Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of twelve miniature dress medals attributed to Major-General Sir Hugh Bruce Williams, General Staff, late Royal Engineers, Order of the Bath, Military Division, gold and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., gold and enamel, complete with gold top bar; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps; 1914 Star; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Jubilee 1935; Belgium, Order of the Crown, 4th Class, silver-gilt and enamel; France, Legion of Honour, 3rd Class, arms and suspension set with colourless stones; Belgium, Croix de Guerre, with palm on ribbon; France, Croix de Guerre, palm on ribbon, mounted court style as worn, generally extremely fine (12) £200-260

Hugh Bruce Williams was born on 24 July 1865 and was educated at Cargilfield, Edinburg, Winchester and the Royal Military Academy. Entering the Army in 1885 as a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, he was promoted Captain in 1894 and passed Staff College in 1899. During the Boer War he served with the 11th Field Company R.E. and was later on the Staff as Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General. For his services he received the brevet of Major in 1900, was awarded the D.S.O. (London Gazette 26 April 1901) ‘In recognition of his Intelligence work with Brigadier-General Plumer’, and was three times mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 2 April 1901, 8 March 1901, 8 May 1901). He was promoted to Major in 1902, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1908 and Colonel in 1912, and was employed as D.A.Q.M.G. 1904-05 and D.A.A.G. Southern Command 1906, Brigade Major and secretary of the School of Military Engineering 1907-08, D.A.A.G. Eastern Command 1908-11 and D.A.A.G. Irish Command 1912-14. Serving in the Great War he attained the rank of Major-General, being Brigade Commander 137th Infantry Brigade June-November 1916 and Divisional Commander, 37th Division, November 1916, and was created a C.B. in 1915 and K.C.B. in 1919. Placed on Half Pay in 1923, he was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers, 1930-35. He died on 14 December 1942.