TOPIC:

Is it me or have there been a lot of DSO's up for sale lately..... Some collections being broken up?????

Mike

Possibly Mike. There has certainly been a lot of material on sale and most has been sold. We have had three auctions just this week,

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

[ CMG ];
[ DSO ];
QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill (Capt: R. O. Marton, DSO, 15 Co. S.D. R.G.A.) engraved naming;
KSA (2) (Capt. R. O. Marton. DSO R.G.A.) engraved naming
[ 1914 Star trio ]

CMG LG 3 June 1918: ‘For services rendered in connection with the War.’
DSO LG 27 September 1901: ‘In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa.’

Richard Oliver Marton was born on 19 August 1872, the son of Colonel G B H Marton, and the Hon. Caroline Gertrude, daughter of the 5th Viscount Ashbrook. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 23 November 1891, and was promoted Captain in December 1899.

He served in the South Africa during the Boer War on Special Service from 3 to 19 January 1900; and was then employed with Transport from 20 January to 10 July 1900, and was present at operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including the actions at Vet River (5 and 6 May) and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal, May and June 1900, including the actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Diamond Hill (11 and 12 June); operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, including the action at Reit Vlei, May to September 1901; operations on the Zululand frontier of Natal, September and October 1901; and operations in Orange River Colony, December 1901 to 21 May 1902. For his services in South Africa he was mentioned in Despatches (LG 10 September 1901) and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He was invested with his DSO by H.M. the King on 29 October 1901.

Marton was 4th Assistant Superintendent of Experiments, School of Gunnery, from 20 June 1902 to 31 January 1903; 3rd Assistant Superintendent of Experiments, School of Gunnery, from 1 February 1903 to 11 May 1905; 2nd Assistant Superintendent of Experiments, School of Gunnery, from 12 to 31 May 1905; and 1st Assistant Superintendent of Experiments, Experimental Staff, School of Gunnery, from 1 June to 31 December 1905. He later served as Instructor, School of Gunnery, from 1 April 1910 to 31 March 1914, and was promoted Major on 29 May 1912.

He served during the Great War on the Western Front from 4 October 1914, and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 1 May 1917. He later served as Superintendent of Experiments, School of Instruction for Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery, Chapperton Down Artillery School, from 10 November 1917, and for his services during the Great War was Mentioned in Despatches (LG 6 July 1918) and was created a CMG.

Picture courtesy of Spink

DSO VR;
Jubilee 1897, silver, unnamed as issued;
QSA (1) Cape Colony (Capt. & Adjt. M. A. Foster, D.S.O., Som. L.I.), unit officially corrected to include post-nominals;
KSA (2) (Maj. & Adjt. M. A. Foster. D.S.O., Som. L.I.)

Provenance: Spink July 2018.

DSO London Gazette 27 September 1901.

Montagu Amos Foster was born on 19 March 1861, the son of William Foster of Wilbury Road, Brighton, Sussex. Foster was privately educated and became a notable linguist over the course of his life. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Second East Norfolk (Militia) on 10 December 1879, he was gazetted to a regular commission with the Somerset Light Infantry on 28 January 1882, with the rank of Lieutenant. Promoted Captain while there in September 1887, Foster returned to Britain on 10 November 1891.

Foster also returned to the Militia, serving as Captain and Adjutant with the 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. It was with this role that he appears upon the roll for the Jubilee Medal. Later entering the Boer War, with the Battalion sailing on the Kildonan Castle in Spring 1900, upon arrival they were split up with the majority of the unit divided along the lines of communication between East London and Queenstown, Cape Colony, while some officers were detached to the Staff. Foster's role would likely have been with one of the mobile columns that operated in the region hunting down the Boer Commandos - a role for which he was further 'mentioned' twice on 10 September 1901 and 29 July 1902.

Foster certainly came home to receive his DSO in an investiture on 29 October 1901 - however he returned to South Africa, being promoted Major in April 1902 and is listed as stationed there until 13 May. Seeing further service in the East Indies between 1902 and April 1904, Foster returned to Britain on 16 April and served at home until March 1909 when he was placed upon the retired list. Foster had married Ida Frances, the daughter of Brigadier-General W G Thompson, CMG, DSO and had two children with her, Mary and Cecil William Foster.

The four medals to Captain Foster sold yesterdayfor a hammer price of GBP 1,700. Totals: GBP 2,108. R 45,570. AUD 3,780. NZD 4,020. CAD 3,430. USD 2,550. EUR 2,330

Picture courtesy of the Tank Museum

SWINTON, ERNEST DUNLOP, Captain, was born 21 October 1868. He was educated at Rugby and Cheltenham, and was gazetted to the Royal Engineers 17 February 1888, becoming Lieutenant 17 February 1891. He was Assistant Inspector, School of Military Engineering, 3 November 1896 to 10 November 1899; became Captain 17 February 1899. Captain Swinton served in the South African War, 1899-1902, as Adjutant, 1st Battalion Railway Pioneer Regiment (from 22 December 1899); afterwards in command of the 1st Battalion Railway Pioneer Regiment from 15 November 1900; operations in the Orange Free State, April to May 1900; operations in Orange River Colony, May to September 1900; operations in the Transvaal, September to 29 November 1900; operations in Cape Colony, November 1899 to April 1900; operations in the Transvaal 30 November 1900 to 31 May 1902; operations in Orange River Colony, May 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 10 September 1901]; received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, the King's Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 27 September 1901]: "Ernest Dunlop Swinton, Captain, Royal Engineers. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". He was invested with the Insignia by the King 18 December 1902. He was promoted to Major 31 December 1906; was Chief Instructor, RMA, 1 February 1907 to 8 September 1910; Secretary, Historical Section, Committee of Imperial Defence, 30 September 1910 to 30 September 1913; Assistant Secretary, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1 October 1913 to 4 August 1914. He served in the European War from 1914, as Deputy Director of Railway Transport, British Expeditionary Force, 5 August to 8 September 1914; as GSO2, GHQ, BEF, 9 September 1914 to 18 July 1915; was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 6 May 1915; was GSO1, whilst employed as Assistant Secretary. Committee of Imperial Defence, 19 July 1915 to 18 March 1916; Commander, Heavy Section, Machine Gun Corps, 19 March to 8 November 1916. He was given the Brevet of Colonel 1 January 1917; was employed under the Ministry of Munitions 14 August to 17 November 1918; Temporary Major General 3 January 1918; employed under the Ministry of Labour 18 November 1918; Controller of Inspection Department of Civil Aviation. For his services in the European War he was mentioned three times in Despatches; was created a CB in 1917; given the Brevet of Colonel, and made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He had to do with the evolution of the Tank. He journeyed through the United States, speaking about the War, in 1918. Under the pseudonym, 'Ole-Luk-Oie' he wrote 'Green Curve' in 1909. He wrote 'The Defence of Duffer's Drift' in 1904, under the pseudonym of 'Backright-Forethought'. In 1915 he wrote 'The Great Tab Dope', and in 1916, 'A Year Ago'. He married, in 1897, Grace Louisa, second daughter of Sir Edward G Clayton, and they had two sons and one daughter.