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Auction: 4004 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 284

A Historic Sword worn by two VC winners, and other memorabilia of the Congreve Family A Victorian officer's sword of the Rifle Brigade, with straight narrow twin-fullered 32.3/4in. blade (probably) by Pillin, 31 Gerrard St, Soho, the back stamped with serial number 98952, the sides bearing foliate decoration, VR cypher, regimental title and devices, and 26 scrolls inscribed with battle-honours to AFGHANISTAN 1878-79, regulation Rifles hilt with plated guard (sword-knot lacking its acorn), with a steel scabbard and a brown leather scabbard, the latter mounted with a white metal plaque inscribed This sword was worn by General Sir Walter N Congreve VC KCB MVO Throughout the Boer War 1899-1903 and also worn by his Son Brevet Major Billy La Touche Congreve VC DSO MC Legion D'Honneur; a fine signed photograph of the second of its wearers, Major WLaT Congreve, in the Full Dress uniform of the Rifle Brigade and wearing the sword, in a glazed frame also containing a dried poppy said to have been found growing on his grave in Corbie; a note from Major Congreve's younger brother Christopher, confirming the provenance of the weapon: This Rifle Brigade sword No 98953 (sic), though strictly speaking a ceremonial sword, was worn by my father the late General Sir WN Congreve in the Boer War and was taken to the 1914 war by Major W. LaT. Congreve VC, together with a photograph of Christopher Congreve as a boy, standing with his father; various letters and documents relating to Major W La Touche Congreve, including a certificate, dated 1st March 1919 and signed by Winston Churchill as Secretary of State for War, stating that Captain W. La T. Congreve, R. Bde, was mentioned in a despatch from Field Marshal Sir John French dated 30th November 1915 for gallant and distinguished services in the Field; a copy of a letter dated 10th April 1916 from Major General A Haldane, GOC 3rd Division (and signed by him as being a true copy), recommending Captain Congreve for the Victoria Cross (...the situation was critical...and it was essential to capture...the Germans in the crater as soon as possible, as had there been a counter-attack, the situation would have been an awkward one. Captain Congreve therefore took the chance of having himself and his party shot down - as has often occurred in this war with the white flag shown - and his boldness had the effect of causing the surrender of 4 officers and some 70 men...) and a copy of the Army Form W3121, the official recommendation for the same award, initiated by Colonel Craufurd, Commanding 76 Brigade, and endorsed by General Haldane, giving fuller details of the incident; three manuscript letters, two of them in pencil, from Major Congreve, one to his father, describing a major operation which he had just successfully co-ordinated as Brigade Major: "...it went easier than I dared hope. We caught about 250 bosches and killed about the same number, besides those that were knocked out by our artillery….at one time we had eight battalions to play with…they wanted to send up staff officers to help, but I said it was my show and as usual we got our way! So we had a heavy gunner and a field gunner & an extra unofficial Staff Captain & did it all ourselves…"; one to his brother Geoffrey, then serving as a midshipman in the Royal Navy; and the third to his youngest brother, Christopher, and another manuscript letter, dated 22 July (1916) from General Congreve to his son Christopher, describing the burial of Major Congreve the previous day.A number of items relating to the first owner of the sword, Lieutenant General Congreve, including an extremely interesting framed and glazed photograph entitled in manuscript School of Musketry, Hythe, 2nd Division June 1889, showing some forty officers of various infantry regiments in Undress uniform, some of them named, including Congreve himself; another photograph, taken from a printed illustration and inadvertently reversed, showing Congreve, with the sword, and other officers, including Byng and Plumer (both later Field Marshals), as members of the Duke of Connaught's staff at Aldershot in 1898; a Monthly Army List for August 1914, the inside front cover inscribed in manuscript WN Congreve, Chartley, listing Colonel Congreve as Honorary Major General and acting Brigadier General commanding 18th Infantry Brigade, and his son as Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade, with effect February 1913; a small clothes-brush with embossed white metal back engraved W.N.C., a soldier's New Testament with cloth cover, inscribed on the inside Picked up during the fight at Dreifontein, South Africa, by WNC, March 1900; and a copy of MILITARY HISTORY for 1996, containing an article by John Devonport entitled BLOODY FINALE TO "BLACK WEEK", describing in detail Walter Congreve's part in the attempt to save the guns at Colenso (lot) Estimate £ 1,500-2,000 Note: Walter Norris Congreve won his Victoria Cross at the battle of Colenso in December 1899. When the gun-crews of 14th and 66th Batteries, Royal Artillery had become casualties, Captain Congreve and others, including Frederick Roberts, the son of Lord Roberts, volunteered to try and rescue the guns. Congreve succeeded in limbering up a gun before being wounded himself, then helped a medical officer to rescue another wounded officer. His son Billy rapidly established a reputation for courage and leadership, winning the Military Cross. As a very young Brigade Major he was constantly in the front line, and was recommended for the Victoria Cross in 1916 for an audacious exploit leading to the capture of a large number of Germans. For this he was awarded the DSO. In July 1916 on several occasions he went out to tend wounded under heavy shell fire. On the 20th July, when in the front line to ascertain the position after an unsuccessful attack, he was shot by a sniper and killed instantly.

Estimate
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