Auction Catalogue

4 December 2001

Starting at 12:00 PM

.

Orders, Decorations and Medals

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

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Lot

№ 1021

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4 December 2001

Hammer Price:
£530

Six: Lieutenant Colonel L. P. Smellie, Army Service Corps, later Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineeers

1914-15 Star (2.Lieut., A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Major); Defence and War Medals; Serbia, Order of The White Eagle, with swords, 5th Class, in silver, silver-gilt and enamels; together with an original studio portrait photograph of recipient in uniform, generally good very fine or better (6) £200-250

Despatches twice London Gazette 28 November 1917 and 31 January 1919 (both Salonika).

Serbian Order of the White Eagle
London Gazette 11 November 1919.

The following is extracted from an article published in
The Lake District Herald on 2 September 1989, to coincide with Lieut. Col. Smellie’s 100th birthday. ‘During the First World War, Lt. Col. Smellie was posted to Serbia in charge of the supply of ammunition and transport for the Royal Serbian Army. He had learnt to drive by observing the family chauffeur in America and from there went on to learn vehicle maintenance at a motoring school in New York. A far cry from the day he took his voluntary driving test in London wearing top hat and tails, he recalls a primitive, gruelling existence helping the Serbs to “fight for their cause.”

“We had to carry single shells in ancient Ford cars which was a job that took one and a quarter hours in low gear. The gears were so hot that they burnt through the poor soldiers boots. I sent a message back to base requesting 100 new left boots and was simply told to take more water with us instead” he said. His expertise with motor vehicles led to an interesting appointment in the Second World War. When although 50 years of age, he was automatically called on by the War Office to maintain King George VI twenty Royal cars.’

Sold with comprehensive copied research detail, comprising a number of laser-stat copies of original photographs and documents, including M.I.D. certificates and bestowal document for White Eagle.