Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Morocco, Order of Wissam al-Hafidian (1910-13), Commander’s neck badge, gold, silver-gilt and enamels 108 x 60mm, lacking neck ribbon but with four lapel ribbons and three lapel rosettes, extremely fine and very scarce £400-600

Sold with original Royal Licence giving permission to Egbert Sumner Verdon, Esquire, M.D., to accept and wear from the King, dated St James’s, 8 August 1912: ‘His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Mulai-Abd-el-Hafid of Morocco has been pleased to confer upon you the Insignia of Commander of the Hafidian Order in recognition of valuable services rendered by you.’ Also accompanied by news cutting announcing the award in the London Gazette and his calling card ‘St Stephens Club, Tangier’.

Egbert Sumner Verdon was born in Melbourne in 1868, son of Sir George Frederic Verdon, K.C.M.G., a noted Australian politician and banker. He attended Toorak College, Melbourne, and entered Jesus College, Cambridge in 1887. Achieved BA 1891, MA 1896, MB and B Chir 1897, MD 1901. While at St Thomas’s Hospital, achieved MRCP and LRCP in 1896. He was House Physician at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital before becoming Physician to Sir A. Nicholson’s Mission to the Court of Morocco in 1902. Whilst there he took service as a doctor with the Sultan Mulai-Abd-el-Azidan, and remained with him until the end of his reign in 1908. He continued with his successor, Sultan Mulai-Abd-el-Hafid, until his abdication in 1912. Doctor Verdon died in April 1931 whilst on a voyage from Tangiers to Southampton. Sold with further details.

See Lot 529 for the Q.S.A. awarded to his brother for service with the Queensland Mounted Infantry.