GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
1254
A post-war military C.B. and Second World War military C.B.E. group of nine awarded to Major-General Eric Stuart
Cole, Royal Corps of Signals, who played cricket for Egypt and Kent in the 1930’s.
THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck cravat
and evening collar, in Collingwood, London case of issue; THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, C.B.E. (Military)
Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck cravat, in case of issue; GENERAL SERVICE 1918-62, 1
clasp, Palestine (Capt., R. Signals); 1939-45 STAR; ITALY STAR; FRANCE AND GERMANY STAR; DEFENCE AND WAR MEDALS, M.I.D. oak
leaf; CORONATION 1953, these unnamed, medals mounted as worn, good very fine (12) £1200-1600
Eric Stuart Cole was born in Malta on 10 February 1906, where his father was then stationed as bandmaster of the Royal Sussex
Regiment. He was educated at Dover Grammar School and Sandhurst. Entering the Army, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in
the Royal Signals on 3 September 1925 and advanced to Lieutenant in September 1927. During the 1930’s he served in Egypt and
played cricket for the Egypt National Team during 1930-35. He played cricket for the ‘Army’ during 1935-37, and for Kent in 1938. In
the Army he was promoted to Captain in September 1936 and in 1938 he was Montgomery’s chief signal officer with 88th Division
Signals operating in Northern Palestine. With the outbreak of war, his unit was part of the B.E.F. sent to France and became Adjutant,
February 1939-March 1940. Shortly before the German offensive he became Acting Deputy Chief Signals Officer to I Corps with the
rank of Acting Major. During the evacuation from Dunkirk he commanded the signals party which remained with the Corps H.Q. until
it was finally evacuated. He was wounded on the evacuation beach. For his services at this critical time he was mentioned in
despatches (London Gazette 20 December 1940). He was promoted to War Substantive Major in July 1941; Major in September 1942;
Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, April-July 1941; Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel, July 1941-January 1942; War Substantive Lieutenant-
Colonel, April 1942; Acting Colonel, July 1941-January 1942; Temporary Colonel, April 1942-April 1944 and September 1944-May
1948; Acting Brigadier, April-October 1945, and Temporary Brigadier, October 1945-November 1946. During this time his
communications expertise was used to the full and he was involved in planning communications for the Normandy invasion. He took
part in the invasion as Chief Signals Officer of I Corps, and was sent forward on D+7 to take command of the signals in the 6th
Airborne Division. In September 1944 he was moved to the roll of Deputy Chief Signals Officer at Allied Forces H.Q. under the
command of Field Marshal Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, then in December to that of Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander. For his services
in the Italian Campaign he was awarded the C.B.E. (London Gazette 13 December 1945). In April 1945 he was posted to Athens as part
of the British Land Forces Greece. In 1946 Cole was appointed Chairman of the Joint Communications Board. He was promoted to
Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1946, Colonel in February 1947 and Brigadier in January 1954. By January 1958 he was at Supreme H.Q.
Allied Powers Europe as Deputy Chief Signals Officer and became Director of Telecommunications at the War Office with the
temporary rank of Major-General, in April 1958, receiving substantive promotion to that rank in August 1958. Major-General Cole
retired from the Army in 1961 having been awarded the C.B. in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1960. He was Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Corps of Signals, 1962-67. After his retirement from the Army he held positions in a number of electronics firms. He died
on 19 December 1992.
Sold with two riband bars and three ‘Dover County School for Boys’ sports medals, two in silver, one in bronze, all named and dated
1923. With some copied research. See lot 910 for another medal to the ‘Cole’ family.
www.dnw.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285