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Auction: 323 - The Numismatic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 757

A Fine Ireland 'Special Intelligence Operations' O.B.E., Great War 1918 'Western Front' M.C., Second War 1940 'Coventry Blitz' G.M., Great War 1917 'Passchendaele' M.M. Group of Nine to Captain Campbell Kelly, Royal Artillery; Stationed At Victoria Barracks, Cork, One of His Tasks was to Interrogate Captured I.R.A. Terrorists, 1919-22
a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, Officer's (O.B.E.) breast Badge, silver-gilt (Hallmarks for London 1919), the reverse privately engraved 'Lt. C. Kelly'
b) Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved '2/Lt. Campbell Kelly R.G.A.'
c) George Medal, G.VI.R. (Campbell Joseph Kelly O.B.E. M.C. M.M. (Replacement))
d) Military Medal, G.V.R. (34071 Sgt: C. Kelly. 185/Sge: By: R.G.A.)
e) 1914-15 Star (34071 Bombr. C. Kelly R.G.A.)
f) British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oakleaves (2. Lieut. C. Kelly.), initial corrected on BWM
g) Defence Medal
h) France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated 1914-1918, with bronze palm on riband, nearly very fine or better, the GM an official replacement, mounted court style as worn, with the following related items:
- Letter of Congratulations to the recipient on the award of the George Medal from Lord Nuffield, dated 30.1.1941
- Two Letters to the recipient regarding the award of the George Medal
- Various telegrams to the recipient and his wife
- The recipient's International Driving Permit, and International Fiscal Permit
- Photograph of the recipient (9)

O.B.E. London Gazette 1.1.1923 Lieutenant Campbell Kelly, M.C., M.M., Royal Garrison Artillery

M.C. London Gazette 24.9.1918 2nd Lt. Campbell Kelly, M.M., R.G.A.
'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While out with a patrol he encountered a strong hostile party, who bombed him, but by using his revolver he succeeded in getting away and bringing back information. Again he did excellent work with a party of gunners, with rifles, in holding up the enemy while the guns were being withdrawn. He frequently returned to the battery under heavy fire to obtain further supplies of ammunition, though at the time he was suffering from the effects of gas.'

G.M. London Gazette 28.1.1941 Campbell Joseph Kelly, O.B.E., M.C., M.M., Control Officer, Works Air Defence Department, Coventry
'Mr. Kelly's organisation and personal bearing have been largely responsible for the building up of a highly efficient Works Air Raid Defence team. His personal activities on the night of an intensive air raid were largely instrumental in saving his factory from destruction. He extinguished an incendiary bomb and immediately afterwards took twelve volunteers to help the City Fire Service deal with a serious fire. After that, they attended at another fire and on the way back helped to extricate the bodies of policemen who were trapped in debris left by high explosive bombs. A large high explosive bomb hit a works shop but fire was avoided by prompt action under Kelly's guidance. Until five o'clock in the morning Kelly continued to give inspiring leadership to his men. There was no cover for any of the working parties and they all carried out what was asked of them with fortitude and courage.'

M.M. London Gazette 12.12.1917 34071 Sjt. C. Kelly, R.G.A. (Kildysart)

France, Croix de Guerre London Gazette 7.1.1919 2nd Lieutenant Campbell Kelly, Royal Garrison Artillery
'For distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign.'

Captain Campbell Joseph Kelly, O.B.E., M.C., G.M., M.M., was born in September 1892 and enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery in November 1910. He served during the Great War on the Western Front, during which he was wounded. Awarded the Military Medal for gallantry at Passchendaele in 1917, he received a battlefield commission as Second Lieutenant on the 7th January 1918, and was subsequently awarded the Military Cross and the French Croix de Guerre, the latter whilst serving alongside the French Fifth Army. The Great War over, he took up a Special Appointment with the Intelligence Department, Irish Command, in May 1919, and was promoted Lieutenant in July of that year. Serving as Intelligence Officer of the Brigade stationed at Victoria Barracks, Cork, one of his tasks was to interrogate captured I.R.A. terrorists, often working alongside Major Arthur Percival, Intelligence Officer of the Essex Regiment, and the head of the so-called 'Essex Torture Squad'. In the words of one former I.R.A. Commandant-General, 'Percival was a sadist and was indeed present at at least some of the torturings, to my knowledge, but he was ably assisted by Captain Kelly. There was one occasion when one of Percival's parties brought one of our men into Bandon Barracks. He had been court-martialled and was about to be shot, when Percival took a rifle with fixed bayonet from one of the troops and bayoneted our man ten times.' Twice the I.R.A. tried to assassinate Percival, but he survived both attempts, was advanced to Lieutenant-General, and went on to preside over 'the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history' at the fall of Singapore. Kelly too was a wanted man: 'Torture of prisoners by some of the Intelligence Staff of their 6th Division had gone on as usual. Kelly, one of their Intelligence Officers, was badly wanted by the Cork men; they elaborated what they would do to him...' (On Another Man's Wound, E. O'Malley refers).

Relinquishing his Intelligence duties in May 1922, Kelly was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (as was Percival), and received the insignia of the Order from H.M. the King at Buckingham Palace on the 1st March 1923, before being dismissed from the service by General Court Martial in August 1928. Moving to Coventry, he served during the Second World War as Control Officer, Works Air Defence Department, and was awarded the George Medal for his gallantry at the Gosford Street Factory on the night of the 14th November 1940, the most devastating night of the Coventry Blitz, when the 515 German bombers dropped over 500 tonnes of high-explosives and 36,000 incendiary bombs, killing 568 people and destroying most of the city centre, including the Cathedral. Presented with his George Medal by H.M. the King at Buckingham Palace on the 27th May 1941, he died the following February.

Note: Kelly's Great War Medal Index Card states: 'British Expeditionary Force 1914, disembarkation dated October 1914, ineligible for 1914-15 Star'; his Officers' statement of War Service states: 'Served France and Belgium 10th October 1916 to 6th June 1918'.
M.I.D. Unconfirmed.

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