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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 68

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

'6th Novr. 1914

Dear Mrs. Barwell,
I find it very hard to find words in which to express our sympathy with you in your loss. You know well how fond we all were of your husband, and how impossible it will be to fill the place he had made for himself in the Regiment. Here, in the trenches, it is impossible yet to quite realise that he is gone'...

The poignant Indian Army Great War casualty group of nine awarded to Major E. E. Barwell, 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force): a professional pre-war soldier and veteran of many Indian campaigns in addition to the Boxer Rebellion, Barwell was killed in action on the Western Front in the opening months of the conflict

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1894-5 (2nd Lieutenant E. E. Barwell 4th Punjab Infy. P.F.F.); India General Service 1895-1908, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (Lieutenant E. E. Barwell 4th Punjab Infy. P.F.F.); China 1900, no clasp (Lieutenant E. E. Barwell 4th Punjab Infy. P.F.F.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp. North West Frontier 1908 (Captain E. E. Barwell 57th Rfls F.F.); 1914 Star, clasp (Major E. E. Barwell. 57/R.I.F.); British War and Victory Medals (Major E. E. Barwell); Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Edward Egerton Barwell); United States of America, Military Order of the Dragon (Capt. Edward E. Barwell 4th P.I. No. 671.) complete with integral Pagoda top suspension brooch; first four mounted as worn, minor official correction to rank on first, 1914 Star struck on a thin flan, engraved naming and likely a late issue from the India Office, light contact marks on fourth, very fine and better (9)

Edward Egerton Barwell was born on 20 May 1872, son of General and Mrs. Charles Arthur Barwell of Launceston, Harrow. Educated at Harrow School, he went up to the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1890 and after two years as a Cadet was commissioned Second Lieutenant on the India Unattached List (London Gazette, 2 September 1892, refers). That same year he married Mary Cicely Tunstill of Aysgarth, North Yorkshire - a most unusual step for young Barwell to make, considering his age and such recent commissioning.
Heading immediately out to India (attached to the East Lancashire Regiment) his progress and advancement was smooth and after the customary year with a British unit transferred properly to the Indian Army, firstly spending three months with the 9th Gurkhas before joining the 4th Punjab Infantry. With this regiment he served in the Waziristan Campaign of 1894-95 (Medal and Clasp) and on the Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (Medal and Clasp) before being deployed with them to China for the Boxer Rebellion (Medal), during which time he was Quarter Master of the battalion. Promoted Captain on 3 September 1901 whilst still in China, upon his return to India Barwell continued his regimental soldiering interspersed with periods of Staff work - his Record of Services notes several instances of time as Adjutant and Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General. 1903 saw the renaming of the regiment and the bestowal of the appellation "Rifles" - the 4th Punjab Infantry henceforth became the 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force).
The 57th were next deployed for active service on the North-West Frontier (Medal and Clasp) and where Barwell received a 'Mention' in Major-General Willcocks' despatch 'For Distinguished Service in the Field' .

The Great War and Journey's End

Upon the outbreak of war, the 57th were part of Indian Expeditionary Force A (IEFA) which was immediately mobilised and sent to France, landing at Marseilles on 26 October 1914: in 22 years of regular soldiering, this was to be Major Barwell's first - and last - experience of European warfare. Clearly a very competent and well-respected officer, perhaps the best account of his gallant death comes from the pen of a brother-officer (and likely eye-witness) to the occasion, in a letter written to his wife on 6 November 1914:

My dear Mrs. Barwell,

I find it very hard to find words in which to express our sympathy with you in your loss. You know well how fond we all were of your husband, and how impossible it will be to fill the place he had made for himself in the Regiment. Here, in the trenches, it is impossible yet to quite realise that he has gone, and I think his men have really a better idea of it than we have. They made a very gallant attempt to bring his body away, but the street in the village was swept with fire, and after 4 or 5 men had been wounded they had to be ordered to retire along with the rest of the line. It happened during a fierce night attack which eventually compelled our line to fall back. Half the Regiment, under Major Barwell, had been detached to join another Brigade, and it was while your husband was taking up reinforcements to his advanced line that a bullet struck him in the throat, killing him instantly. We tried several times to get up to the place the next day, but there has been continuous fighting and the village has been sometimes in our hands and sometimes in the enemy's, and impossible to approach. Everything possible will be done to identify this place.
I think it would have consoled your husband a little if he had known, and perhaps he does know, that the Regiment did very well that night; and that his own company fought splendidly, making a most determined resistance to overpowering numbers.
Please accept our sincerest sympathy, and if there is anything any of us can do in any way, please let me, or anyone, know, and it will be done if it's possible.

Edward Egerton Barwell has no known grave, and is commemmorated upon Panel 1A of the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

Major Barwell's medals are accompanied by the following archive:

(i)
Boxes of issue for the 1914 Star & Bar, and British War and Victory Medals, both with original typed labels affixed

(ii)
Original Record of Services, Officers, Indian Services file, with many ink annotations and complete up to 1910

(iii)
Original passport, made out to 'Captain E.E. Barwell of the Indian Staff Corps', signed and dated Tientsin 2 June 1902, from the British Consulate General in that city

(iv)
Original letter from the India Office, dated 11 April 1921 to Mrs. Barwell, confirming the forwarding of the 'Clasp' to Major Barwell's 1914 Star

(v)
Original Telegram, dated 5 November 1914, addressed to Major Barwell's sister officially reporting him killed in action

(vi)
Two original handwritten letters (one of which quoted in full above), addressed to Mrs. Barwell from comrades of her late husband detailing his death in battle and expressing their sincerest sympathies at her loss

(vii)
A small file of original papers - including two photographs - relating to the unveiling of the Frontier Force Memorial at Kohat on 23 October 1924 by the Commander-in-Chief, India

(viii)
Barwell's original, complete and framed certificate for the U.S. Military Order of the Dragon

(ix)
Four various original portrait photographs of Barwell in uniform, including one of him in Full Dress as found on the Harrow School Great War memorial page

(x)
Two original framed photographs - one of the battalion on parade; another of the officers of the battalion with Barwell obviously identifiable, each approximately 440mm x 360mm including frame.

(xi)
A charming pen-and-ink caricature featuring Barwell coaching a ladies' shooting team, annotated to the right-hand corner: 'Dedicated to my sporting and magnificent friend Captain Barwell, Oct. 14th 1905, The Club, Murree', 250mm x 350mm.

(xii)
A sporting trophy cup, engraved to the front: Christmas Week Peshawar - 1909 - Handicap Raquets - Scratch - Major Soothey 35th S.H. - Capt. E.E. Barwell 57th R.F.F., stamped 'Silver', 93mm x 115mm

For Major Barwell's miniature dress medals please see Lot 488, and for the Medals of his father, Major-General C.A. Barwell C.B., please see Lot 336.

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Sold for
£7,500

Starting price
£1700