Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Great War D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. Lyttelton, Welsh Regiment, who was decorated for his command of 38th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps in 1917-18: earlier he had served with distinction in the Ypres operations in August-November 1914 and performed the difficult duty of chief prosecutor at a Court Martial for two soldiers of the 2nd Royal Welsh accused of murder - both were found guilty and shot at dawn, an incident related by Robert Graves in Goodbye to All That

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. A. G. Lyttelton, Welsh R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. A. G. Lyttelton); Jubilee 1935; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, mounted court-style as worn, lacquered, very fine or better (7) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals to Welsh Regiments formed by the Late Llewellyn Lord.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

Archer Geoffrey “Jerky” Lyttelton was born in May 1884, the son of the Right Rev. the Hon. Arthur Temple Lyttelton, Bishop of Southampton. Educated at Haileybury and Trinity College, Cambridge, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment in August 1907, direct from the university’s Volunteer Rifle Corps. He subsequently served as Adjutant 1910-13 and was advanced to Captain in September of the latter year.

Lyttelton went to France as a Machine-Gun Officer in 3rd Infantry Brigade in early August 1914 and won a mention in despatches for the Ypres-Armentieres operations (London Gazette 17 February 1915, refers).

A stint as a Staff Captain in 3rd Infantry Brigade ensued, during which he had the unpleasant duty of acting as prosecutor at a Court Martial: as a consequence two soldiers of ‘C’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment were found guilty of the murder of their R.S.M. Both were sentenced to death and shot at dawn, a story recounted by Robert Graves in Goodbye to All That.

Lyttelton next commanded the Brigade’s M.G.C. Company from January to June 1916 and was again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 15 June 1916, refers). He was also given the brevet rank of Major.

Subsequently appointed to the command of 38th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, in which capacity he served from December 1917 until the war’s end, he won the D.S.O. and was twice mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes 29 December 1918 and 10 July 1919, refer); he was invested with his D.S.O. by H.M. the King at Buckingham Palace on 12 July 1919.

Post-war, he was advanced to Major in the 1st Battalion, Welsh Regiment, in early 1927 and, on his advancement to Lieutenant-Colonel in November 1932, took command the 2nd Battalion in India.

Placed on the Retired List in May 1937, Lytellton was recalled on the renewal of hostilities and commanded the Welsh Regiment Infantry Training Centre, and later, the Cardiff Garrison, services that won him a Certificate of Commendation. He died in Mayfield, Sussex in December 1959; sold with copied research.