Beschreibung:

An important Gallipoli D.S.O. group awarded to Colonel S.F. Newcombe, Royal Engineers who, as Chief of the British Military Mission in the Hejaz, was one of the 'Five Musketeers' with Lawrence who played a key role in the Arab Revolt and the demolition raids on the Hejaz railway DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER, G.V.R.; QUEEN'S SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902,4 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal (Lieut., R.E.); 1914 MONS STAR (Capt., R.E.) fitted with contemporary copy Mons bar; BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. (Lt. Col.); France LEGION OF HONOUR, 5th class breast badge, some chipping to the white enamel; Italy ORDER OF THE CROWN, 4th class breast badge in gold and enamels; Turkey ORDER OF OSMANIEH, 4th class breast badge in silver, gilt and enamels, some chips to green enamel, the group mounted on a contemporary bar as worn, unless otherwise described very fine or better (8) Footnote D.S.O., London Gazette, 22nd January 1916: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty near Anzac, Gallipoli Peninsula, on 29th October, 1915. During rescue operations he entered a mine tunnel soon after the first casualties were reported, and, although suffering from the effects of fumes, he continued to lead rescue parties till he was completely disabled by the gas. One officer lost his life on this occasion in the attempt at rescue.’ Stewart Francis Newcombe (1874-1956) was born at Brecon, the son of Edward Newcombe, and educated at Christ's Hospital and Felsted. He passed first into the R.M.A. Woolwich, with the vary rare distinction of 100 per cent marks in mathematics, and on passing out he was awarded the Sword of Honour. Commissioned in the Royal Engineers on 23rd June, 1898, he served in the South African War, joining the 29th Fortress Company at Cape Town in Feburary, 1900. His long contact with the Arab countries dates from May, 1901, when he joined the Egyptian army with which he served until 1911. His work lay largely in the Sudan, mainly on surveys for new railways in the Wadi Halfa, Blue Nile, and Atbara areas. In 1913 and the early part of 1914, following short spells at the War Office, he carried out a survey of the southern Palestine borderland across the Sinai Peninsula to Beersheba, under the auspices of the Palestine Exploration Fund, prolonging the original survey to the Egyptian frontier and connecting it with the work of the Egyptian Survey Department. Whilst engaged on this survey, he was joined at Beersheba by Leonard Woolley and T.E. Lawrence who had been appointed as archaeological explorers. Thus began a life long period of friendship and collaboration with Lawrence of Arabia. 'The Five Musketeers’ In the early months of the Great War Newcombe served on the Western Front, but when Turkey entered the war he was sent out to Egypt as assistant to Gilbert Clayton, who was head of both the Military and Political Intelligence Services there. Among the picked group of officers who went out with Newcombe in December, 1914, were George Lloyd, Aubrey Herbert, Leonard Woolley and T.E. Lawrence. This party became known as the 'Five Musketeers'. Newcombe served at Gallipoli from September, 1915, until January, 1916, as C.R.E. 2nd Australian Division and was awarded the D.S.O. for gallantry. This was followed by a further nine months in France until at the end of 1916 he was appointed Chief of the British Military Mission with the Sherif of Mecca's forces in the Hejaz. T.E. Lawrence had preceded him there and had already established good relations with the Arab leaders. Typically, Newcombe promptly waived his own seniority and asked how best he could help. After the capture of Wejh, the demolition raids on the Hejaz railway were largely his personal work. They were masterly, in that they were not intended to 'kill' the railway completely. A considerable enemy force was thus permanently employed in guarding, repairing and operating the line in return for a mere trickle of traffic which was probably allowed