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The GCB, GCVO group to Admiral Kelly sold for a reasonable hammer price of GBP 6,000 at Spink this week. Totals: GBP 7,728. R 176,280. AUD 14,170. NZD 15,220. CAD 12,750. USD 9,450. EUR 8,680

The pair to Private Bentley sold for the same hammer price.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

DSO GV;
DSC GV HM 1915, engraved ‘Captain F. Summers D.S.C.’;
BSACM reverse Matabeleland 1893, no clasp (Troopr. F. Summers, Victoria Column.);
QSA (2) Cape Colony, Wittebergen (Lieut. F. Summers. 53 Co. Impl. Yeo.);
1914 Star, with clasp (Temp. Lieut. F. Summers, R.M. Brigade);
British War and Victory Medals, with MID (Lt. Col. F. Summers.)

DSO London Gazette 1 January 1917: ‘Temporary Major, Machine Gun Corps.’
DSC London Gazette 1 January 1916: ‘Temporary Captain, Royal Marines. For services with the Royal Naval Division Motor Transport Company in France.’
MID London Gazette 1 January 1916 and 4 January 1917.

Frank Summers served as a Trooper in the B.S.A. Company’s Police during the Matabele Rebellion of 1893, and also acted as a Correspondent for Reuters whilst attached to the Victoria Column. He served during the Boer War as a Lieutenant in the Royal East Kent Yeomanry and was mentioned in despatches. In 1914 Summers volunteered himself and his motor car for service with the Royal Naval Division in Belgium and France, there being a chronic shortage of transport at this time. He was Adjutant of the Royal Marine Motor Transport Company which was formed in September 1914 and disbanded in August 1915. They were employed in transporting troops in every direction as the great move to cover the Channel ports was taking place, and they were very active during the 1st and 2nd battles of Ypres, at Aubers Ridge and at Festubert. Two of its officers were decorated, Captain H. M. Leaf, R.M., with the D.S.O., and Captain Frank Summers with the D.S.C.

After serving in France, Summers went to the Dardanelles with the Royal Naval Air Service, probably in armoured cars. His Royal Marine commission was terminated on 27 March 1916, when he transferred to the Army as a Major in the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps, cover name for the first tank unit, and which later became known as the Tank Corps. He trained and led the original “D” Company of tanks in the attack on Flers-Courcelette on the Somme, 15 September 1916, the first ‘official’ occasion on which tanks were used in the War. However, one of Summers’ “D” Tanks had carried out a lone reconnaissance on the day before, so there can be no doubt that it was one of his tanks that was the first ever to go into action. On 19 November he was in command of three tank companies in the attack on Cambrai. Although the award of his DSO in January 1917 does not carry a citation, there can be little doubt that it was made in recognition of his services on the Somme. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the Tank Corps in November 1916 and commanded the 6th Tank Battalion from January to December 1917. Later in the War he served with the British Military Mission in Washington and lecturing at the War College on tank tactics. Whilst in Washington he met with the young Dwight D. Eisenhower, also a tank specialist and destined to become 34th President of the USA.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

CBE (Civil, 2nd type) with Military Division neck riband;
DSC GV, HM 1918, the reverse very lightly scratched ‘Fall’;
QSA (3) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, with unofficial top retaining rod (1967 Tpr: E. Fall. S.A. Lt. Horse.);
1914-15 Star (Lieut. E. M. Fall. R.N.R.);
British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. E. M. Fall. R.N.R.);
1939-45 Star;
Atlantic Star;
Burma Star, (1) Pacific;
War Medal 1939-45;
RD GV HM 1922;
Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, Marine Medal, 3rd type, silver (To Ernest M. Fall. For Gallant Service. 15/11/1938.) with integral top brooch bar;
United States of America, Legion of Merit, Commander’s neck badge, gilt and enamel, unnamed as issued, with full neck riband;.

Together with the related miniature awards for all except the CBE and Legion of Merit, these mounted as worn [the 1914-15 Star represented by a 1914 Star, and the Burma Star lacking the Pacific clasp but with rosette on riband instead].

CBE (Civil) London Gazette 1 January 1943: ‘Captain Ernest Matson Fall, D.S.C., R.D., R.N.R. (Retd.), Master, Merchant Navy.

