The Ron Penhall Collection

The Second World War Belgian Resistance operations O.B.E., Legion of Honour and Silver Star group of ten awarded to Colonel Georges Gerard, Chef Nationale of the “NOLA” Group: undoubtedly one of the most complete collections of its type to ever appear at auction - down to a wartime agent’s wireless set (official Mk. III type), complete with codes

Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940, with palme; Belgian Labour Decoration, 2nd class breast badge, silver, gilt and enamel; Belgian Labour Decoration, 1st class Medal, silver and enamel; Belgian Civil Long Service Cross, 1st class, gilt; Belgian Medaille de la Resistance 1940-45; Belgian Medaille Commemorative de la Guerre 1940-45; French Legion D’Honneur, Officer’s breast badge, silver, gilt and enamel; French Croix de Guerre 1939-45, with palme; Great Britain, The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; U.S.A. Silver Star, by Bailey, Banks & Biddle, the reverse officially inscribed ‘Georges Gerard’ and one limb officially numbered ‘49006’, complete with split-brooch suspension, all in their cases of issue, together with a set of 7 related dress miniature medals (but including Belgian Order of Leopold), generally extremely fine (17) £4000-5000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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O.B.E. 19 May 1947.

Legion of Honour 4 April 1949.

U.S.A. Silver Star 5 May 1945. The White House citation states:

‘Monsieur Georges Gerard, Belgian civilian, served with gallantry in action as a member of the Group “NOLA” of the Belgian Resistance Movement. He organized this group and led it after 1942. Although it numbered only a few hundred, it carried out successfully a large number of operations. Monsieur Gerard, at great personal risk, took part in these activities. His organizing ability and devotion to duty ensured the full success of these operations.’

Georges Pierre Gerard was born in 1904 and by profession was an industrialist, having graduated with distinction from the Ecole Industrielle in Brussels. In 1942 he co-founded the “NOLA” Group after an M.I. 6 agent from London, Maurice Durieux, was severely injured in a parachute drop and unable to complete his mission. Gerard nursed him back to health and arranged for his repatriation via Paris. Meanwhile, he had successfully undertaken Durieux’s original project and as a result the “NOLA” Group was founded, Gerard becoming its Chef Nationale. Durieux’s co-agent, Henri Hefflincks, who had also been slightly injured during his parachute drop, stayed on to assist, working under the sobriquet of “La Petit Henri”.

The group specialised in sabotage work with the assistance of arms and explosives parachuted into the Field with the co-operation of M.I. 6 and the exiled Belgian Government in London. Added to which “NOLA” operatives were officially briefed to assist any visiting agents with their allotted missions, in addition to providing “safe houses” for evading Allied airmen, prior to sending them down well established escape lines, among them the “Francoise Line”. And following the Allied invasion in June 1944, “NOLA” operatives made hurried preparations to assist the advancing armies, on one occasion countering an enemy attempt to demolish an important bridge. More often, though, they carried out specific acts of sabotage based upon directives received via clandestine wireless communication.

Described as a distinguished and imposing figure with the aspect of a successful businessman, Gerard directed such clandestine activities resourcefully and effectively, and patently to the satisfaction of the Allies, although he was later to admit that greater than desired risks were sometimes taken in the knowledge of contrary instructions from London. He himself narrowly escaped detection on more than one occasion, once being stopped on his bicycle by a German soldier, who proceeded to search his saddlebag - inside which was a package of highly compromising papers. Luckily, however, by the time the soldier had started to fumble with the wrapping Gerard had regained his composure and his memory for the German word for sandwich, calling out “Essen!” The package was placed back in the saddlebag and he was allowed to proceed on his way.

Following the Liberation, Gerard quickly dismantled the organisation he had so courageously assembled, but not before paying tribute to the heroism, devotion and selfless hard work of its members, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice at assorted concentration camps after capture and torture. For his own part in the War, he was eventually rewarded by most of the Allies, honours that were eclipsed by his appointment to his native Order of Leopold II, in the Grand Officer’s grade, prior to his death in October 1977. He was latterly Chairman of the Belgian l’Union Nationale de la Resistance.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation and related artefacts, including:

(i) A selection of documents appertaining to the recipient’s appointment to the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.), including letter of notification from the British Embassy, dated 24 December 1947; warrant signed by Queen Mary, dated 19 May 1947, with related forwarding note; and a letter of condolence from the Order’s registrar, dated 5 October 1977.

(ii) A selection of the recipient’s Belgian warrants and certificates, including those for the Croix de Guerre, Medaille de la Resistance and Medaille Commemorative de la Guerre 1939-45, and notification from the Ministry of Defence regarding the presentation of a Grand Officer’s grade of the Order of Leopold; together with another similar from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the French Legion of Honour.

(iii) A selection of documents relating to the recipient’s award of the Silver Star, including White House citation signed by President Truman; investiture notice from the U.S. Ambassador in Brussels and a letter forwarding ceremony photographs from Colonel John B. Sherman, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Expeditionary Force Mission in Brussels, who invested Gerard with his award.

(iv) Wartime agent’s wireless set, A. Mk. III type (Serial No. 19564), as parachuted to the “NOLA” Group via M.I. 6 in London, complete with headphones, aerial, crystals, Morse transmitter mechanism, spares and various code sheets, one of these on silk, the whole contained within original leather carrying case.

(v) A selection of wartime identity cards and passes, including Ministry of Justice Carte de Legitimation, bearing stamps for 1943-44; official identity card, dated 26 April 1939, but actually a false wartime issue under the name of ‘Georges Pierre Boyer’; another false pass with the name ‘Josef de Bruyne’; and various other unused Flemish- German Ministry of Labour passes or identity documents, all manufactured by the Belgian Resistance.

(vi) The recipient’s briefcase, reputedly used on numerous occasions to carry compromising documents; two car number plates used intermittently on “NOLA” vehicles engaged on clandestine activities; and the remnants of a German tank-sighting scope, as taken during the liberation of Brussels.

(vii) A large selection of photographs and newspapers, the former including a wartime picture of the recipient and his wife in a Brussels street in 1942, the year in which the “NOLA” Group was established, together with a group photograph of “NOLA” resistants and many others of the recipient’s investiture with the Silver Star.

(viii) Assorted post-liberation letters and notes of attestation, including ones from the Ministry of Justice and U.S. Special Planning Unit in Brussels, generally requesting safe passage and assistance in investigations; together with pamphlets entitled Fraternelle Nationale du Groupe de Resistance et d’Action Nola (Association Sans But Lucratif, Bruxelles) and Programme du Conseil National de la Resistance (C.N.R.); and various typescripts of lectures given by the recipient about “NOLA” and the Belgian Resistance 1944-47.

(ix) A series of photocopied extracts taken from the “Diary of Group Nola’s Special Brigade”, with flanking English translation, and comprising a fascinating array of statements of service for around 25 resistants; the same file also containing a number of original wartime pencilled radio messages, again with flanking English translation, the majority discussing supply drops, etc.

Ex Sotheby’s, 25 July 1991 (Lot 504).