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Auction: 20003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 249

A superb Burma operations C.B.E, Great War DSO and Tobruk 1941 Bar, Great War M.C. group of thirteen to Brigadier P. S. Myburgh, Royal Artillery spanning both World Wars and culminating in the crucial battle of Imphal

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E (Military) Commander's 2nd type neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R. silver-gilt and enamel with Second Award Bar, the reverse offically dated '1942', with top riband bar; Military Cross, G.V.R. undated as issued; 1914 Star, with copy slide clasp (2. Lieut: P. S. Myburgh. R.F.A); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D oak leaves (Major P. S. Myburgh.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, M.I.D oak leaf; Africa General Service 1900-56, 1 clasp, Kenya (C.I. P. S. Myburgh.); France, Croix de Guerre, reverse dated '1914-1918' with palme upon riband, slight green enamel loss on wreath of second, Great War awards rather polished, very fine, the remainder good very fine (13)

C.B.E. London Gazette 28 June 1945.

The official recommendation from Lieutenant General Geoffry Scoones reads:

'Brig Myburgh has been CCRA 4 Corps for the past two years. During that time he has proved himself to be a high grade commander and trainer who has the confidence of all those with whom he comes in contact. Throughout the Imphal operations he commanded the Main Keep in addition to his other duties, and was responsible for the initial organisation of all defended areas of the plain. Many of those remained his responsibility for command until the close of operations. The work, drive and tact required to change over from an offensive to a defensive layout in a short space of time was, without exaggeration, tremendous. Brig. Myburgh tackled this problem with great energy, working long hours into the night for many weeks. He produced a highly effective result. This was largely due to his tactical ability, his tact in dealing with different services and his patience in dealing with different arms of the same service and his patience in readjusting a constantly changing situation. I have no hesitation in saying that the degree of security attainted in the Imphal plain and the confidence instilled into the troops, many of whom had no fighting experience, in the various defended areas was largely due to Brig. Myburgh's efforts. He did not allow this additional task to interfere with his duties as CCRA and was constantly in the front line keeping close touch with the situation and assisting in the very numerous Artillery problems which arose. On the few occasions on which it was possible to co-ordinate the actions of more than one Div. Artillery, his planning and conduct of the operation was excellent. The outstanding example was at Ningthouknong Kha Khunou, the capture of which cost the Japanese heavy casualties in tanks, guns and men while our casualties were very few. I consider that Brig. Myburgh's work during the Imphal operations is worthy of high recognition.'

D.S.O London Gazette 1 January 1919.

Second Award Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 9 September 1942.

The official recommendation by Major General Ronald Scobie states:

'For outstanding service at Tobruch between October and December 1941. Brigadier Myburgh had a large force of artillery under his command including three R.H.A. Regiments, two Field Artillery and (an) Anti-Tank Regiment and many captured enemy guns. His organisation and tactical handling of his command was at all times admirable both during the preliminary defensive period and in subsequent offensive operations. During the breakout from Tobruch between 20 Nov and 10 Dec his initiative, resource and bold handling of the artillery contributed very largely to the successful result of operations.'

M.C. London Gazette 14 January 1916.

Croix de Guerre London Gazette 22 November 1918.

Philip Stafford Myburgh was born 1893 in Taunton, England. He passed out of the Royal Military Academy in 1912 as a 2nd lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, a regiment he was to serve with through both world wars. He was also an early aviation pioneer, receiving his Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 771) on 21 April 1914.

Throughout 1914 he remained stationed with the 42nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery, a unit attached to the 3rd Infantry Division and sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in August. Whilst in France the 3rd Division faced some of the toughest fighting of the 1914 campaign, even losing its commander (Major-General Hamilton) to shellfire during the Race to the Sea. They faced no respite from the fighting through the rest of the war, fighting at the First Battle of Ypres (1915), the Somme (1916) and Arras (1917). During this time Myburgh advanced through the ranks, rising from Lieutenant, to Captain (Acting Major) before the end of the conflict. At some point he was also moved from the 42nd Brigade to the 152nd, attached to the 34nd division. He finished his war with a trio of 'mentions' (London Gazette 19 October 1914, 1 January 1916 and 23 December 1918 refers) to go with his other awards

Myburgh remained in France after the war, marrying in Paris and attending a French Military School in 1920. The rank of acting Major was rescinded after the war however he was confirmed to the position permanently in March 1931.

When the Second War began he was a Lieutenant Colonel with Headquarters 70th Division; whether he had been with the Division during their campaigns in Crete and Syria is unclear. This is not least due to the army's cunning ruse of repeatedly changing the Division's designation to confuse German intelligence. What is clear is that he played a prominent role in Operation Crusader, the breakout from Tobruk, he was mentioned in dispatches here with his command consisting of six regiments of Artillery. The battle which was fought during the breakout from Tobruk was a confused affair, especially for an Artillery commander who required clear communication to perform their task efficiently. Gunner L. Tutt, 414 Battery Essex Yeomanry who took part in the engagement recalled:

'At times the situation was so confused we did not know the next few hours would bring. Sometimes we were asked to bring down fire on positions to the rear of our forward troops, indicating that they had been encircled. A tank skirmish took place behind one of our gun positions and we were unable to fire for fear of hitting our own men. We worked out fire tasks in the command post, only to tear them up half-finished as our axis of fire swung through ninety degrees because the battle had changed direction. The sky was permanently darkened by the smoke of burning vehicles and tanks. There were explosions all around us and no fixed base we could safely call our own. At times were without food or water and practically out of ammunition because our supply trucks could not thread their way between friend and foe.' (The Longest Siege, refers).

As a result of his tactical ability during these actions Myburgh was awarded with a Bar to his D.S.O. and an appointment to full Colonel (acting Brigadier).

In 1941 following the fall of Singapore the Division was transferred to India. Here Myburgh earned his C.B.E., while serving at the Headquarters of 4 Corps in the Battle of Imphal. Here he was responsible for boosting the morale of the untested troops who fought in the battle and ensuring the efficient working of the artillery. His work was particularly noted at Ninghthoukhong Kha Khunou which suffered some of the heaviest artillery fire of the battle being totally levelled by the end of the fighting, Burma: the turning point, refers:

'The village itself was an amazing sight. It was a sea of huge water-logged bomb craters, shell-holes and sticky mud, with not a house and scarcely a tree or bank standing'

If Tobruk was testament to Myburgh's ability in imperfect conditions Imphal was a display of the kind of damage that could be inflicted by expertly handled guns against a static opponent. With India secure, 4 Corps took the fight to their opponents in Burma and remained there until the Japanese surrender August 1945.

Having survived both World Wars it is perhaps unsurprising that Myburg retired with the honorary rank of Brigadier only a year later 1946. Sharp eyed observers will note however that his medal group was yet incomplete and the Africa General Service medal remained to be earned.

With the death of one Philip Sydney Myburgh in 1954, Brigadier Myburg, inherited land in Kenya. The country was at this point two years into the Mau Mau uprising and Myburgh was awarded the honorary rank of Colonel a year after his acquisition of Kenyan land. Little is known of his actions in that conflict but he is referenced as taking part in colonial politics as late as 1961 and presumably died there bringing a quiet end to a distinguished career.

Sold with a small quantity of related buttons and badges including a 6 Kings African Rifles cap badge and Royal Artillery collar dogs.


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Sold for
£4,800

Starting price
£1500