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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 510

Field Marshal Chetwode's General Officer's 1831 Pattern sword, scabbard and sword knot, contained in its brown leather case

of standard form, the curved blade, single-edged for much of its length, etched with foliate designs and, on its nearside, with the General Officer's rank badge of a crossed sword and baton beneath a crown and with the retailer's name and address H.LEHMANN / REGENCY HOUSE / ALDERSHOT and, on its offside, with the Royal Cypher GvR and the initials P.W.C., the back edge of the blade etched MADE IN ENGLAND and struck at the forte with the number '14053'; the hilt of gilded brass with ivorine grips; the scabbard of plated steel with two loose suspension rings; the sword knot of crimson and gold round-cord, with a matching acorn terminal and collar covering a hook-and-eye fastener; the curved sword case of brown leather stamped P.W.C. in black lettering on its cover; blade retaining all its polish, some wear to the gilding of the hilt, scabbard with some corrosion at the chape, sword knot worn at the hilt, sword case worn in places; overall length 935mm, blade length 800mm, blade width at forte 25mm (all measurements across curve), generally very fine and better

In all respects, this sword conforms with that specified for dress wear by General Officers in Dress Regulations for the Army, editions of 1900, 1911 and 1934. It is to be noted that it is a General Officer's sword, not that of a Field Marshal - the badge of rank etched on the blade and cast in relief upon the écussons of the hilt being a crossed sword and baton, not crossed batons. Lord Chetwode was promoted to the temporary rank of major general in July 1915, that rank being made substantive in the following year: it therefore seems likely that he obtained this sword from the military tailors and outfitters H. Lehmann of Aldershot in either 1915 or 1916.

Final attention is drawn to the quick reply he offered his son-in-law, John Betjeman, who married Chetwode's daugher, Penelope, in July 1933, shortly after his final promotion. When Betjeman asked how they might address one another, he answered:

'You can't call me Philip, that wouldn't do.

You can't call me father - I'm not your father.

You'd better call me Field Marshal.'

Hats off to you, Field Marshal.

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Sold for
£3,200