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Auction: 3016 - Orders, Medals, Decorations & Militaria
Lot: 404

Uniform of a Brigadier late Royal Engineers.
A very complete, mainly post 1952 uniform, as follows: blue peaked forage cap with scarlet band, embroidered peak and Royal Crest badge; a khaki Service Dress cap, also with scarlet band; blue side cap with embroidered grenade badge of the Royal Engineers; two berets, one with Royal Crest badge; three Service Dress tunics (all complete with trousers), two of these tunics bearing red tabs, Brigadier's badges of rank and EIIR cyphers, the third with RE collar-badges; a No 1 Dress jacket and Mess jacket; also with Brigadier's insignia, a blue mess waistcoat, a pair of dark-blue trousers and a pair of overalls, both with wide scarlet stripes; a pair of Wellington boots; a blue lanyard; a set of three miniature medals, including a Military Cross; four large and four small gilt blazer-buttons, engraved with RE monogram; and other minor items (lot)



These uniforms belonged to Brigadier Jock Hamilton-Baillie MC, who was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1938. He was wounded and taken prisoner with the remainder of 51st Highland Division at Dunkirk, but while still recovering from his injuries made the first of a series of attempts to escape, the most celebrated of these being part of a mass breakout from a camp at Eichstatt in Bavaria in June 1943. For his work on the design and construction of the tunnel used for this escape he was awarded the Military Cross.
On being recaptured, he was transferred to Colditz, and when finally liberated took with him the castle keys. Nearly fifty years later he revisited Colditz, then being used as a lunatic asylum, and found himself with the museum curator outside the locked guardroom. The curator had forgotten to bring his keys, and was considerably surprised when Hamilton-Baillie produced his own antiquated set from his pocket and opened the door.
After the war, Hamilton-Baillie continued to serve with the Royal Engineers, and his final appointment was Director, Engineer Services. He was also ADC to the Queen.

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Sold for
£300