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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 378

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

A very fine 'Gallipoli 1915' M.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. L. Pepys, Essex Regiment, late Northamptonshire Regiment and Mashonaland Relief Force, a confirmed Jameson Raider

Some twenty years later he landed as a Company Commander at 'W' Beach, Cape Helles, on 25 April 1915, in the footsteps of the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, who had just won the 'six V.C.s before breakfast'; he was severely wounded in action and subsequently evacuated home

Military Cross, G.V.R. (Captain A. G. L. Pepys, 1/Essex Regt. 25th. to 28th. April. 1st. May 1915.), contemporarily engraved naming; British South Africa Company's Medal 1890-97, reverse Rhodesia 1896, 1 clasp, Mashonaland 1897 (Troopr. A. G. L. Pepys. M.R.F.); Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. A. G. L. Pepys, North'n Rgt.); King's South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut. A. G. L. Pepys. Northampton Regt.); 1914-15 Star (Capt. A. G. L. Pepys. Essex R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oakleaf (Capt. A. G. L. Pepys.), mounted court-style as worn, edge bruising, very fine (7)

M.C. London Gazette 3 July 1915:

'From 25th to 28th April, 1915, during landing operations, for conspicuous good work; and again on 1st May, during operations south of Krithia, for gallantly capturing trenches held by the enemy and retaining possession of them.'

Further relevant information appears in his obituary:

'It was during the heavy fighting on May 1-2, when a powerful Turkish counter-attack was defeated, that Captain Pepys and "X" Company restored a dangerous situation by a very gallant bayonet charge, which gained him the well-merited award of the Military Cross.'

Arthur Guy Leslie Pepys was born on 24 August 1875 in the Parish of St. Thomas, Exeter, Devon, the son of The Honourable Henry Leslie Pepys and Ada Coote. Educated in the town of Heidelberg, south-western Germany, he spent his school holidays in Dinard, France, before serving with the Mashonaland Mounted Police in South Africa.

Jameson Raider

Under Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Frederick White and Major William Bodle, Pepys served as a Trooper with 'B' Troop during the botched Jameson Raid against the South African Republic which took place from 29 December 1895-2 January 1896. Intended to trigger an uprising in the Transvaal by the primarily British expatriate workers - known as Uitlanders - it failed to do so when Jameson's armed column was tracked by Transvaal forces from the moment that it crossed the border. Following a series of skirmishes and long marches, the tired Raiders were finally met by a substantial Boer force at Doornkop and it was here that they were forced to surrender to Commandant Piet Cronje; the Raiders were taken to Pretoria and jailed.

The Boer Government subsequently returned the leaders to London for trial, however their position became somewhat less precarious when the Kaiser sent the infamous 'Kruger Telegram', congratulating President Kruger and the Transvaal Government on their success 'without the help of friendly powers' - alluding to potential support by Germany. Once disclosed in the British Press it raised a storm of anti-German and anti-Boer feeling, with Jameson lionised in the papers and by London society. In consequence, Jameson, Colonel Frank Rhodes and John Hays Hammond were initially jailed in deplorable conditions, found guilty of high treason, and sentenced to death by hanging, but this was quickly re-addressed by the courts. The death sentences were soon commuted to 15 years' imprisonment before, in June 1896, all were released upon payment of stiff fines. Rhodes was placed on the retired list of the British Army and barred from active involvement in military affairs, but after his release from Holloway, he immediately joined his brother Cecil and the British South Africa Company in the Second Matabeleland War.

Pepys returned to the fray and fought with Rhodes and Robert Baden-Powell in Rhodesia, attempting the stave off the Matabele people who were convinced that the 4,000 settlers were responsible for the drought, locust plaques and infectious viral cattle disease known as 'rinderpest' which were ravaging the country. Witnessing an opportunity with the failure of the Jameson Raid, Rhodesia lay virtually defenceless; it would take until October 1897 for the British South Africa Company to suppress the Matabele and Shona, but with heavy loss of life on both sides. The much maligned hut tax remained and the Matabele and Shona became subjects of the Rhodes administration, however the legacy of leaders such as Kaguvu, Mapondera and Nahanda was to inspire future generations (Towards a Zimbabwean Aaneid, J. Maritz, refers).

Following the outbreak of the Boer War, Pepys was commissioned in the Northamptonshire Regiment. The Regiment fought at Belmont on 23 November 1899 and were somewhat fortunate to escape heavy loss - being in the first line - with 3 officers and 15 men wounded. Whilst not present, Pepys likely formed part of the column under Major-General Douglas in south-western Transvaal and thus would have been taken part in regular attempts to stave off Boer raiding parties.

