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Auction: 4004 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals & Militaria
Lot: 5

A Desert Rat's C.B., D.S.O., O.B.E. Group of Eleven to Major General G.S. Hatton, Royal Engineers a) Order of the Bath, Companion's neck Badge (C.B.), Military Division, silver-gilt and enamel b) Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., silver-gilt and enamel, lower suspension bar dated '1942' c) Order of the British Empire, Officer's (O.B.E.) breast badge, 2nd type, Military Division, silver-gilt d) British War and Victory Medals (2 Lieut. G.S. Hatton) e) 1939-45 Star f) Africa Star g) France and Germany Star h) Defence Medal i) War Medal, M.I.D. Oakleaf j) Coronation 1953, the group extremely fine, mounted for display k) the recipient's group of associated miniature awards, mounted as worn l) two silver British Forces in Egypt Lawn Tennis Championship 1928-29 winners medals, one named to recipient, both in Lawrence & Mayo cases; bronze runner-up medal for the same year, also in case; bronze District Tennis Championship medal for Germany 1946; bronze Zeebrugge Commemorative medal, 1954, in case m) photographs from various postings, including Turkey, Germany and North Africa, and two portrait photographs of the recipient n) two sketch maps, one of the Battle Field of Sidi Rezegh November 1941, the other of Egypt and Western Desert 1940-41; British Forces Identification Card for Egypt; two Mentioned in Despatches certificates; Canadian Passport; bestowal documents for the C.B., D.S.O., and O.B.E.; comemmorative book for Upper Canada College covering the period when the recipient was a pupil, and a copy of The Royal Engineers Journal Estimate £ 2,400-2,600 C.B. London Gazette 1950 D.S.O. London Gazette 9.9.1942 Major (temporary Lieutenant Colonel) George Seton Hatton, O.B.E. (11688), Corps of Royal Engineers, (Earls Court, London). The Recommendation states 'Throughout the operations of 7 Armd Div in Nov/Dec 1941, Colonel Hatton was AA & QMG of the 7th Armd Div and in this capacity was not only responsible for the maintenance, recovery and evacuation for three Armoured Brigades, Support Group and numerous Div Troops but also for the considerable number of other formations and units who were from time to time put under the Div. The initial planning and actual administrative execution lay entirely in his hands and in the ups and downs of a prolonged battle owed much to his initiative and determination. Although large enemy Armoured forces at one time cut the communications he never failed to maintain the Division. Always himself moving about the battlefield, coolheaded, unprotected and controlling his services with wireless he kept himself well in the picture and thus his foresight and resource enabled the Division to be maintained in a battle which took them 400 miles in 40 days.' O.B.E. London Gazette 30.12.1941. The Recommendation states 'This Officer joined Alex. Area H.Q., Staff on its formation and became responsible for its organisation from its inception. During the period in which he has served as A.A. Q.M.G., and Senior Staff Officer at this H.Q., vast problems have had to be dealt with, including the accommodation and evacuation of 120,000 Prisoners of War; the embarkation of 63,000 Officers and men and 10,000 vehicles for Greece; the accomodation and evacuation of 12,500 Officers and men evacuated from Greece, and 12,000 Officers and men from Crete in circumstances of considerable difficulty. His untiring energy and devotion to duty contributed in a large degree to the success of these operations. He has at all times shown himself to be unsparing in his efforts, has displayed marked ability and his services have contributed considerably to the successful solution of many and diverse problems connected with the prosecution of War.' Major General George Seton Hatton, C.B., D.S.O., O.B.E. (1899-1974), born in Grenada, Canada, pupil of Upper Canada College; Royal Military College of Canada and Cambridge University. Commissioned as Second Lieutenant 1917, Royal Engineers; served in the Great War in France and Belgium with the Regiment and on Staff in Turkey; Served with Regiment in Egypt and at home 1924-34; advanced to Major 1937; on Staff, India 1936-39 and accompanied 11th Indian Infantry Brigade to Middle East as Brigade Major, 1939; Staff services in Middle East, 1939-44 including appointments in Western Desert as A.A. and Quarter-Master-General; 7th Armoured Division, and B.G.S. 30 Corps (Mentioned in Despatches 1.4.1941; O.B.E.); also held senior appointments with the 9th Army and G.H.Q. (D.S.O. 1942); served North West Europe, 1945, on Staff S.H.A.E.F. and 21 Army Group and in command as Brigadier (Mentioned in Despatches, 4.4.1946); Commander of British Troops in the Low Countries; returned to U.K. 1947 as Brig. A.Q. B.A.O.R. 1946-47; Chief of Staff H.Q. Southern Command, Salisbury 1949-51; Major General 1950, (C.B.); Major General Administration B.A.O.R. 1951-54; retired 1955; Deputy Federal Civil Defence Coordinator for Canada, 1955-59.

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£3,200