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Auction: 7029 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 414

An Interesting Group of Six to Lieutenant F.B.A. Cardew, Devonshire Regiment, Later Royal Engineers, A Cousin of Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Who Was Taken Prisoner of War During The Great War, Before Going Onto See Service In the Second World War Attached to his Cousin´s Staff 1914-15 Star (2/Lt F.B.A. Cardew Devon. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. F.B.A. Cardew. Devon R.); France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, the Great War Medals all stamped ´Duplicate´, the Second War Medals later issues, good very fine, together with the recipient´s Hudson´s, Birmingham whistle, and an envelope, post-marked 9.10.1968, addressed to the recipient from his cousin, Field Marshal the Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, K.G., G.C.B., D.S.O., together with an example of the great man´s autograph (6) Estimate £ 100-140 Lieutenant Frederick Brutton Anstruther Cardew, born September 1897; educated St. Edward´s, Oxford; Commissioned Second Lieutenant, 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, 15.8.1914; Served in France from 8.3.1915, and attached to the 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers; Lieutenant, 22.3.1915; taken Prisoner of War at the Second Battle of Ypres, 8.5.1915 ´By 5:30 in the morning on the 8th they bombarded us violently, blowing the trench in all the way along. I was buried four times that morning but managed to get out. By mid-day I had about 7 men left in my platoon (I had started on the 21st April with 44) and the trench was packed with dead and wounded, they had maxims playing on the parapet, or what was left of it, as well as guns. Then half-a-mile to our right I saw the Germans break through and by 5 o´clock they were working round behind us. By 6 p.m. my company on the extreme right next to the Germans had orders to hang on till 8 o´clock and then retire. I knew then we should be wiped out of course as they were far stronger. I was in command of the company, the rest of the officers being killed. They charged about 6:15 p.m. and we held them off for a quarter-of-an-hour fighting to the rear, front and to the right. Then they got on top of us and we had to surrender. We were marched straight to Rouler. I was so tired that I walked along asleep part of the way.´ (letter from the recipient, 14.5.1915 refers [N.B. not included with lot]). Lieutenant Cardew was interned at Halle and subsequently in six other camps until 23.8.1918, when he was transferred to Holland for repatriation, 23.11.1918. He had the option of being transferred to Holland much earlier in the War, but did not accept, as he wished to effect his escape, which he attempted unsuccessfully on numerous occasions. Disembodied, 1.8.1919; relinquished his Commission with the rank of Lieutenant, 1.4.1920. Re-enlisted as Second Lieutenant, Royal Engineers, 3.8.1942; War Substantive Lieutenant, 3.8.1942; Temporary Captain 12.4.1943; his Second World War service included a period as a Staff Officer attached to Field Marshal Montgomery´s Headquarters, 1944-45; Retired, October 1946.

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£170