Auction Catalogue

8 December 2016

Starting at 10:00 AM

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Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 763

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8 December 2016

Hammer Price:
£280

An 1827 Pattern Light Infantry Officer’s Sword, the straight 84 cm dumbbell section blade by Edward Thurkle, 5, Denmark Street, Soho, London, etched with crowned ERI royal cypher, strung bugle all amid foliate scrolls and within a small cartouche the owner’s initials G.S.W. regulation plated steel guard incorporating a strung bugle, fish-skin covered grip bound with silver wire, complete with its wood field service scabbard covered with brown leather, long plated steel chape, the guard retaining its field service brown leather sword-knot, blade retaining much of its original finish, plating rather worn on hilt, fish-skin flaking from grip £200-250

The sword of Gerald Sidney Wilson, C.S.I., K.P.M., Inspector General of Police, Bombay, who once arrested Mahatma Gandhi.

Edward Thurkle is recorded at 5, Denmark Street, Soho from 1879-1899.

Note: Wilson’s K.P.M. & 1911 Delhi Durbar, sold in these rooms May 2016 lot 105.

Gerald Sidney Wilson was born in 1880, son of Sidney Wilson, late of H.E.I.C.’s Navy. He was educated at Tonbridge and overseas, and passed into the Indian Police Service in 1901, being posted to the Bombay Presidency. He held appointments of Assistant and District Superintendent of Police up to 1912; Personal Assistant to Inspector-General of Police, 1912-14; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bombay City, 1914-18; Principal, Police Training School, 1920-21; Deputy Inspector-General of Police, 1921-28; Officiating Inspector-General of Police, Bombay Presidency, 1928-29; Commissioner of Police, Bombay City, 1930-32; Inspector-General of Police, Bombay Presidency, 1932-34; retired, 1934. Civilian attached General Staff, War Office, September 1939-43; Assistant Divisional Food Officer (Enforcement) N.W. Division, 1943-44. He was awarded the King’s Police Medal in January 1918 and was made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India in June 1931. He died on 5 February 1960.

The following incident was reported in
The Guardian newspaper on Monday, 4 January 1932:

‘Gandhi was arrested at three o'clock this morning at his Bombay residence, Manibhuwan, the police having arrived only a few moments previously. The actual arrest was carried out by the Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson, who was accompanied by the deputy Commissioner, Khan Bahadur Pettigara, and four other officers.

As soon as the police were sighted there was a flutter, and everybody tried to secure access to Gandhi's tent, but they were promptly prevented. Gandhi was immediately awakened, and as he was observing his usual silence when he saw the Police Commissioner he simply smiled at him. The Police Commissioner immediately handed over the warrant for his arrest to Gandhi, who, after quickly reading it through, handed it back again.

The warrant for Gandhi's arrest merely says that he is being arrested "for good and sufficient reasons." Then followed some very touching scenes of farewell in which all the members of Gandhi's ashram participated. The Commissioner allowed Mr. Gandhi half an hour in which to exchange parting greetings with his followers. Quick telephone calls were put through to as many places as possible to warn Congressmen who proposed to visit Manibhuwan to confer with their leader before his arrest.

Except for the party of six police officials there were no other policemen at Manibhuwan at the time of the arrest, but immediately after the arrest had been effected batches of policemen armed with lathis sprang up at all important crossroads with a view to preventing all demonstrations or untoward incidents. Most of the women of Gandhi's party wept bitterly as he left, whilst his wife, also in tears, begged the Police Commissioner to take her away with her husband. Gandhi himself, however, appeared to be in the best of spirits, his face being wreathed in smiles. A doctor is accompanying Gandhi to Yerwada Gaol.’

Now sold with the recipient’s standard issue police whistle which is stamped ‘The Acme City Whistle. England’