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Auction: 23003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 216

'Our doctor is sure that he cannot have suffered at all. He was hit in the side of the head by a sniper although he was stooping well down at the time and not taking any risks. I think the sniper must have been high up off the ground'

The words of Captain William Glover to his mother upon the death of his brother Captain Richard Glover

A poignant and superbly well-documented campaign group of five awarded to Captain R. B. G. Glover, 1st Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), who was 'mentioned' for good service only to tragically die in the arms of his brother, also a company commander in the same Regiment and later Battalion Commander

1914-15 Star (Capt. R. B. G. Glover. 1/Lond. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. B. G. Glover.); Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., hallmarks for London 1919, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Richard Bowie Gaskell Glover), the campaign medals mounted Court-style for wear, nearly extremely fine (5)

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916.

Richard Bowie Gaskell Glover was born at St. Pancras, London on 17 November 1883, the son of Richard and Agnes Glover of 68 Dartmouth Park Road, London. His father was the Managing Director of Glover and Main Ltd., a gas meter manufacturer, and the young Glover was educated at Uppingham School (The Lodge 1897-1902) where he excelled. In his time Glover was School Prepositor as well as a member of the Rugby XV and the Hockey XI - in addition to, notably, being Head of Uppingham Cadet Force; he maintained a strong connection to the school, playing for the Old Uppinghamian Football Club and cricket team.

Having left school, Glover found employment at his father’s company as a Gas Engineer and continued his sporting interests. A regular player for the Rosslyn Park Football Club he represented both Durham and Middlesex in the County Competition for the Rugby Football Cup. Glover also joined a Masonic Lodge - The Evening Star - and remained a Mason until his death; he also becoming a Freeman of the City of London and was a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant with the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) immediately upon leaving School on 7 October 1902, Glover was further advanced Lieutenant on 8 January 1904 and Captain on 3 March 1907 - he passed for the School of Instruction that same year. A Company Commander by the outbreak of the Great War, Glover was quickly mobilised - initially for garrison work on Malta, where the Battalion arrived on 3 September 1914.

Heavy losses on the Western Front resulted in orders for the battalion to join the British Expeditionary Force in France and the unit arrived on 9 March 1915. The Glover brothers, however, arrived somewhat later as outlined by the recipient in a letter to his mother dated 10 March 1915 which states:

'Arrived safely here. Have had an hour's leave to town to get lunch at this hotel [South Western Hotel, Southampton]. Have just finished lunch so feeling very comfy.
Cheers
Richard.
P.S. Frank reading another novel. Certainly entertaining.'

The last sentence was in fact a code to inform their mother where they were going, the first letter of each word spelling out 'France'. Once there the battalion was present for the fierce fighting at Auber Ridge - and later Loos - but on both occasions played a supporting role; after these battles they became engaged in maintaining and expanding the British trench system.

Glover was supervising the digging of trenches at Fleurbaix on 5 November 1915 when he was shot in the head by a sniper. Poignantly he lived long enough for his brother - at that stage a Company Commander in the same battalion - to reach him. William Glover recorded the scene in a letter to his mother quoted above, but his was by no means the only comment on his brother’s good character and bravery. The Colonel of the regiment, in his own letter of Condolence, stated:

‘I would like you to know how much we all loved him. I have known him ever since he joined the Battalion, and the charm of his personality and character, his keenness and his strong sense of duty as a soldier will never be forgotten by those of us of who knew him and loved him. Oh, he was such a good fellow, and I am sure that there is not a man in the Battalion who does not grieve his death.’

This was added to by the recipient’s former Headmaster, Canon Selwyn, who wrote:

‘Never was there a simpler, straighter, more modest and true-hearted good soul, never amongst Old Uppinghamians one more devoted to the school. With absolute manly virtue, he combined a sort of gentle womanly charm that was exceedingly rare. This made him essentially loveable. He leaves us the pattern of a true Christian gentleman.’

Glover is buried at Sailly-Sur-La-Lys Canadian Cemetery; after his death he received a ‘mention’ for his services. Notably, he was entitled to the Territorial Decoration but did not receive it until after his death - it was likely awarded on the request of his brother, who had risen to command a battalion of the Regiment.

Sold together with a large archive of original material comprising:

i)
1st Volunteer Battalion, Royal Fusiliers cap badge.

ii)
A leather bag containing badges and buttons removed from the recipients uniform after his death by his brother and sent to his mother as keepsakes.

iii)
Condolence slip.

iv)
Framed Memorial Scroll, with birth certificate attached to the reverse.

v)
City of London Memorial Scroll in an envelope addressed to 'Colonel W. R. Glover, C.M.G.'

vi)
Correspondence to the recipient's father from Bond of Sacrifice and De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour including original Bond of Sacrifice questionnaire giving details of the recipient's education and military career.

vii)
The recipient's original Mention-in-Despatches certificate named to 'Capt. [T. /Maj.] R. B. Glover'

viii)
An original photograph of the recipient and a copied photograph of the Uppingham School Cadet N.C.O.s including the recipient.

ix)
Commission document to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Volunteer Forces.

x)
Correspondence including letters between the recipient and his mother and the recipient's brother and his aunt along with a copied letter from the recipient's brother to his mother giving details of his death.

xi)
Burial and memorial material including an Uppingham School memorial service order of service, a Church of St. Mary booklet including a death notice and a letter from the Military Secretary to the recipient's father informing him of the location of the gravesite.

xii)
A return of kit notice, listing what had been sent back to the recipient's family.

xiii)
swagger stick in leather cover.

xiv)
copied research including M.I.C. and an entry in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£850

Starting price
£600