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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 2

The Impressive K.C.B., Boer War ´Stormberg´ D.S.O. Group of Twelve to Major-General E.M. Perceval, Royal Artillery, Who Commanded the 77th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, At Stormberg, 10.12.1899, Where Despite Being Severely Wounded He Stayed With His Battery Until the Fighting Had Finished; Also Wounded During the Great War, He Commanded the 49th West Riding Division, 1915-1917 a) The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, Military Division, Knight Commander´s (K.C.B.) set of insignia, neck Badge, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, minor blue enamel damage; Star, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, with gold retaining pin b) Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, obverse centre slightly depressed, green enamel damage, with integral top riband bar c) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen (Major. E.M. Perceval. D.S.O. R.F.A.), suspension claw re-pinned d) King´s South Africa 1901-02, two clasps (Maj: E.M. Perceval. D.S.O. R.F.A) e) 1914, with copy Bar (Brig: Gen: E.M. Perceval. D.S.O.) f) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Maj. Gen. E.M. Perceval) g) Defence Medal h) Belgium, Kingdom, Order of Leopold, Military Division, Commander´s neck Badge, gilt and enamel, French motto, minor green and white enamel damage i) Portugal, Republic, Military Order of Aviz, Knight Grand Cross Star, by da Costa, Lisbon, silver-gilt and enamel, maker´s cartouche on reverse, green enamel damage to cross j) Russia, Imperial, Order of St. Vladimir, Military Division, Fourth Class breast Badge, gold (56 zolotniki) and enamel, 1908-17 kokoshnik mark to hilt of sword k) Belgium, Kingdom, Croix de Guerre, A.I.R, generally very fine or better, unless otherwise stated, breast awards, with the exception of the Defence Medal, mounted as originally worn (12) Estimate £ 6,000-8,000 K.C.B. London Gazette 31.12.1921 Major-General Edward Maxwell Perceval, C.B., D.S.O., Retired Pay D.S.O. London Gazette 19.4.1901 Edward Maxwell Perceval, Major, Royal Artillery ´In recognition of services during the recent operations in South Africa.´ Major-General Edward Maxwell Perceval, K.C.B., D.S.O. (1861-1955) born Bellewstown, County Meath, Ireland; son of General J.M. Perceval, C.B., J.P.; educated at Royal Academy, Gosport and R.M.A. Woolwich; also held the Diploma of the Royal Geographical Society; commissioned Lieutenant, Royal Artillery, 1880; advanced Major 1898, and ´in command of a battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry from 5 January 1902, to 31 May 1902, and was severely wounded. He took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900; operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 November 1900, including action at Wittebergen (1 to 29 July); operations in Cape Colony, south of Orange River, 1899-1900; operations in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony 30 November 1900 to 31 May 1902... He was Mentioned in Despatches 16 March, 1900. General Gatacre, in his despatch on the Battle of Stormberg, mentioned that Major Perceval was severely wounded at the beginning of that action, and that he remained in command of his battery until the fighting was finished. He was given the D.S.O. in the next Gazette´ (The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1923, refers); Perceval commanded the 77th Battery, Royal Field Artillery at Stormberg, ´To avoid the heavy fire of the Boer riflemen the batteries drove as far away from the heights as the donga, which ran across the plain, would allow. One gun of the 74th Battery passed too near the donga and sank through the soft ground at its edge. The efforts of the gunners to extricate it at once attracted a murderous fire from the Boers at about 800 yards range, and as horses and gunners were falling fast it was thought better to leave it for the time being and rescue it later. The rest went on to the foot of the detached hill, where Gatacre ordered them at once to come into action to help the infantry, the 74th a little way up the slope and the 77th on the top of the hill. Driving as far as the horses could get up the rough slope, the men quickly unlimbered and man-handled the guns up to the top. Here the left guns of the 77th came under a heavy short-ranged fire from the Boers, who still held on to the eastern underfeatures of the hill. Major Perceval was severely wounded, but continued to command his battery... Grobler and Steenkamp, too, had heard the firing from where they were on the Steynsburg road, and came galloping back to join in the fight. From some rising ground behind the colliery line they began firing straight into the British rear. For a moment things looked serious. But Major Perceval, whose battery was just taking up a new position, promptly swung round three guns, and his admirably ranged shells sufficed´ (The Times History of the War in South Africa 1899-1900, Vol. II, refers); served as an Instructor at the Royal Military College from 1903, advancing to Chief Instructor, 9.3.1904; after a series of Staff appointments he was promoted Colonel, 7.12.1909; served as Assistant Director of Movements, War Office, 6.10.1912-31.3.1914; commanded Royal Artillery, 2nd Division, Aldershot Command, 1st April - 4th August 1914; Brigadier-General, 5.8.1914; served on the Western Front, 5.8.1914-20.10.1917 (C.B. January 1915; wounded); served as Sub-Chief of the Staff to General Sir William Robertson at G.H.Q., France, 26th January-16th July 1915; Major-General, 3.6.1915; the following month he was appointed to the command of the 49th West Riding Division (Five times Mentioned in Despatches; Belgium Order of Leopold, Commander, London Gazette 24.2.1916; Portugal, Military Order Aviz, 1st Class London Gazette 10.10.1918; Russia, Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class, London Gazette 25.8.1915), during this time he commanded the Division when it suffered the first Phosgene gas attack of the War, 19.12.1915, and at Thiepval during the First Day of the Battle of the Somme; returned to the UK and commanded the 68th Division Home Forces, 1917-1919; subsequent postings included as Officer Commanding at Shorncliffe and Folkestone; retired 1920; he commanded a battalion of the Home Guard during the Second World War; in later life he resided in Farnham, Surrey. Provenance: Sotheby, July 1991

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