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Auction: 12002 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 437

The G.C.B., Great War Western Front ´1918´ D.S.O., ´1917´ M.C. Group of Eleven to General Sir F.A. Pile, Bt., Royal Horse Artillery, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command During the Second World War a) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Military Division, Knight Grand Cross (G.C.B.) set of Insignia, sash Badge, silver-gilt, gold, and enamel; Star, silver, gold, and enamel, with gold retaining pin, with short length of sash riband for display purposes b) Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, reverse of suspension bar privately engraved ´Major. F.A. Pile Jan. 1918.´, with integral top riband bar c) Military Cross, G.V.R., reverse privately engraved ´Captain F.A. Pile, Jan. 2nd. 1917.´ d) 1914 Star, with Bar (Lieut: F.A. Pile. R.H.A.) e) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Major F.A. Pile.) f) Defence and War Medals g) Jubilee 1935 h) Coronation 1937 i) United States of America, Legion of Merit, Commander´s neck Badge, 64mm including wreath suspension x 58mm, gilt and enamel, minor enamel flaking to wreath and central medallion on G.C.B. badge, traces of lacquer, otherwise good very fine or better, with the following related items: - Bestowal Document for the American Legion of Merit, named to General Sir Frederick A. Pile, Bt, G.C.B., D.S.O., M.C., British Army, with minor water damage - Citation for the American Legion of Merit on White House, Washington, writing paper, and signed ´Harry S Truman´ - Letter to the recipient from the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill on Chartwell, Kent, writing paper, dated 22.9.1949 and signed ´Winston S. Churchill´ - The recipient´s four Great War diaries, covering the periods 5.8.1914-5.1.1915; 18.1-15.12.1915; 2.6.1916-9.5.1917; and 16.6.1917-7.10.1918 - The recipient´s operational Log Book, covering the period 6.4-12.8.1917 (12) Estimate £ 5,500-7,500 G.C.B. London Gazette 1.1.1945 General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, Bt., K.C.B., D.S.O., M.C. (3052), late Royal Tank Corps. K.C.B. London Gazette 1.7.1941 Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, Bt., C.B., D.S.O., M.C. (3052), late Royal Tank Corps. C.B. London Gazette 1.1.1938 Major-General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, Bt., D.S.O., M.C. (late Royal Artillery, and Royal Tank Corps), Commander, 1st Anti-Aircraft Division, Territorial Army. D.S.O. London Gazette 1.1.1918 Maj. Frederick Alfred Pile, M.C., R.A. M.C. London Gazette 1.1.1917 Capt. Frederick Alfred Pile, Hqrs., R.A. United States of America, Legion of Merit, Commander London Gazette 14.11.1947 General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, Bt., G.C.B., D.S.O., M.C. (3052), late Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, Colonel Commandant, Royal Regiment of Artillery. The Citation states: ´For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from December 1941 to September 1944. In his capacity as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Anti-Aircraft Command, British Army, he made available to the United States forces data with reference to anti-aircraft artillery material, tactics, and technique, which had a marked effect on the development and employment of the anti-aircraft artillery of the United States Army. His keen appreciation of the value of good will and understanding between American and British forces resulted in measures being taken which effectively produced those results. His personal interest in United States anti-aircraft units under his command contributed materially to increasing their efficiency for continental operations. General Pile´s outstanding professional zeal and knowledge resulted in the development of effective anti-aircraft artillery defensive measures, which have been adopted by the United States, for action against unusual hostile weapons, and for the defense of ground installations on the European continent.´ General Sir Frederick Alfred Pile, Bt., G.C.B., D.S.O., M.C., was born in September 1884, the eldest son of Thomas Pile, a future Lord Mayor of Dublin who was created a Baronet in 1900. He was Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Horse Artillery, 22.7.1904, and promoted Lieutenant, 29.7.1907. The Great War ´5th August 1914: Mobilization began. My job being Galloper to Colonel Birch, R.H.A., who Commands the 7th Brigade R.H.A. at Aldershot... 8th August: Made the acquaintances of the Head Quarters Staff, consisting of the Adjutant, Captain H. Scarlett; the Medical Officer, Captain Lewis; and the Veterinary Officer, Captain Stewart. I was given charge of the HQ horses... 9th August: The Brigade practically mobilized now... 13th August: H.M. The King visited Aldershot today... 15th August: Left Aldershot at midnight for Southampton. Lewis and I slept in the train much to the annoyance of the Colonel who tried to keep me awake by asking continuous questions. Arrived Southampton at 3:30am and about 11:00am the ship- a cattle boat- sailed. It was the stuffiest and smelliest boat I have ever seen and why our horses did not die of suffocation I cannot imagine... 17th August: We got into Boulogne on the tide at 4:30am and had every horse off the ship in 40 minutes. As we moved off at 11:00am we were cheered by great crowds of French people. Marched out to camp about 2 miles out of Boulogne and in the afternoon Lewis and I went into the town. He kept on cementing the Entente by waving to all the French girls. But I thought them all very ugly. Our men thoroughly enjoyed talking to the French chiefly in signs... 19th August: Left Boulogne for our first point of concentration. We had a perfectly triumphal procession. They stopped the train at every station where every inhabitant came out with something to give us- cigarettes, cigars, wine, flowers. Everyone, everywhere wanted to give us things and all wished us "Bon Chance". At Amiens a French Staff Officer got in and jabbered away as fast as he could to the Colonel and myself. From what he said I rather gathered that the War was all but over. I stayed in this happy delusion for another 3 days and then I struck me that the German was not such as fool as he appeared and that we had many days hard fighting ahead of us... 24th August: We could hear the noise of guns. Scarlett and I moved off at 1:00pm with some cavalry machine guns. We got as far the railway line at Roisin. General Allenby told us the only way to the batteries was through the wood. Spent an hour trying to find a way through the wood, and we had hardly got outside when they began to shell us. It was most unpleasant- Lewis got very excited and kept on urging me to go on but it seemed to me that we must have been driven back and that our only means of escape was through the wood...That night the staff went in bivouacs at St. Wast and hoped that the batteries would arrive but they did not. So ended my first day under fire and very unpleasant too.