Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War K.C.M.G., C.B. group of thirteen awarded to Major-General Sir Harold Parsons, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, late West Surrey Regiment

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, K.C.M.G. Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamel centre, in its fitted Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, converted from neck wear, silver-gilt and enamel, in its fitted Garrard & Co. case of issue; India General Service 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89 (Lieut. H. D. E. Parsons, 2d Bn. R.W. Surr. R.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Major H. D. E. Parsons, C.M.G., A.O.D.); King’ South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Maj. H.D.E. Parsons, C.M.G., A.O.D.); 1914 Star (Col. H. D. E. Parsons, C.M.G., A.O.D.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Maj. Gen. Sir H. D. E. Parsons); United States of America, Distinguished Service Medal (Army), officially numbered on edge, ‘634’; Belgium, Order of Leopold I, Commander’s neck badge, with swords, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Lemaitre case of issue; Belgium, Croix de Guerre 1914-18; Russia, Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd Class neck badge, with swords, by Eduard, St. Petersburg, 49 by 49mm., gold and enamel, with manufacturer’s name on reverse, ‘56’ gold mark on eyelet and St. Petersburg koloshnik mark for 1908-17 on one sword hilt, in a 2nd Class case of issue, mounted as worn, together with an embroidered bullion badge of the Royal West Surreys, the Q.S.A. officially corrected, enamel work slightly chipped in places and the last with discoloured inter-arm eagle fitment as a result of repair, otherwise generally very fine and better (14) £2800-3200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman.

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K.C.M.G. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

C.B. London Gazette 18 February 1915.

Mention in despatches London Gazette 16 April 1901 (South Africa); 17 February 1915, 1 January 1916, 4 January 1917, 11 December 1917 and 20 December 1918 (France).

Belgian Order of Leopold I London Gazette 26 July 1917.

Belgian Croix de Guerre London Gazette 11 March 1918.

Russian Order of St. Stanislaus London Gazette 15 February 1917.

United States of America D.S.M. London Gazette 12 July 1919. The original recommendation states:

‘For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services. As Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores of the British Expeditionary Forces, he was able to render assistance of the greatest value to the American Expeditionary Forces. He aided us most markedly in the procurement of artillery material and ammunition from British sources, at all times giving loyal cooperation.’

Harold Daniel Edmund Parsons was born in London in July 1863, the son of Major-General J. E. B. Parsons, late Indian Army, and was educated at Dulwich College and the R.M.C. Sandhurst. His ensuing military career is best summarised by his obituary notice in The Times, published in February 1925:

‘He was commissioned in the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment in 1882, and saw active service in the Burmese campaign of 1886-89, receiving two clasps to the Medal. He was Transport Officer at Pyinmana for four months, and Superintendent of Army Signalling, 3rd Brigade, from July 1887 to February 1888. In the South African War, in which he received the C.M.G. and five clasps to the two Medals, he was Chief Ordnance Officer of the Western Line from October 1899 to April 1901; Chief Ordnance Officer at the base at Cape Town from May to October 1901; and Chief Ordnance Officer in Natal from November 1901 to the end of the War. His interest in ordnance store work had begun when he was still a subaltern, and after his experience in the South African War, he naturally transferred to the Army Ordnance Department. In 1910, he was promoted to be an Ordnance Officer of the First Class with the substantive rank of Colonel. In the first months of the Great War he was Deputy Director of Ordnance Services on the Lines of Communication, and was later Director of Ordnance Services in France from October 1914 to May 1918, when he became head of Equipment and Ordnance services at the War Office. During the greater part of the War he was responsible to the C.-in-C. for the supply and maintenance of vast stores of equipment, guns, and clothing required by the armies in France. The smooth working of the ordnance services even in times of greatest stress gave evidence of Parson’s administrative ability and energy. A year before the War ended he was promoted Major-General in the Field. He had received the K.C.M.G. in 1918, and was mentioned in despatches five times, receiving also Russian, Belgian and American decorations. General Parsons was promoted to be Principal Ordnance Officer in 1920, and retired in 1923. Last October he was appointed Colonel Commandant, R.A.O.C., in succession to Major-General Sir John Steevens.’

Sold with an impressive file of original documentation, including K.C.M.G., C.M.G. and C.B. warrants; warrant and official correspondence regarding his appointment to the Belgian Order of Leopold I; official correspondence regarding the American D.S.M.; Great War M.I.D. certificates (4); commission warrant for Lieutenant, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, dated 9 May 1882; record of service; several portrait and group photographs; War Office letter of appointment as Colonel Commandant of the R.A.O.C., dated 27 September 1924, and much besides, including two field telegrams from Kitchener.