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Auction archive: Lot number 1

An Impressive Boer War and WWI DSO and ‘1914’ MC Group of 6 awarded to Lieutenant …

Auction 29.05.2014
29 May 2014
Estimate
£4,000 - £6,000
ca. US$6,736 - US$10,105
Price realised:
£5,000
ca. US$8,420
Auction archive: Lot number 1

An Impressive Boer War and WWI DSO and ‘1914’ MC Group of 6 awarded to Lieutenant …

Auction 29.05.2014
29 May 2014
Estimate
£4,000 - £6,000
ca. US$6,736 - US$10,105
Price realised:
£5,000
ca. US$8,420
Beschreibung:

An Impressive Boer War and WWI DSO and ‘1914’ MC Group of 6 awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Francis Lane Congreve, Home Guard, late 120th Battery, 27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. A scion of the highly distinguished Congreve Family, he was the youngest brother of the Boer War ‘Colenso’ VC winner General Sir Walter Norris Congreve, and uncle of WWI ‘Longueval’ VC winner William ‘Billy’ La Touche Congreve, Francis was himself one of the very first recipients of the ‘new’ award of the Military Cross in January 1915, and was mentioned in despatches on four separate occasions, comprising: Distinguished Service Order, GVR, Military Cross, GVR (Capt. F. L. Congreve. R.F.A. 1st Jan 1915), Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3rd type reverse, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (2/ Lieut. F. L. Congreve, R.F.A.), 1914 Star with clasp ‘5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914’ (Capt. F. L. Congreve. R.F.A.), British War and Victory Medals, 1914-1920 (Lt. Col. F. L. Congreve.) with ‘MID’ bronze spray of oak leaves; the first unnamed as issued, second and third medals officially engraved, latter trio officially impressed, court mounted on bar with reverse pin for wear, mounted as worn. Group toned, about extremely fine. (6) DSO London Gazette 01.01.1919 - ‘for distinguished service in connection with military operations in France and Flanders.’ MC London Gazette 01.01.1915 - ‘for distinguished services in time of war’ MID London Gazette 19.10.1914; 04.01.1917; 23.12.1918; 07.07.1919 Francis Lane Congreve (1881-1962) was born in Castle Church, Staffordshire, 21 March 1881, the youngest son of William Congreve (1831-1902) - a scion of the Congreve family and distant relation of Sir William Congreve (1772-1828), inventor of the Congreve Rocket. He was educated at Cheltenham College, was Captain of the 1st XI Football team, representing Gloucestershire against Surrey in 1900, and was a noteworthy track athlete. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery 18 December 1900, serving in the Second Boer War in South Africa between 1901 and 1902. During this time, his eldest brother, Captain Walter Norris Congreve (Rifle Brigade), had already won the Victoria Cross for gallantry shown at Colenso, where during an attempt to save several RFA guns he also helped to save the life of a fellow officer. Through steady promotions, Francis Congreve had reached the position of Battery Captain of the 120th Battery, 27th Brigade RFA during the earliest stages of the Great War in August 1914 whilst with the BEF or ‘Old Contemptibles’, and then he was made Adjutant to the 27th Brigade in early January 1915. For his service in 1914, he was the very first of his regiment to receive the King’s new decoration for officers - the Military Cross. He was promoted to Major in July 1915, and then served as OC of the 124th Battery, 18th Brigade, RFA until late 1917. He was wounded in action in October 1916, and was again promoted to Brigade Major, RA, with the 11th Division. He was made Acting Lieutenant Colonel, RFA, 6 June 1918, and OC for the 155th Brigade RFA. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his WWI services in January 1919. He continued to serve post-war, and was eventually promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 26 February 1929, and finally retired 26 August 1933. He was later recalled to service in WW2, initially with the Royal Engineers, and later with the Home Guard. In 1909 he married Evelyn Gertrude Knaggs, Daughter of S Knaggs of Cordeny, Co Louth, Ireland.

Auction archive: Lot number 1
Auction:
Datum:
29 May 2014
Auction house:
Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions
16-17 Pall Mall
St James’s
London, SW1Y 5LU
United Kingdom
info@dreweatts.com
+44 (0)20 78398880
Beschreibung:

An Impressive Boer War and WWI DSO and ‘1914’ MC Group of 6 awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Francis Lane Congreve, Home Guard, late 120th Battery, 27th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. A scion of the highly distinguished Congreve Family, he was the youngest brother of the Boer War ‘Colenso’ VC winner General Sir Walter Norris Congreve, and uncle of WWI ‘Longueval’ VC winner William ‘Billy’ La Touche Congreve, Francis was himself one of the very first recipients of the ‘new’ award of the Military Cross in January 1915, and was mentioned in despatches on four separate occasions, comprising: Distinguished Service Order, GVR, Military Cross, GVR (Capt. F. L. Congreve. R.F.A. 1st Jan 1915), Queen’s South Africa Medal, 3rd type reverse, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (2/ Lieut. F. L. Congreve, R.F.A.), 1914 Star with clasp ‘5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914’ (Capt. F. L. Congreve. R.F.A.), British War and Victory Medals, 1914-1920 (Lt. Col. F. L. Congreve.) with ‘MID’ bronze spray of oak leaves; the first unnamed as issued, second and third medals officially engraved, latter trio officially impressed, court mounted on bar with reverse pin for wear, mounted as worn. Group toned, about extremely fine. (6) DSO London Gazette 01.01.1919 - ‘for distinguished service in connection with military operations in France and Flanders.’ MC London Gazette 01.01.1915 - ‘for distinguished services in time of war’ MID London Gazette 19.10.1914; 04.01.1917; 23.12.1918; 07.07.1919 Francis Lane Congreve (1881-1962) was born in Castle Church, Staffordshire, 21 March 1881, the youngest son of William Congreve (1831-1902) - a scion of the Congreve family and distant relation of Sir William Congreve (1772-1828), inventor of the Congreve Rocket. He was educated at Cheltenham College, was Captain of the 1st XI Football team, representing Gloucestershire against Surrey in 1900, and was a noteworthy track athlete. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery 18 December 1900, serving in the Second Boer War in South Africa between 1901 and 1902. During this time, his eldest brother, Captain Walter Norris Congreve (Rifle Brigade), had already won the Victoria Cross for gallantry shown at Colenso, where during an attempt to save several RFA guns he also helped to save the life of a fellow officer. Through steady promotions, Francis Congreve had reached the position of Battery Captain of the 120th Battery, 27th Brigade RFA during the earliest stages of the Great War in August 1914 whilst with the BEF or ‘Old Contemptibles’, and then he was made Adjutant to the 27th Brigade in early January 1915. For his service in 1914, he was the very first of his regiment to receive the King’s new decoration for officers - the Military Cross. He was promoted to Major in July 1915, and then served as OC of the 124th Battery, 18th Brigade, RFA until late 1917. He was wounded in action in October 1916, and was again promoted to Brigade Major, RA, with the 11th Division. He was made Acting Lieutenant Colonel, RFA, 6 June 1918, and OC for the 155th Brigade RFA. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his WWI services in January 1919. He continued to serve post-war, and was eventually promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 26 February 1929, and finally retired 26 August 1933. He was later recalled to service in WW2, initially with the Royal Engineers, and later with the Home Guard. In 1909 he married Evelyn Gertrude Knaggs, Daughter of S Knaggs of Cordeny, Co Louth, Ireland.

Auction archive: Lot number 1
Auction:
Datum:
29 May 2014
Auction house:
Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions
16-17 Pall Mall
St James’s
London, SW1Y 5LU
United Kingdom
info@dreweatts.com
+44 (0)20 78398880
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