´ (the recipient´s diary refers). Action at Nery On the 31st August Pile moved on to near Nery. ´L´ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, arrived that night after dark and tied up their horses. ´1st September 1914: Here happened the most gallant affair in the whole War. While the horses were still tied to the vehicles and the men having breakfast a German brigade of 8 guns suddenly opened fire on the battery at a range of 600 yards. There was a stream between the batteries and the Germans had managed to dig themselves in during the night. Captain Bradbury, together with Sergeant Major Dorrell got one gun into action. Lieutenants Mundy and John Campbell each took another gun but before they could be got into action their detachment were shot. Bradbury then called them over to his gun. Between them they knocked out 4 of the German guns. John Campbell was struck with a shell whilst working the gun in the gallantest fashion. Poor Mundy had half his leg taken off by a shell and died later of his wounds. Captain Bradbury who directed the gun had a leg shot off and continued to direct his gun till another shell took off his other leg. Even then his only thought was the Battery. He asked to be taken to the rear so that the men might not see him or perhaps hear him groan. But no man heard a murmur from his lips. Mundy and John Campbell were hit while bringing up ammunition. There were two others working the gun and one of them was a driver reputed to be the biggest waster in the battery but this day a hero. Dorrell and he continued firing their gun until the ammunition was all expended and then retired at a where the Cavalry Brigade Headquarters were and reported themselves. By this time four guns of ´I´ Battery had arrived and they knocked out the 8 German guns which were captured and destroyed. A shell grazed Sergeant-Major Dorrell´s head but did no harm. Out of the 250 men in the battery at 5:30am when the Germans opened fire there were only 90 left at 6:00am.´ (ibid). For their gallantry in organizing the defence of ´L´ Battery against heavy odds that morning Captain Bradbury and Sergeant-Major Dorrell (together with Sergeant Nelson) were awarded the Victoria Cross. Pile was promoted Captain, 30.10.1914- by this stage 60% of the Royal Horse Artillery who had left England with him were hors de combat. ´3rd December 1914: The King inspected the Cavalry division today. We were drawn up on both sides of the road from Fletre to Caestre. H.M. dismounted just before he reached the Horse Artillery and walked all the way down the lines. He was accompanied by the Prince of Wales, who looked very young, and General Allenby, and remarked on how well the men and horses were looking. The men were fantastically pleased´ (ibid); In late December he was given temporary command of ´I´ Battery, before heading back to England for a period of leave. For the rest of the War Pile served on the staff attached to Headquarters, first as a Staff Captain, 29.10.1915- 2.1.1916; and then as a Brigade Major, 3.1.1916- 28.8.1918, and was promoted Major, 26.8.1916. Three times Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazettes 1.1.1916, 11.12.1917, and 7.7.1919, he was awarded the Military Cross for his gallantry during the period of the Battle of the Somme ´3rd January 1917: The London papers today of 2nd Jan have a huge honours list, myself amongst the crowd for a M.C. That is a start anyhow...4th January: The most enthusiastic letter from my little Lady on the honours list. The medal is worth fifty times as much today!´ (ibid) and later awarded the Distinguished Service Order ´2nd January 1918: On reading the papers discovered I had been given a D.S.O.´ (ibid) and appointed Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, 3.6.1919. After the War Pile served as Adjutant, Royal Artillery, 11.3.1920- 28.1.1922; advanced Colonel, 3.6.1923, he was appointed and served as Assistant Director of Mechanisation at the War Office, 21.8.1928- 20.10.1932 and then Brigade Commander of the Canal Brigade in Egypt, 21.10.1932- 21.10.1936. Promoted Major-General, 11.2.1937, he served as Commander, 1st Anti-Aircraft Division, from 27.11.1937, and was advanced Lieutenant-General, 8.7.1938. Second World War On the 28th July 1939 Pile was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Anti-Aircraft Command, a position he was to hold throughout the Second World War. Amongst his many recommendations and operational changes was the decision to move all the anti-aircraft guns to the coast, which allowed a protective gun-belt to be established for the first time. R.A.F. fighters were prohibited from entering this belt, which thus allowed both fighters and guns to operate within clearly-defined spheres, with greatly improved results. At the peak of operations in May 1941 he had 1,691 Heavy guns, 940 Light guns, and 4,532 Searchlights under his command, manned by just over 300,000 men. Towards the end of the War he was instrumental in preparing to counteract the threat of the long range rockets, the first of which had fallen on London on the 8th September 1944- of the 495 rockets that came within range of his guns, only 66 got through to reach London. As well as his official despatches, he published after the War Ack-Ack: Britain´s Defence against Air Attack during the Second World War, a copy of which he sent to Winston Churchill, receiving the a letter back saying: ´What days those were, and how well you did!´ (letter included with lot refers). Promoted General, 25.12.1941, he was appointed Colonel Commandant, Royal Regiment of Artillery, 30.1.1945, before retiring from active service after the end of hostilities, 26.11.1945. General Sir Frederick Pile succeeded his father as 2nd Baronet on the 17th January 1931, and died at home in Hertfordshire on the 14th November 1976. In 1948 a locomotive of the Southern Railway SR Battle of Britain Class was named after him. This locomotive is currently being restored, and will the future operate on the Watercress Line in Hampshire.

Sold for
£7,000