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Auction: 26002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 172

(x) The D.S.C. and Romanian Order of the Star group of five awarded to Lieutenant W. N. Lucas-Shadwell, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve & Intelligence Corps, a gallant officer of Locker-Lampson’s Russian Armoured Car Squadron in Russia, Turkey and Romania, who was twice wounded and further showered with decorations by our Russian Allies

Lucas-Shadwell also had a long-time career working 'in the shadows' for the Security Services either side of the Great War and is understood to have sheltered Trotsky at his French home, the 15th century Chateau de Bity during the 1930s

Distinguished Service Cross, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1918; 1914 Star (2. Lieut: W. N. Lucas-Shadwell.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. W. N. Lucas-Shawell. R.N.V.R.); Romania, Kingdom, Order of the Star, breast Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, very fine (5)

D.S.C. London Gazette 17 May 1918:

'When the Galician campaign of 1917 opened, he led a car many times into action on the first and subsequent days. During the first day of the retreat he took his car far beyond the Russian lines against the enemy.

His car was destroyed by a shell, and he was wounded for the second time, but crawled back to the Russian trenches, where he rallied two Companies of Russians, until
too exhausted to go on. His courage, industry, and attention to detail deserve great praise.'

Romanian Order of the Star London Gazette 17 March 1919 (Naval Armoured Cars). A unique award of the Order of the Star - of any grade - to a Royal Navy or Marine Officer for Services with the Armoured Cars.

[Russian Order of St Stanislaus] London Gazette 2 May 1916. An award '...for services rendered in connection with [opening of] the new sledge route from Alexandrovsk.'

William Noel Lucas-Shadwell was born at Fairlight Hall, Sussex on 11 December 1883. The Hall is an excellent example of a Victorian neo-gothic mansion built for William Lucas-Shadwell, who commissioned plans to be drawn in 1843, having inherited a large sum from an uncle. Of 'Shadwells Folly', Pevsner wrote of its '....mullioned and transomed windows and everywhere battlements and a profusion of chimneystack.' Young Lucas-Shadwell was firstly appointed to the Foreign Office and its Consular Service in October 1906. Posted as variously to Caen, Port Said, Galatz, Gravosa-Ragusa and then in Charge of the Legation at Cettinie in Dalmatia in 1912. Transferred to Emden and Genoa in July 1914, the outbreak of the Great War abruptly halted his career.

Unemployed from August-October 1914, due to his language skills he was duly appointed 2nd Lieutenant and was sent to France with the 5th Division and landed on 10 November 1914. He served with the Intelligence Corps as an Interpreter. It was not to be his last foray into that field.

Transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service, Lucas-Shadwell was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and went to Russia with the Armoured Car Squadron from 28 November 1915. Thence followed a period in serving with Locker Lampson's famed Armoured Car Expeditionary Force (A.C.E.F.) in Russia, as recalled by Perrett & Lord in The Czar's British Squadron, and would surely have shared in all their actions at Archangel, Vladikavkas, Tiflis, Turkey, Rumania, Tiraspol, Brzezany and Husiatyn and Galicia. He was recorded as having been wounded on two occassions, including on 26 December 1916 when suffering a bullet wound to the left side of his neck whilst in Russia.

Lucas-Shadwell eventually took his D.S.C., Romanian Order of the Star, besides his Russian awards - for he wore the ribands of the Orders of St Stanislaus, St Anne & Vladimir, these last two never reaching the London Gazette - for his remarkable services to the Squadron, who were affectionately known as the 'Locker Lambs'.

Returned to England, Lucas-Shadwell went for a course on Intelligence Duties at General HQ, Home Forces in February 1918, was transferred to the Royal Air Force (Armoured Cars) and eventually to the Army in June 1918.

In the post-War era, Lucas-Shadwell is understood to have remained closely associated with the Intelligence Service. He sold up Fairlight Hall in 1928 and went off to France with his second wife to purchase a 'real' castle, the Chateau de Bity in the Limousin, which dates to the 15th century. Clearly keeping his hand in, it is noted he sheltered Leon Trotsky in the 1930s. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he was forced to flee France and returned to live in Pett, just outside of Fairlight. Lucas-Shadwell died on 21 November 1941 and is buried in the Fairlight Catholic Cemetery. The Chateau de Bity is now home to former French president Jacques Chirac whilst Fairlight Hall remains a private home; sold together with his various riband bars.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£2,400 to £2,800

Starting price
£1900