Militaria

Lot 3748    Session 12 (11.30am Thursday 26 March)    Militaria

Estimate $15,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $20,000

ANZACS IN ARMOURED CARS COLLECTION, WWI, features the Australians and New Zealanders who signed up with Locker-Lampson's armoured cars in Russia and then onto the Middle East with Dunsterforce, includes 727 individual photos (in eight albums) and even with some original negatives, detailing the complete Locker-Lampson and Dunsterforce story as told through the eyes of Captain Lefroy DSC and is accompanied with his field notebook (containing a huge amount of information and orders) along with the record of all the vehicles (including chassis and engine numbers) written in 1918 in Iraq (no record of these chassis numbers has existed to date). These truly stunning and clear photos follow the whole war with the Armoured Cars in Russia and Mesopotamia. To our knowledge nothing like this has ever surfaced, let alone to an Anzac. Fine - extremely fine and of the utmost historical importance, an extremely rare collection. (lot)

A detailed list of the collection is as follows,

1. 95 photos in a small brown album.

2. 114 photos in a large thin album.

3. 46 photos in a large green album.

4. 88 photos in a thick brown album.

5. 96 photos in a small green album.

6. 96 photos in a thick green album.

7. 79 photos in a thick brown album.

8. 113 photos in a very large brown album.

9. Kodak book of negatives in 100 sleeves (filled with many multiples in each sleeve). Little time has been spent with the negatives as they are in perfect order and therefore wanted to avoid exposing them to light for any long period of time. Negatives are large format measuring 118x70mm.

10. Field service pocket book inscribed 'F. Lefroy Capt.' (290 printed pages).

11. Army Book 14. Ready Reckoner for field rations inscribed 'Capt. F. Lefroy'.

12. Booklet with very neat writing giving registration vehicle numbers, engine numbers of armoured cars and support vehicles (multiple lists) - suggest this would be of the highest importance to vehicle collectors. This was written in G Camp, Makina in 1918 (Basrah, Iraq).

13. A field message note book with all pages containing messages from page 5, dated 24th July 1917 to page 121, dated 5th August 1917. Very comprehensive and many of the hand-written orders are signed by Captain Lefroy, Captain Hanna and various officers.

14. Original Travel Orders issued to Capt. F. Lefroy confirming service with Locker-Lampson and giving details of his return to Australia in July 1919.

As a result of this collection, it has been possible to piece together the following information about some truly amazing Australian and New Zealand men who not only participated, but commanded various key positions as officers in the unit. Their story is told through these photos.

Captain Francis Charles Bruce Lefroy (born, Western Australia and was the son of Premier Sir H. Lefroy KCMG). Captain Lefroy was the transport officer and Brigade Quartermaster whilst serving with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia, earning him the high award of a Distinguished Service Cross in Russia. Captain Samuel Jackson Hanna (Auckland, New Zealand). Captain Hanna served as the Adjutant with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and with Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia. Both Captain Lefroy and Captain Hanna were credited as the heart of operations and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for leadership. Captain Hanna was also further awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne and his medals are on display at the Army Museum, Waiouru.

Captain Patrick Richard Stewart Walford (Western Australian, brother-in-law to Premier Lefroy). Initially enlisted as number 224 with the 10th Light Horse AIF and was sent to Gallipoli from where he was evacuated due to wounds (bomb blast). It is in England where Walford, Sholl and Crossing appear to have been recruited by Captain Lefroy and Captain Gawler. Captain Walford went on to serve with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia. DNW auction house sold the medal group to Captain Walford's driver (Sgt Spencer). The Following extract from Sgt Spencer's diary tells an amazing part of Captain Walfords story, 'At once Sub. Lieutenant Walford swooped out with his car to the rescue, drawing Maxim after Maxim of the enemy as he advanced. He won the flats and got within 40 yards of where the Russian car lay up to the axles against the barbed wire, and searched the trenches near him again and again. But the impact of accumulated metal was terrific. It failed, indeed, to pierce the armour, but shattered the bare thought of a continuous frontal attack. In fact, the enemy bullets sprayed against the driver's shield in such numbers that, although harmless in themselves, they threw off nickel splashes in a sort of mist which obscured the driver's view. Walford got the car to reverse and fired uninterruptedly with excellent effect until his car, too, foundered in the mud. Still he stuck to it, keeping the Bulgarians near him deep in their trenches and picking off those who exposed themselves, until a lucky enemy shot ripped up the casing of his Maxim and put it out of action. The feat of extricating the car was prodigious, but she struggled forth after two of her crew had been wounded. As for Walford and the driver, their faces a bleeding rash from the minute pinpoints of nickel flung off by the striking bullets.'

Captain Geoffrey Noel Gawler (Western Australian). Captain Gawler served with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia. Captain Gawler was awarded the Military Cross. No direct citation appears for his MC apart from the following, recorded as a MID (possibly upgraded). 'An Australian officer and the youngest in the Force. He has seen service in Persia, Roumania and Russia and fought gallantly with the cars during the retreat. When his car was lost in action in Galicia he took a rifle and rallied the Russian troops in the trenches for two hours.'

Captain Walter Leonard Crossing (Western Australian). Captain Crossing enlisted as number 767 with the 11th Battalion AIF and was evacuated due to wounds received in the initial landing at Gallipoli. It is in England where Crossing, Sholl and Walford appear to have been recruited by Captain Lefroy and Captain Gawler. Captain Crossing served with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia. It was during this service that he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Service Cross and the Russian Order of St. George. A truly amazing group of awards.

Captain Guy Trevarton Sholl (Western Australian). Captain Sholl enlisted as number 135 in the 10th Light Horse AIF and was evacuated from Gallipoli to England with Enteric Fever. It is in England where Sholl, Crossing and Walford appear to have been recruited by Captain Lefroy and Captain Gawler. Captain Sholl served with Locker-Lampson's Armoured Cars in Russia and Dunsterforce in Mesopotamia. Captain Sholl was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in Russia.

Lieutenant Clive Benson Hull (Auckland, New Zealand). Very little information appears on Lieutenant Hull's service and it was only due to a mention in the Auckland Weekly News magazine (about Captain Hanna) that it was realised that another New Zealander served in the unit. It appears that he was married in Western Australia in 1937, suggesting a very strong bond between all of these Anzacs.