Auction Catalogue

6 & 7 December 2017

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Live Online Auction

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Lot

№ 968

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7 December 2017

Hammer Price:
£500

Four: Captain O. T. R. Crawshay, West Riding Regiment, late Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and part of a Welsh colliery owning dynasty

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. O. T. R. Crawshay. R: Warwick: Rgt:); 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. O. T. R. Crawshay. W. Rid. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. O. T. R. Crawshay.) mounted for wear, minor edge bruising, otherwise very fine or better (4) £360-400

Owen Tudor Richard Crawshay was the great-grandson of the iron master William Crawshay of Cyfartha Castle, and the son of the colliery owner Tudor Crawshay. He was born in Llantwit Fadre, Glamorgan, in January 1878. Crawshay was educated at Eton, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in June 1901. Having served in South Africa and advanced to Lieutenant, Crawshay transferred to 2nd Battalion, West Riding Regiment.

Crawshay was promoted Captain in 1904, and took part in the parade for the presentation of the Regimental Colours at Banbury the following year. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Cowbridge area of Glamorgan in 1906, and with the outbreak of the Great War served with the Regiment in the French theatre of war from September 1914. This was short lived, as he was very quickly returned to the UK having been found unfit for command - examples of his erratic behaviour including wearing two swords on parade. Several years were spent, by what was a very wealthy family, in attempting to clear his name, and over 200 pages of correspondence between the family and the War Office are held in the National Archives (copies included with the lot). Crawshay was eventually allowed to return to operational service, and was put in command of 33/Labour Company.

After the Great War Crawshay travelled to India, and spent time amassing a property portfolio in both England and Wales. He eventually resided in Cheltenham, and died there aged 94 in 1972. Crawshay is buried alongside his wife at St. Dunwyd Church, St. Donats, near Llantwit Major.

Sold with pocket knife, contained in a card box annotated ‘medals and pocket knife Daddy always had in his pocket during first war’; a small photograph of recipient in uniform, and two substantial files of research.