DSC London Gazette 24 March 1919: ‘For services in Minesweeping Operations between 1 July and 31 December 1918.’

United States of America, Legion of Merit, Commander London Gazette 25 August 1950. The official citation, dated 14 December 1948, states: ‘Captain Fall, Royal Naval Reserve, Retired, performed exceptionally meritorious services as Master of HMT Queen Elizabeth and HMT Queen Mary from August 1942 to December 1945. He contributed immeasurably to the successful prosecution of World War II by the United States, in transporting under hazardous conditions more than one-half million American troops to and from the theaters of war. Captain Fall's navigating skill, his tireless energy and his unflagging devotion to duty over long periods of time made possible the safe and swift transportation of unprecedented concentrations of human lives at sea.’

Ernest Matson Fall was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, on 17 February 1883, and having emigrated to South Africa served during the Boer War as a Trooper in the South African Light Horse. Subsequently embarking on a career in the Mercantile Marine, he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve on 1 January 1912, and was promoted Lieutenant on 8 July 1915, on which date he was posted to the battleship H.M.S. Bellerophon, seeing active service in her at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916. On 28 July 1917 he was appointed to H.M.S. Gentian for navigational duties, and on 22 January 1918 was appointed Captain of the Hunt-Class Minesweeper H.M.S. Irvine; for subsequent services in minesweeping operations he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Promoted Lieutenant-Commander on 2 August 1923, and Commander on 31 December 1926, Fall was awarded the Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, and was placed on the Retired List with the rank of Captain on 20 February 1933. He was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society’s Silver Medal ‘for having gallantly rescued, with the assistance of another, a man who was in grave danger of drowning, in the River Mersey, off George’s Landing Stage, on 15 November 1938.’

A Master mariner with the Cunard shipping line, Fall served during the Second World War in command of requisitioned liners R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth and R.M.S. Queen Mary, that were used as H.M. Transport Ships, conveying under hazardous conditions over half a million American troops to and from various theatres of War. On one voyage in 1943, Queen Mary carried over 16,600 people, still the record for the most people on a vessel. For his services Fall was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and was awarded the Legion of Merit by the United States of America. He was removed from the Retired List on 29 November 1954, and died in South Africa on 21 September 1955.

Sold with the original Bestowal Document for the CBE; the original Bestowal Document for the United States Legion of Merit, together with the accompanying citation; the original Bestowal Document for the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society award, this somewhat damaged’ and various lapel badges, including a Second World War King’s Badge ‘For Loyal Service’ Badge; a South African War Veterans Association lapel badge; a British Empire Service League Nyasaland lapel badge; and a South African Navy League lapel badge.

Picture courtesy of Dominic Winter

CB (Military, gold):
CMG (gold);
Ashantee Medal 1873 (1) Coomassie (Capt: A.F. Hart, 31st Foot. 1873-4.);
SAGS (1) 1879 (Capt A.F. Hart. 31st Foot);
Egypt (1) Tel-El-Kebir (Major A.F. Hart E. Surr: R.);
QSA (5) Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Orange Free State, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal (Maj: Gen A. Fitz. R. Hart-Synnot. C.B, C.M.G.);
KSA (2) ) (Maj. Gnl. A. Fitz. R. Hart-Synnot. C.B. C.M.G. Staff.);
Ottoman Empire. Order of the Osmania, silver gilt and enamels;
Khedive's Star 1882

Major-General Arthur Fitzroy Hart-Synnot, CB, CMG (1844-1910) was born in Portsmouth. He was the son of Lieutenant-General Henry George Hart (who rose to fame for establishing Hart's Army List). Hart-Synnott was educated at Cheltenham and Sandhurst. He passed out as Ensign with the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Foot.

He served with Sir Garnet Wolseley on the Gold Coast of Africa in 1873 and noted for training the Sierra Leone Company of Russell's Regiment, which he led through the Ashantee War of 1873-74. He was slightly wounded and mentioned in despatches twice for this campaign and was present at all fighting up to the capture of Coomassie.

The Ashantee

The Drums of Kumasi (pp.162-163).

