Auction Catalogue

25 & 26 June 2014

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Washington Mayfair Hotel  London  W1J 5HE

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Lot

№ 1122

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26 June 2014

Hammer Price:
£520

A Great War Mesopotamia operations O.B.E. group of six awarded to Major R. W. Cooper, Royal Engineers, late Imperial Yeomanry, an Inland Water and Port Traffic Officer who was thrice decorated for his services in the same theatre of war - in addition to earlier service in the British Mission to the Royal Serbian Army in early 1916, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Sava

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919, on 2nd type riband; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony (7956 Pte. R. Cooper, 40th Coy. 10th Impl. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Major R. W. Cooper); Serbia, Order of St. Sava, 5th Class breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel; Defence Medal 1939-45, mounted as worn, generally good very fine or better (6) £500-600

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

Raymond Willoughby Cooper, who was born in Brixworth, near Northampton, in February 1874, was employed as a civil engineer at the time of his volunteering for active service in South Africa in January 1900, and was subsequently present in operations in Cape Colony as a Trooper in the 40th Company, 10th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry, prior to being invalided home on account of enteric fever (Medal & clasp).

Granted a temporary commission in the Inland Water Transport, R.E., in late 1915, Cooper first went overseas as a member of the British Adriatic Mission and British Mission to the Royal Serbian Army in January-June 1916, in which capacity he was awarded the 5th Class of the Order of St. Sava.

Subsequently ordered to Basra in August of the same year, he remained actively employed in Mesopotamia until the War’s end, latterly as an Assistant Director of Port Traffic in the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was awarded the O.B.E. and thrice mentioned in despatches, twice for services in the Inland Water Transport and once for an appointment in the Port Directorate (
London Gazettes 15 August 1917, 12 March 1918 and 21 February 1919, refer).