A Great War ‘Guillemont’ D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Prescott-Westcar, Bt., The Rifle Brigade

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R.; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut., Rifle Bde.); 1914-15 Star (Capt., Rif. Brig.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Lt-Col., Rifl Bde.); Defence Medal (Lieut. Col., Rifle Bde.); Coronation 1937, generally good very fine (8) £1200-1500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to The Rifle Brigade and Affiliated Regiments from the collection formed by Michael Haines.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 14 November 1916: ‘He led his battalion with the greatest courage and initiative carrying the first, third and fifth objectives. Later he formally supervised the reorganisation and consolidation and sent back most valuable information. He was severely wounded.’

William Villiers Leonard Prescott-Westcar was born on 18 September 1882, and educated at Wellington and R.M.C. Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade on 8 January 1901, and joined the 1st Battalion in South Africa in May of that year, serving during the remainder of the war and later in Malta. From then until 1914 he served mainly with the 4th Battalion in Egypt, Khartoum, and India where he had opportunities to enjoy his propensity for big game shooting.

During the Great War he served with the 1st Battalion in France in 1915, and in 1916 was given command of the 10th Battalion. He was severely wounded whilst commanding that battalion at the battle of Guillemont in September 1916, and was awarded the D.S.O. He was later posted to the Machine Gun Corps and became Chief Instructor to the Machine Gun Corps branch of the Small Arms School in France. After the war he served with the Machine Gun Corps on the North West Frontier and took part in the Afghan campaign of 1919. Rejoining the Rifle Brigade in 1920, he served with the 2nd Battalion in Ireland from 1921 to 1923.

“Puddle” as he was known in the Regiment, as a result of falling in a very wet and muddy spot, retired in 1924 and settled at Sandwich in Kent, taking an active part in local affairs. He was an Alderman of Sandwich for 16 years, Mayor for 10 years, and in 1945 was made an Honorary Freeman. In 1937 he was elected a Baron of the Cinque Ports and in that capacity attended the Coronation of King George VI. During the 1939-45 War he was Civil Defence Sub-Controller for Sandwich and worked indefatigably in that capacity. Prescott-Westcar succeeded his cousin as 7th Baronet in 1955. He married Thora, daughter of Henry Fielding, and had a son and a daughter. His son was killed in Korea in 1951 when serving with the Royal Ulster Rifles. He died at Winsford, Somerset, on 3 February 1959, aged 76.