'An officer of Russell's Regiment, Lieutenant Hart, who was lying low in the trees near a clearing to the south-west of the village, caught sight of something no one else in Wolesley's force had yet seen yet; an Ashanti fighting group moving across open ground. His observations show how remarkably they differed from the popular conception of an undisciplined tribal army of that time'

'Soon after the village was taken, I saw about 150 Ashantis file out of the brush skirting the village on the south-west side, and entering the clearing, which was several acres of stumps of plantain trees, the remains of the grove which the Ashantis had evidently cut down. I had been watching this clearing, hoping that some of the enemy might retreat across it, and thereby come under a very effective fire from the company, which was halted in the road about 300 yards south of Odasu and separated from the clearing by a fringe of five or six yards' width of bush. The Ashantis, as they entered the clearing marched southwards in single rank parallel to the road, and 200 yards from it. Their arms were all sloped; every man was closed up to what we call fronting distance; their pace was quite regular, though much slower than our quick march and, except for that, and the fact they were all talking they moved as do our best-drilled soldiers. This unexpected regularity made me doubt that they were Ashantis - they seemed to me more likely to be some natives of Wood's Regiment that had passed on to Odasum and I called up one of my corporals and asked what he thought of them. He said they were Bonny men. They had hidden up to the waist by the stumps of the plantain trees, but their muskets looked like very long and unlike Sniders. In another minute I had decided that they were not Bonny men, Ashantis; when just as I was turning to order my men to open fire, the Ashantis, who hitherto had looked neither to right nor left, caught sight of me. One after the other, their muskets came down to the "ready", and the corporal and I returned to our company, escaping the volley fired at us by stooping among the plantain stems. My men, and the rest of Russell's Regiment, opened fire and it was warmly returned. The Ashantis in the clearing must have been reinforced in large numbers, for their fire rapidly increased and extended until it overlapped or left flank. We then drew into Odasu and formed front there, facing to our rear and down the road we had just marched up. In no degree did we diminish the Ashanti fire, which had now extended quite across our rear, against which they were removing with shouts and war songs.'

The Zulu War

Hart-Synnot went to South Africa to fight the Zulus from 1878-79 on special duties. He was a Staff Officer to two Battalions of the 2nd Regiment Natal Native Contingent, being present with Pearson's Column at the engagement of Inyezane, then as a Staff Officer in the Ekowe relieving column and at Gingindlovu.

Near the Inyezene River on 22 January, as the men of No.1. Column were finishing their breakfasts, a few Zulus appeared on a spur above Pearson's encampment. Hart and his company which had become disordered after crossing a ravine, "a mass of Zulus suddenly appeared over the crest and began pouring down the spur". At the sight of the Zulus, Hart's Kaffirs fled into the ravine, "leaving the European officers and N.C.O's to make to fruitless stand before being swept aside". Afterwards, he served as a Brigade Major and finally as Principal Staff Officer to Clarke's Column. He was mentioned in despatches for the Zulu Wars and advanced to Brevet Major.

The Boer Wars and Egypt

Hart-Synnot was in South Africa during the first Boer War of 1881 and Egypt the following year as Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General in the Intelligence Department and took part in the actions of Magfurm Tel-el-Mahuta and Kassassin (9 September) where he was wounded in the arm. He then served in the second action of Kassassin and the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir, where he was reunited with his brother, Reginald Hart V.C., he received a mention in despatches and advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel.

He commanded the 1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment in India from 1891-1895 and was promoted to Major-General. Hart Commanded the 5th (Irish) Brigade during the second Boer War of 1899. He served throughout this campaign and fought in the Battle of Colenso, Spion Kop and Hart's Hill (named after him), Monte Christo and all the engagements on the Tugela including the Relief of Ladysmith. Hart was mentioned in despatches and received the CMG.

Hart-Synnot retired from service in 1904 and resided in Armagh, Northern Ireland. He married a daughter of Mark Seton Synnot and assumed the family name, Hart-Synnot. He suffered an accident in 1910 and died as a result of the aftereffects of an operation. His brother, Sir Reginald Hart V.C. proclaimed Hart as 'the bravest man he had ever met.'