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Auction: 7012 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 542

The Outstanding ´Civil´ C.B.E., ´Military´ O.B.E., 1916 ´Delville Wood´ M.C., K.P.M. Group of Fourteen to Colonel H.W.M. Bamford, 2nd South African Infantry, Late Cape Mounted Rifles and Natal Horse; Thrice Wounded During the Great War Once Leading His Men at Delville Wood, 1916, and Again as Officer Commanding 2nd Battalion South African Infantry at Le Cateau, 1918; Later Inspector General of Police, Gold Coast, 1925-38 a) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Civil Division, Commander´s (C.B.E.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, minor enamel damage to top arm b) The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st type, Military Division, Officer´s (O.B.E.) breast Badge, silver-gilt (Hallmarks for London 1918) c) Military Cross, G.V.R., reverse engraved ´Capt. & Adjt. H.W.M. Bamford 2nd South African Infantry. Somme 1916.´ d) King´s Police Medal, G.V.R., 2nd issue (Lieut.-Col. Harry W. M. Bamford, C.B.E., M.C., Insp. Gen. of Police, Gold Coast) e) Queen´s South Africa 1899-1902, three clasps, Cape Colony, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3591 Pte. H.M. Bamford. Cape M.R.) f) Natal 1906, with clasp (Tpr: H.M. Bamford, Transvaal Mtd. Rifles.) g) 1914-15 Star (Capt. H.W.M. Bamford Ntl. Light Hses.) h) British War and Bi-Lingual Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oakleaves (Lt Col. H.W.M. Bamford.) i) War Medal (279424 H.W.M. Bamford), officially impressed j) Africa Service Medal (279424 H.W.M. Bamford.), officially impressed k) Jubilee 1935, engraved in sans serif capitals ´Col. H.W.M. Bamford. I.G. Police Gold Coast.´ l) Coronation 1937, similarly engraved ´Colonel´ m) France, Croix de Guerre 1914-18, with palmes, light contact marks overall, otherwise generally very fine or better, last 13 mounted as originally worn, with the associated miniature awards and riband bar, all housed within a leather Spink & Son, St. James´s carrying case, the latter with recipient´s initials ´H.W.M.B.´ embossed in gold; with an original portrait photograph of the recipient and a letter from him, on ´Gold Coast Police´ headed paper to Sir A. Hudson, K.C.M.G., dated 18.8.1937 Estimate £ 4,500-5,000 C.B.E. London Gazette 3.6.1933 Lieutenant-Colonel Harry William Morrey Bamford, O.B.E., M.C., Inspector-General of Police, Cold Coast O.B.E. London Gazette 7.6.1918 Lieutenant-Colonel Harry William Morrey Bamford, M.C. South African Infantry M.C. London Gazette 1.1.1917 Captain and Adjutant Harry William Morrey Bamford, Inf. South African Forces, a general citation but awarded for the Battle of Delville Wood, on the Somme, where he was wounded. K.P.M. London Gazette 1.2.1937 Lieutenant-Colonel Harry William Morrey Bamford, C.B.E., M.C., Inspector General of Police, Gold Coast. ´For long and specially distinguished administrative service.´ Croix de Guerre London Gazette 15.12.1919 Colonel Harry William Morrey Bamford, C.B.E. (Civ.), O.B.E. (Mil.), M.C., K.P.M. (1882-1968), born London; enlisted as Private Queen´s Westminster Rifle Volunteers, December 1899; transferred the following year to the Cape Mounted Rifles; served with the latter during the Boer War, from January 1901; completed his term of engagement with the rank of Corporal, 1906, and later that year joined as Trooper Transvaal Mounted Rifles; attached to the Xalanga Mounted Rifles, he served during the Natal rebellion (1906) in the Scottish Horse Squadron; Bamford subsequently joined the Johannesburg Mounted Police and the Natal Police, serving with the latter in Northern Zululand (promoted Sergeant); Deputy Sheriff, Northern Zululand, 1907-14; Lieutenant South African Permanent Force Reserve, 1911; Lieutenant Natal Light Horse, 1.9.1914 and appointed Temporary Captain and Adjutant later that year; commanded ´Q´ Squadron during the campaign under Brigadier-General Royston in German South-West Africa, 1914-15 and was captured with his squadron by the enemy, but fortunately escaped the same day (M.I.D. London Gazette 22.8.1918); re-attested as Captain and Adjutant 2nd South African Infantry, 18.8.1915; served in the Senussi campaign in the Egyptian theatre of war (wounded at Halazia 23.1.1916); Major 18.7.1916; posted to France with his unit and was wounded at Delville Wood, 19.7.1916, when all but two officers of his regiment became casualties (M.C.); appointed Brigade Major 90th Infantry Brigade, 30th Division, 30.1.1917, and fought with the latter at Arras and was gassed near Ypres; Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel 27.7.1917; Officer Commanding 2nd Battalion South African Infantry from, 18.4.1918; Bamford led his battalion in the fighting at Beaurevoir, near Le Cateau, 8.10.1918 and was severely wounded during a German bombardment on the trenches of the South African brigade as it was massing for its final offensive of the war; the offensive was successfully concluded on the 11.11.1918, with the commanders of the 4 battalions of S.A. Infantry involved all being awarded the D.S.O., including Major Sprenger who assumed command after Bamford was wounded; Bamford received a third Mention in Despatches and was also mentioned in War Office Communiques (13.3.1918); he subsequently relinquished his commission due to the ill health he was suffering as a consequence of his wounds; personally appointed Commissioner of Police and Inspector of Prisons in Malta, 29.7.1919, by the Governor of Malta Field-Marshal The Viscount Plumer, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., ´With unerring judgement of men, the Field Marshal had a notable gift of securing the men he wanted for particular duties........... He found on arrival that the Civil Police were discontented, and that the discipline and efficiency left something to be desired. Deciding that drastic changes and improvements were required before there could be hope of converting them into a disciplined or useful force, he secured the appointment of a chief [Bamford] on whose courage, judgment and tact he could place reliance, and once satisfied of that left the task of reorganisation to him, content to keep touch with progress. The result justified his confidence. In little over a year Malta had a smart and efficient and contented Police Force.´ (Plumer of Messines, by General Sir Charles Harington G.C.B., G.B.E., refers); served as Commandant, Northern Territories Constabulary, Hausa, 1922-24; served as Inspector-General of Police, Gold Coast, 1925-38; Member of the Legislative Council, 1936; Secretary of the Gold Coast Chamber of Mines, 1938-39; re-engaged for the Second World War as Lieutenant-Colonel, Army Officers Emergency Reserve, Gold Coast; Colonel South African Union Defence Corps, 3.2.1941; appointed Senior President of Courts Martial, DHQ Pretoria; retired 17.1.1943, aged 61 and after 44 years of service. K.S.A. erroneously issued and probably returned due to being short of the qualifying period.

Sold for
£8,200