Transferring to the Essex Regiment, Pepys served with the 1st Battalion in Burma, India and Mauritius from 1910 to 1914, returning to England in December 1914 upon the arrival of a territorial unit for garrison duties. Following a brief spell of defence duties at Harwich, on 18 January 1915 the Battalion moved to Banbury where they came under the orders of 88th Brigade, 29th Division. Originally expecting to be sent to the Western Front, the Battalion was instead sent to Avonmouth, sailing on 21 March 1915 aboard the ocean lined S.S. Caledonia for Gallipoli. On 13 April 1915 they joined the 78,000-stong Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Mudros and began a number of practice landings in preparation for the assault on the Gallipoli peninsula.

Gallipoli Landings: 'W' Beach, Cape Helles, 25 April 1915

Without modern craft, the Essex Regiment under Colonel Owen Godfrey Fausset, D.S.O., landed in open rowing boats at 'W' Beach amidst heavy Turkish fire. The well-defended section of beach at the tip of the peninsula had already taken a devastating toll of the Lancashire Fusiliers who had suffered 700 killed or wounded since their assault at 6 a.m. As a Company Commander, Pepys and his men fought doggedly to secure a foothold on the beach, before then attacking Hill 138 which was taken at 5.20 p.m., digging in, and seeing off counter-attacks during the night; by then the 1st Essex had suffered 18 dead and 90 wounded.

On 1 May 1915 the 1st Essex Regiment were ambushed and their C.O. was killed. A contemporary newspaper article describes the scene:

'In the earlier fighting in Gallipoli the Turks in the Krithia region penetrated our line at its weakest spot. The 1st Essex Regiment, who were in reserve, were ordered to retake the trenches. They made for a trench on the right of a gully. Soon they heard voices calling, "Who are you?" They replied, "Essex." Then came they cry, "That's all right; come on, Essex." The Essex Colonel had only gone a few paces when he was shot in the stomach. He died an hour later. Major Shammut, who had gone with the Colonel met with a like fate. Even at this moment it was not realised that the men had bumped right into the Turks, who were only ten yards away, and that the men who had called out "Come on, Essex," were Germans.'

It was amidst this scene of confusion and German trickery that Pepys won his M.C. for restoring a very dangerous situation following the deaths of two senior officers, as recalled in Essex Units in the War 1914-1919:

'Captain A. G. L. Pepys and "X" Company, by a gallant and timely bayonet charge, restored the line, whilst a company of the Royal Scots dealt with the Turks who had broken through. For this exploit Capt. Pepys received the M.C.'

Throughout the rest of the month, the Battalion made concerted attacks upon 'Fir Tree Wood' - one of four heavily defended spurs separated by deep gullies. It was captured on 18 May, but shelling and endless sniping, together with extreme weather, took their toll on the men, including Pepys, who was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 5 August 1915, refers). On May 30 his luck ran out:

'During a severe close-quarter struggle in the advanced trenches, he was severely wounded in the jaw.'

Evacuated home, Pepys was promoted Major on 1 September 1915 and in July 1916, whilst still categorised 'light duty' as a result of his wound, appointed to Command the Depot and the 44th Recruiting Area with the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. The Depot Staff were small but had significant responsibilities, including the administration of returning field force personnel and the recruitment of all eligible manpower, especially following the attrition of the Somme and Passchendaele:

'Pepys was well equipped to deal with this strange command, which included the initiation and the implementation of the first scheme for full compulsory service in this country. His energy and drive, his unfailing initiative and resource, his broad outlook and essential kindliness enabled him to create and control an organisation for which there was no previous pattern, and which was staffed by personnel drawn from every walk of life.'

Pepys had married two weeks before sailing for Gallipoli, and on 13 December 1915, he and his wife, Olive Grace (nee Starkey) welcomed the first of two children, a son, Samuel Guy Leslie Pepys. Pepys remained in Command of the Depot for the remainder of the war, and in 1919, upon the reorganisation of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, he took command of the latter at Colchester. In March 1920 he saw the 'Pompadours' well settled in Malta - their first post-War station - before relinquishing command in 1921 and residing at Coombe Priory, Shaftesbury, Dorset.

Pepys died at home on 9 April 1953, his obituary describing a much admired officer:

'Colonel Pepys was more than popular with both officers and other ranks, in particular his junior officers. During the latter period of his service he suffered a good deal from the effects of his war wound, but despite this he was invariably cheerful, always having a good story at hand to fit the occasion.'

Sold together with copied MIC and research.

For the recipient's miniature dress medals, please see Lot 417. For his son's awards, please see Lot 164.


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Sold for
£2,500