Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine inter-War K.C.B. [Great War C.B.], Great War C.M.G. group of twelve awarded to Major-General Sir Henry L. Croker, Leicestershire Regiment, who Commanded the 1st Battalion during the Great War on the Western Front in 1914, was wounded, and during the course of his illustrious career was nine times Mentioned in Despatches

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, K.C.B. (Military) Knight Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with section of neck riband for display purposes, and breast Star, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, with gold retaining pin, traces of adhesive to reverses of both; The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with section of neck riband for display purposes, traces of adhesive to obverse; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Talana, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, clasp carriage ‘flattened’ for mounting purposes (Capt & Adjt. H. L. Croker. Leic: Regt.) engraved naming; King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, clasp carriage ‘flattened’ for mounting purposes (Maj. & Adjt. H. L. Croker. Leic: Rgt.) engraved naming; 1914 Star, with clasp (Lt. Col: H. L. Croker. Leic: R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Maj. Gen. H. L. Croker.); Coronation 1911, unnamed as issued; Greece, Kingdom, Order of the Redeemer, 2nd type, Grand Commander’s set of insignia, comprising neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, reverse central medallion missing, with section of neck riband for display purposes, and breast Star, silver, silver-gilt, and enamel, unmarked, with original retaining pin, lacking hook, with two additional retaining hooks, traces of adhesive to reverses of both; Serbia, Kingdom, Order of the White Eagle, Military Division, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, unmarked, with section of neck riband for display purposes, reverse central ‘1882’ missing with resultant red enamel damage to reverse central medallion, significant blue enamel damage to pendelia and crown suspension detached but present; Greece, Kingdom, War Cross 1916-17, silver, with silver star on riband; France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, reverse dated 1914-1918, with bronze palm on riband, the medals mounted court-style as worn, traces of verdigris to 1914 Star, except where otherwise stated generally good very fine and better (14) £6,000-£8,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to the Croker and Ekin Families.

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K.C.B. London Gazette 3 July 1926.

C.B. London Gazette 2 March 1915.

C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1917.

M.I.D. London Gazettes 8 February 1901; 10 September 1901; 29 July 1902 (these all South Africa); 17 February 1915; 1 January 1916 (these two both France); 6 December 1916; 21 July 1917; 28 November 1917; and 30 January 1919 (these last four all Salonika).

Greek Order of the Redeemer Second Class London Gazette 9 November 1918.

Serbian Order of the White Eagle Third Class with Swords London Gazette 7 June 1919.

Greek War Cross London Gazette 21 July 1919.

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 21 July 1919.

Sir Henry Leycester Croker was born in Cheltenham on 17 October 1864, the son of Captain Edward Croker, 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot, and the grandson of Lieutenant-Colonel William Croker, 17th (Leicestershire) Regiment of Foot, and was educated at Cheltenham College. He was commissioned Lieutenant in the 4th (Militia) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, on 30 January 1884, and transferred to the Regular Army as a Lieutenant in his family Regiment, the Leicestershire Regiment, on 28 April 1886. He served with the 1st Battalion in the West Indies and North America during the 1890s, and was promoted Captain on 5 February 1894.

Appointed Adjutant of the 1st Battalion on 25 November 1899, Croker served with the Regiment in South Africa during the Boer War, and took part in the operations in Natal in 1899-1900, including the action at Talana, the march from Dundee to Ladysmith, the engagement at Lombard’s Kop, and the Defence of Ladysmith, and is one of those officers who was depicted in Dickinson’s and Foster’s famous painting The Defenders of Ladysmith. Present at the action at Laing’s Nek from 6 to 9 June 1900, in the subsequent advance under Sir Redvers Buller through Northern Natal into the Transvaal he took part in the engagements at Armesfoort, Ermelo, Geluk’s Farm, Bergendal, and Badfontein, and was present at the actions at Belfast on 26-27 August 1900, and at Lydenberg from 5 to 8 September 1900. He saw further service in the operations under Sir John French in the Eastern Transvaal and on the Swaziland border, and under Major General W. Kitchener at Blood River Valley, South Eastern Transvaal, and Ilangapies. For his services in South Africa he was three times Mentioned in Despatches, awarded both the Queen’s South Africa Medal with the usual four clasps awarded to the Leicestershire Regiment and the King’s South Africa Medal, and was promoted Brevet Major on 22 August 1902.

Confirmed in the rank of Major on 31 May 1904, Croker was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 1 November 1910, and served during the Great War in command of the 1st Battalion on the Western Front from 7 September 1914 to 18 March 1915. Promoted Major-General, he commanded the 81st Infantry Brigade in France from 21 March 1915 to 20 May 1916, and the 28th Division in Salonika from 21 May 1916 to the cessation of hostilities. Wounded, for his services during the Great War he appointed a Companion of both the Orders of the Bath and of St. Michael and St. George; was six times Mentioned in Despatches; and was honoured by the Governments of Greece, Serbia, and France.

Croker married Mabel Tedlie in London on 1 June 1897, and together they had two daughters, including Phyllis Marian Croker. He retired with the rank of Major-General in 1923, and was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1926. He died in Kensington on 20 August 1938, and is buried in Leicester Cathedral. His obituary in the Regimental Journal gave the following personal tribute:
‘Croker was a man who inspired in both his superiors and subordinates feelings of affection, respect, and admiration. He was essentially a regimental officer who identified himself in every way with the Regiment, whose welfare and prestige were very near his heart. One can understand his feelings of loyalty and love of the Regiment when one realises what a long connection his family maintained with the 17th Foot. Not only was his father in the Regiment, but his grandfather commanded it with great distinction at the storming of Khelat in India in 1839. Every officer and man who served with him will mourn his loss.’

Sold with two portrait photographs of the recipient; four bound photograph albums, the first from the West Indies and North America; the second from South Africa; and the last two from Turkey, Greece, and Salonika; and other ephemera.