Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Twelve: Colonel H. C. Gauntlett, 20th Burma Rifles, late York & Lancaster Regiment and Lincolnshire Regiment

1914-15 Star (Lieut. H. G. Gauntlett, York. & Lanc. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Major H. G. Gauntlett); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Burma 1930-32 (Maj. H. G. Gauntlett, 3-20 Burma Rif.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; Delhi Durbar 1911, unnamed as issued; Jubilee 1935 (Lieut. Colonel, 10/20 Burma Rifles); Coronation 1937 (Lt. Colonel, 4th Bn. Burma Rifles) mounted as worn, together with mounted group of six miniature medals (excluding Delhi Durbar and WWII medals), polished, nearly very fine or better (18) £350-450

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Indian Army from the Collection of AM Shaw.

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Sold with original portrait photograph taken at the time of the 1937 Coronation. Delhi Durbar 1911 is not confirmed.

Henry Graham Gauntlett was born at Karachi on 8 December 1887, and educated at Harrow and R.M. College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment as 2nd Lieutenant on 14 October 1908, becoming Lieutenant in February 1911. Promoted to Captain in March 1915, he transferred to the Lincolnshire Regiment, and was employed with the Machine Gun Corps from April 1916 to September 1918. Gauntlett served in France and Belgium from 12 January to 16 May 1915, 5 October 1915 to 19 January 1916, 10 April 1916 to 13 October 1917, and 12 January to 28 October 1918. He was twice wounded during the war.

Gauntlett served with the Lincolnshire Regiment in Ireland during the ‘troubles’, both at Hollywood Barracks and at Tipperary. He transferred to the Indian Army in July 1926 as a Major and served with the Baluch Regiment in the Mekran, and later with the 20th Burma Rifles in Burma and Malaya. He commanded the 4/20th Burma Rifles and commanded the Burma Coronation Contingent at the 1937 Coronation, retiring the following year. According to notes sold with the group, during the Second World War he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer, in charge of recruiting in Northern Ireland. He then served with the British Red Cross in Italy and Egypt from September 1943 to January 1944, and finished the war serving in ‘the small ships’ around the coast of England. Sold with additional research.