Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Royal Artillery Officer’s Sword carried by Brigadier R. H. Keenlyside, D.S.O., latterly an Intelligence Officer and G.S.O. 1 in Far East Land Forces

Triple-bar Royal Artillery Sword, in field service leather scabbard, Wilkinson No. 61522, the blade etched with the monogram ‘R.H.K.’ and standard R.A. emblems, royal cypher, arms, cannon and title, etc., some staining to the blade £200-300

Sold with Wilkinson register verification for sword no. 61522, which was purchased by 2nd Lieutenant R. H. Keenlyside, R.A., in 1929.

Richard Headlam Keenlyside, who was born in May 1909, was commissioned in the Royal Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant in January 1929, gaining advancement to Lieutenant in January 1932 and to Captain in August 1938. Appointed a Brigade Major in February 1940, he was mentioned in despatches in December of the same year, presumably for services with the B.E.F. or possibly in Norway. He subsequently served in the Middle East until early 1943, gaining advancement to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, and, after joining Allied Forces H.Q. back in the U.K., went on to serve with distinction in the North West Europe operations 1944-45, winning a D.S.O. (London Gazette 24 January 1946) and the Netherlands Bronze Cross (London Gazette 18 July 1947).

Post-war, Keenlyside was employed as a G.S.O. 1 (Intelligence) at H.Q., B.A.O.R. in the early 1950s, when he gained advancement to substantive Lieutenant-Colonel, and as a G.S.O. 1, Far East Land Forces (F.A.R.E.L.F.) 1955-57, in which latter year he was gazetted for the C.B.E. His final appointment was as C.R.A. London Infantry Division (T.A.) 1958-61, in which latter year he retired in the rank of Brigadier.