Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Lieutenant R. M. Smylie, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Air Service, and General List; late Postal Censor; later Private, Royal Army Service Corps

British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. R. M. Smylie.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (M-336473 Pte. R. M. Smylie. R.A.S.C.) mounted court-style for display, extremely fine (3) £100-£140

Robert Marsland Smylie was born in 1882 ands had an interesting service career - first as a Postal Censor; then as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; then as an (Army) Lieutenant, General and Special List; and finally as a Private in the Royal Army Service Corps. Forced out of the R.N.V.R. (his Commanding Officer reported that he was incapable of performing the duties for which he was appointed, and his commission was terminated), he was briefly commissioned into the Army (and his medal index card states that his British War and Victory Medals were issued by the Royal Naval Air Service), before relinquishing his commission and being released from the Army. Finally, he attested for full-time military service in the ranks as Private, number M-336473, Army Service Corps, and served during operations on the North West Frontier in the Third Afghan War. He died in 1958.