Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria to coincide with the OMRS Convention

A group of five to Private J. Curtis, Devonshire Regiment; together with an interesting archive of original documentation relating to his son, Lieutenant P. K. E. Curtis, D.C.L.I., who was awarded a posthumous Victora Cross during the Korean War, for gallantry at the Battle of Imjin River

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (5730 Pte., Devon Regt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (5730 Pte., Devon Regt.); 1914 Star, with clasp (7472 Pte., 1/Devon R.); British War and Victory Medals (7472 Pte., Devon R.); Defence Medal; together with a quantity of related military badges; medal ribbons, etc., some edge bruising and contact wear, therefore nearly very fine and better (6) £800-1000

The archive of documentation relating to Lieutenant P. K. E. Curtis, V.C., includes:

a) Proficiency Certificate (2nd class proficiency as a recruit), inscribed to ‘P. Curtis, Army Air Corps’, dated 19 March 1945, issued by No. 13 Infantry Training Centre.

b) Letter of condolence from Lieutenant General M. B. Ridgway, U.S. Army, (G.H.Q. U.N. Command), dated 11 May 1951, addressed to Mrs F. Curtis.

c) A detailed typescript account of the action of the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, 21-26 April 1951, printed on four sides of A4 paper, with covering letter addressed to his mother from the O.C. Regimental Depot, dated 23 May 1951: ‘Enclosed is a copy of a report on the recent action of the 1st Battalion in Korea, which will be of interest to you. Please do not give the press any information contained in this report, even though they have got most of it already...’

d) Invitation to ‘A service of commemoration and intercession for the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment’, dated 17 June 1951.

e) Letter from the War Office, dated 20 November 1951, stating that Lieutenant Curtis was buried in the U.N. Military Cemetery, Tanggok, Korea.

f) Original copy of The London Gazette, dated 27 November 1953, including details of the award of the V.C. to Lieutenant Curtis.

g) Letters from the Central Chancery; War Office; and Regimental Depot, D.C.L.I. relating to the V.C. investiture ceremony; together with the original Buckingham Palace ‘Next of Kin Ceremony’ admission ticket. (The V.C. was presented to his seven year old daughter in March 1954).

h) Invitations, covering letter, etc. for Mrs Curtis to attend various functions during the centenary celebrations of the inauguration of the Victoria Cross, June 1956.

The lot also includes a number of other pieces of original documentation relating to Lieutenant P. K. E. Curtis, V.C.; together with a quantity of documentation relating to his father, John Curtis, whose medals are included in the lot. One letter states ‘7472 Pte. J. Curtis, 1st Devon Regiment was admitted to No. 8 Stationary Hospital, Rouen on 22.4.1915 with a gunshot wound to the scalp.’