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Auction: 1008 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 6

A Second War ´1945´ C.B., ´1944´ C.B.E., Great War 1917 ´French Theatre´ M.C. Group of Twelve to Major-General W.A.M. Stawell, Head of S.O.E., Near East, 1943-1944, and Severely Wounded Whilst Serving with the Royal Engineers During the Great War a) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Companion´s (C.B.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in Garrard & Co. Ltd case of issue b) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Military Division, Commander´s (C.B.E.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in Garrard & Co. Ltd case of issue c) Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued d) 1914-15 Star (Lieut. W.A.M. Stawell R.E.) e) British War and Victory Medals (Major W.A.M. Stawell) f) 1939-1945 Star g) Italy Star h) Defence and War Medals i) France, Republic, Legion of Honour, Chevalier´s breast Badge, silver and enamel, minor enamel damage, with case of issue j) France, Republic, Croix de Guerre, with bronze palm on riband, reverse dated 1939, generally very fine or better, last ten mounted as originally worn, with the following related items and original documents &c.: - Major-General´s No 1 Dress tunic and trousers, named to recipient, with full medal riband bar - Major-General´s khaki Service Dress tunic and trousers, with full medal riband bar - The recipient´s related miniature awards - Royal Engineers Golfing Society Prize Medal, reverse engraved, ´Bogey Foursome Autumn 1934´ - Bestowal Document for the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, C.B., dated 20.9.1945 - Bestowal Document for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E., dated 1.1.1944 - Bestowal Document for the French Legion of Honour, dated 19.7.1948, with enclosed citation for the award, and permission to wear letter - Certificate of appreciation of services rendered from the Italian Ministry of War, dated 30.9.1945 - Four photographs of recipient in uniform; and a number of envelopes addressed to recipient mainly sent from Australia (lot) Estimate £ 1,500-2,000 C.B. London Gazette 20.9.1945 Major-General (temporary) William Arthur McDonald [sic] Stawell, C.B.E., M.C. (8463), late Corps of Royal Engineers ´In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy.´ C.B.E. London Gazette 1.1.1944 Colonel (temporary Brigadier) William Arthur Macdonald Stawell, M.C. (8463), late Royal Engineers M.C. London Gazette 1.1.1917 Lt. (temp. Capt) William Arthur Macdonald Stawell, R.E. Major-General William ´Billy´ Arthur Macdonald Stawell, C.B., C.B.E., M.C. (1895-1987), born India, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel G.C. Stawell; educated at Clifton and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; commissioned Second Lieutenant, Royal Engineers, 12.8.1914; served during the Great War, in command of a Signal Company, on the Western Front, August 1915-April 1917 (M.C.), ´He won the Military Cross in 1917, but was severely wounded. Indeed he was exceptionally lucky to survive as his femoral artery was cut - a wound which normally causes death within minutes.... His convalescence took a year, at the end of which he met a sportsman by the name of Wingfield who convinced him that any animal, even a bird, was rideable if it was large enough... Subsequently he was posted to the Middle East where he served in Greek Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, the Aegean Islands and Turkey. While in Constantinople he organised a pack of hounds of mixed breed which supposedly eliminated the last jackals from Europe´ (Daily Telegraph Obituary refers); advanced Major 1.9.1929; served as D.A.A.G. India, 1.12.1935-31.10.1937; Colonel 2.11.1940; served during the Second War as Deputy Director of Military Intelligence, War Office, 18.11.1940-13.2.1942; Brigadier (General Staff), Home Forces, 14.2.1942-18.11.1942 before, ´Fearsome staff quarrels in Cairo, nothing to do with him, created a vacancy there for an officer of his standing to take charge of the Special Operations Executive´s work in the Near East. The post in question had changed hands six times in three years. Stawell at least knew something about intelligence, he seemed fit for the job. He found at once that he was in charge of a subversive force, not an intelligence organization and realized also that the type of command he could exercise was quite unlike a normal soldier´s role. SOE´s tasks were so intricate, so diverse, and so secret that its high command could play only a small and remote part in them. This sort of work needs many years´ preparation, which SOE, not formed till July 1940, did not have. Stawell fought SOE´s corner as nimbly as he could, at an exalted level - with his friend Field Marshal Alexander and other Allied commanders in the Mediterranean - and did not try to interfere with agent´s work in the field´ (Times Obituary refers); according to the citation for the award of his Legion of Honour, Stawell was responsible for liaison work with resistance groups in the South of France in preparation for Operation Dragoon, 15.8.1944; however, ´By December 1944 the strain had become to much for him, and he returned to England on sick leave. He recovered enough to take up, in November 1945, another administrative post as Deputy Chief of Operations for UNRRA, the United Nations relief body which was wrestling with Europe´s hordes of refugees. He then spent two years as Deputy Chief of Intelligence for the Control Commission in Germany´ (ibid); retired Major-General shortly after the War. For the medals to Lieutenant-Colonel G.C. Stawell see Lot 210.

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£2,800