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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 170

A Great War Balkans O.B.E. and Salonika M.C. group of six to Major A. T. Gough, Royal Field Artillery, who was additionally awarded a Greek War cross and twice 'mentioned' and who was purportedly involved behind the scenes in 'Operation Mincemeat' as he was based at Huelva, Spain for his civilian work, where the fictious Captain William Martin was washed ashore

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Military Division, Officer's (O.B.E.) breast Badge, 1st Type, by Garrard & Co., silver-gilt, hallmarked 1919, with fitted case of issue; Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. A. T. Gough. R.A.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Major A. T. Gough.); Greece, Kingdom, War Cross 1916-17, mounted as worn, good very fine (6)

O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

M.C. London Gazette 3 June 1918.

M.I.D. London Gazette 28 November 1917; 30 January 1919.

Greece, War Cross London Gazette 21 July 1919.

Arthur Trevor Gough was born in Birmingham on 29 October 1888. He was educated at Wellington College, Shropshire between 1899 and 1905 and from there attended Birmingham University from 1905 until 1909. He worked for various companies in the United Kingdom before he began working for the Rio Tinto Co Ltd in Spain in 1911.

However, with the outbreak of the Great War he returned home in 1914 and was made a Temporary Second Lieutenant with the Royal Field Artillery (London Gazette 16 November 1914, refers). Despite the war going on Gough became a Corporate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers on 25 January 1915. He first entered the war in France on 6 September 1915 but was to see the bulk of his service in Salonika and the Balkans, where he was to be awarded the Military Cross and O.B.E., respectively. In addition he was 'mentioned' twice and was awarded the Greek War Cross.

After the war Gough returned to work for Rio Tinto Co Ltd and was based at Huelva in south west Spain, where he married a half-Spanish half-English lady by the name of Blanca Alcock. He served as a Deputy Manager from 1936 and the next year, feeling he needed his Great War campaign medals which he had not yet applied for, did so in 1937 and these were sent to him at his address in London: 18 Langham Mansions, Earl's Court Square, SW5.

He was again based in Spain upon the outbreak of the Second World War, but was unable to rejoin the forces due to a medical condition. He remained a Deputy Manager with Rio Tinto until 1941 when he was promoted to General Manager. However given his upbringing, prior military service, and knowledge of Spain - according to his family Gough became involved with the British Embassy in Spain and played a role in 'Operation Mincemeat', the deception operation to disguise the allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

A body was required to wash up on the coast of Spain with a briefcase containing 'confidential information'. Huelva was chosen by the authorities as the place for 'Captain William Martin' to wash up. Portugal and Spain were considered no-go and E. E. S. Montagu who was the naval intelligence officer involved with this plot knew there was a very active German agent based called Adolf Clauss, the son of the German consul, who was additionally a member of the Abwehr and who operated under the cover of an agricultural technician. Huelva was additionally chosen because the British vice-consul in the city, Francis Haselden, was 'a reliable and helpful man', according to Montagu. Gough was reportedly one of a number of men who were to make sure the 'Man Who Never Was' ended up with the Germans as opposed to the Spanish where the body and contents of the briefcase were returned without any interference. Despite mild interference, the Germans eventually were able to get hold of the briefcase in Madrid and copy the letters with the help of sympathisers, returning it to the British authorities where it then made its way back to London in the diplomatic bag. It was confirmed everything had been tampered with and examined and the rest became history.

Gough became a full Director with Rio Tinto in 1950 and was to return back to London in early 1951. He died in London on 8 January 1963 and is buried in Hampstead Cemetery in London. Blanca died on 22 July 1990 and is also buried in Hampstead Cemetery.

Sold together with the following archive:

i)
A C.V. dated February 1951.

ii)
Photograph of Gough in uniform having reached the rank of Major.

iii)
Leather wallet/case manufactured in Huelva, embossed to the outside in gold lettering 'A.T.G.'.

For the recipients' Dress Miniatures see Lot 221.

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

Estimate
£1,400 to £1,800

Starting price
£1200