Auction Catalogue

17 September 1999

Starting at 12:00 PM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Regus Conference Centre  12 St James Square  London  SW1Y 4RB

Lot

№ 472

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17 September 1999

Hammer Price:
£1,600

A fine Great War ‘Salonica’ D.S.O. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. F. Barnard, East Kent Regiment and Machine Gun Corps

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., complete with top suspension; India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (2d Lieut., 1st Bn. “The Buffs”); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Transvaal (Capt., S.A.C.); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps (Capt., E. Kent Rgt.); 1914-15 Star (Capt., E. Kent R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.); Serbia, Order of the White Eagle, 4th class breast badge with swords, silver-gilt and enamels; Greek Medal for Military Merit 1916-17, mounted as worn, some light contact marks, otherwise generally good very fine or better (9) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brett Collection of Medals to The Buffs.

View The Brett Collection of Medals to The Buffs

View
Collection

See colour plate.

D.S.O.
London Gazette 4 June 1917.

M.I.D.
London Gazette 10 September 1901, 21 July 1917 (Salonica) and 30 January 1919.

William George Frederick Barnard was born on 6 January 1877, and entered the Buffs on 8 September 1897. He served on the North West Frontier of India 1897-98, and was present at Utman Khel, Buner, and the attack and capture of the Tanga Pass. He served in South Africa 1899-1902, and was employed with the Mounted Infantry at the Relief of Kimberley, operations in the Orange Free State, (Feb to May 1900), including operations at Paardeberg, actions at Poplar Grove, Houtnek (Thoba Mountain), Vet River and Zand River. He was taken prisoner near Johannesburg on 21 May 1900, and after his release was employed as Adjutant, Rest Camp, Pretoria, until October 1900 when he was seconded for service with the South African Constabulary (Despatches
London Gazette 10 September 1901). He resigned his commission in January 1906, remaining in South Africa until the outbreak of war in 1914 when he returned to Englan and was re-commissioned in the Buffs (Special Reserve) as Captain.

Barnard landed in France with the 2nd Buffs on 17 March 1915, and acted as Adjutant from September to October 1915. In January 1916 he was appointed to the Staff of 85th Infantry Brigade as Intelligence Officer with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, going to Salonica shortly afterwards. In May 1916 he was appointed to be Major whilst commanding 85th M.G. Company, and, in December 1916, as Lieutenant-Colonel whilst 16th Corps Machine Gun Officer. For his services in Salonica he was awarded the Serbian Order of the White Eagle in October 1916 and the D.S.O. in June 1917. In January 1919, Barnard joined the Army of the Black Sea and was appointed Base Commandant at Constantinople, for which services he was awarded the Medal for Military Merit 3rd Class by H.M. King of Hellenes ‘for distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign.’ Barnard had suffered from several bouts of Malaria since August 1915 and, with his health much impaired, left Constantinople in February 1920 for the UK and demobilization.