Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War Caspian Sea operations O.B.E. group of five awarded to Major P. W. Malcolm, Royal Marines

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; British War and Victory Medals (Maj., R.M.); Coronation 1911, mounted as worn; Russia, Order of St. Anne, 3rd Class breast badge with swords, 38 x 38mm., silver-gilt and enamel, non-Russian manufacture, with crossed swords and bow on ribbon; together with a mounted group of five miniature dress medals as above, plus two riband bars, generally good very fine (10) £600-800

O.B.E. London Gazette 11 November 1919: ‘For valuable services in connection with the Caspian Sea’.

Pulteney William Malcolm was born on 10 April 1882 and entered the Royal Marines as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1 September 1900. He became a Lieutenant in July 1901, a Captain in September 1911 and attained the rank of Major in June 1917. In August 1914 he was appointed to the Royal Marine Garrison at Ascension and in January 1917 to command the contingent on board the Juno, serving in the East Indies and Mesopotamia. Serving with the ‘Norper Force’ (North Persian Force) under Commodore Norris, R.N. during 1918-19, Malcolm was the Senior Officer, Royal Marines and Resident Naval Officer at Enzali. There they were employed in fitting out ships to be deployed on the Caspian Sea in support of the Brigadier-General L.C. Dunsterville’s advance to Baku. He was gazetted an O.B.E. in November 1919 for valuable services in connection with the operations in the Caspian Sea, and in 1920 was awarded the Order of St. Anne 2nd Class with swords. In July 1920 he joined the Naval Intelligence Division. Major Malcolm retired at his own request in March 1931 but was recalled for service at the rank of Major in September 1939, serving as a Sea Transport Officer at Cardiff. In July 1942 he reverted to the Retired List due to medical unfitness and died at Lanholm on 24 December 1946. Sold with copied service papers and copied research on the expedition to the Caspian Sea.