Auction Catalogue

26 January 2022

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

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Lot

№ 621

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26 January 2022

Hammer Price:
£380

A C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. mounted group of ten miniature dress medals attributed to Colonel E. M. Birch, Royal Artillery

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s badge, gold and enamel; The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, lacking integral top riband bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves; Russia, Empire, Order of St. Anne, Military Division, Third Class badge, silver-gilt and enamel; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with rosette on riband, mounted as worn, minor enamel damage to last; the Boer War campaign pair nearly very fine, the rest generally very fine and better (10) £240-£280

E. M. Birch served in the South African War 1899-1902 with 83rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery and took part in the operations in the Orange Free State from February to May 1900 including the action at Vet River (5 & 6 May), the VC action of Houtnek (Thoba Mountain) (7 May) and the engagement of Zand River (10 May). He was present during operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, on the Zululand Frontier of Natal in September and October 1901 and the Cape Colony 1900-02. For his services in South Africa he was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 10 September 1901) and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette 27 September 1901). He was invested by the King on 24 October 1902.

Birch served in the Great War from 10 January 1915 as GSO2 New Armies, British Expeditionary Force from 10 January 1915 to 17 May 1916. He served as GSO1 25th Division under Major General E. Bainbridge from 18 May 1916 to 11 January 1917 being promoted Lieutenant Colonel 1 June 1916 (including Vimy Ridge). He was GSO1 Fifth Army from 12 January to 18 May 1917 and then GSO1 17th (Northern) Division under, firstly, Major General T. Pilcher and, secondly, Major General P. Robertson (from 13 July 1917) until the end of the war. For his services during the Great War he was created a Companion of St. Michael and St. George in 1917 and given the Brevet of Colonel on 3 June 1918. He was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1919 and was made Officer of the Legion of Honour by the French and awarded the Order of Saint Anne (Third Class) by Imperial Russia. He is mentioned in
British Generalship on the Western Front 1914-18: Defeat Into Victory (by Simon Robbins) and How the War Was Won: Command and Technology in the British Army (by Timothy Travers).