating to ‘Bob’ Curling’s son - Lieutenant Colonel J. R. M. Curling, R.A., who was awarded the Military Cross and Mentioned three times in Despatches for his gallantry in Italy during the Second World War; with additional detailed copied research.