A Collection of Medals The Property of a Gentleman
K.C.M.G. London Gazette 1 January 1918.
C.B. London Gazette 18 February 1915.
Mention in despatches London Gazette 16 April 1901 (South Africa); 17 February 1915, 1 January 1916, 4 January 1917, 11 December
1917 and 20 December 1918 (France).
Belgian Order of Leopold I London Gazette 26 July 1917.
Belgian Croix de Guerre London Gazette 11 March 1918.
Russian Order of St. Stanislaus London Gazette 15 February 1917.
United States of America D.S.M. London Gazette 12 July 1919. The original recommendation states:
‘For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services. As Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores of the British Expeditionary
Forces, he was able to render assistance of the greatest value to the American Expeditionary Forces. He aided us most markedly in the
procurement of artillery material and ammunition from British sources, at all times giving loyal cooperation.’
Harold Daniel Edmund Parsons was born in London in July 1863, the son of Major-General J. E. B. Parsons, late Indian Army, and was
educated at Dulwich College and the R.M.C. Sandhurst. His ensuing military career is best summarised by his obituary notice in The
Times, published in February 1925:
‘He was commissioned in the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment in 1882, and saw active service in the Burmese campaign of 1886
-89, receiving two clasps to the Medal. He was Transport Officer at Pyinmana for four months, and Superintendent of Army Signalling,
3rd Brigade, from July 1887 to February 1888. In the South African War, in which he received the C.M.G. and five clasps to the two
Medals, he was Chief Ordnance Officer of the Western Line from October 1899 to April 1901; Chief Ordnance Officer at the base at
Cape Town from May to October 1901; and Chief Ordnance Officer in Natal from November 1901 to the end of the War. His interest
in ordnance store work had begun when he was still a subaltern, and after his experience in the South African War, he naturally
transferred to the Army Ordnance Department. In 1910, he was promoted to be an Ordnance Officer of the First Class with the
substantive rank of Colonel. In the first months of the Great War he was Deputy Director of Ordnance Services on the Lines of
Communication, and was later Director of Ordnance Services in France from October 1914 to May 1918, when he became head of
Equipment and Ordnance services at the War Office. During the greater part of the War he was responsible to the C.-in-C. for the
supply and maintenance of vast stores of equipment, guns, and clothing required by the armies in France. The smooth working of the
ordnance services even in times of greatest stress gave evidence of Parson’s administrative ability and energy. A year before the War
ended he was promoted Major-General in the Field. He had received the K.C.M.G. in 1918, and was mentioned in despatches five
times, receiving also Russian, Belgian and American decorations. General Parsons was promoted to be Principal Ordnance Officer in
1920, and retired in 1923. Last October he was appointed Colonel Commandant, R.A.O.C., in succession to Major-General Sir John
Steevens.’
Sold with an impressive file of original documentation, including K.C.M.G., C.M.G. and C.B. warrants; warrant and official
correspondence regarding his appointment to the Belgian Order of Leopold I; official correspondence regarding the American D.S.M.;
Great War M.I.D. certificates (4); commission warrant for Lieutenant, Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, dated 9 May 1882; record
of service; several portrait and group photographs; War Office letter of appointment as Colonel Commandant of the R.A.O.C., dated 27
September 1924, and much besides, including two field telegrams from Kitchener.
254
The mounted group of twelve miniature dress medals worn by Major-General Sir Harold Parsons, K.C.M.G., C.B.,
Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, late West Surrey Regiment
THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE, badge, gold and enamel; THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH
(Military), badge, gold and enamel; INDIA GENERAL SERVICE 1854-95, 2 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-9; QUEEN’S SOUTH
AFRICA 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal; KING’ SOUTH AFRICA 1901-02, 2 clasps, South
Africa 1901, South Africa 1902; 1914 STAR; BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. oakleaf; BELGIUM, ORDER OF LEOPOLD I,
badge, with swords, gilt and enamel; RUSSIA, ORDER OF ST.STANISLAUS, badge, with swords, gold and enamel; UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL (ARMY), bronze and enamel; BELGIUM, CROIX DE GUERRE 1914-18, mounted as worn and
contained in an old Spink & Son case, generally good very fine (12) £400-500
For the recipient’s full-size Honours & Awards, and biographical footnote, see previous Lot.
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