48 13th November 2010 medals Four VCs in a single sale
■ Spink promise the most impressive selection of VCs in a single catalogue for ten years
Ivan Macquisten reports
HAVING sold all four of the VCs offered for auction in the UK in last two years, Spink are now putting forward another four VC groups in a single sale on November 25. “This is the first time for over a decade
that there have been four VCs in one sale,” says Oliver Pepys of the company’s medals department. The earliest group in the forthcoming
sale dates to the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The ‘Capture of Delhi’ VC Group of Four, estimated at £100,000-120,000 awarded to Major-General G.A. Renny of the Bengal Horse Artillery, relates to Captain George Alexander Renny, who was in command of the troops stationed in the Delhi magazine after its capture on September 16, 1857. The post came under vigorous attack
early in the day, with the enemy, under cover of fire, eventually managing to partially set fire to a thatched roof at the magazine. The fire was put out, but, as the London Gazette of April 12, 1859, reported: “The roof having been again set on fire, Captain Renny with great gallantry mounted to the top of the wall of the magazine, and flung several shells with lighted fuses over into the midst of the enemy, which had an almost immediate effect, as the attack at once became feeble at that point, and soon after ceased there.”
Little more than a year later,
Lieutenant (later Major-General) Robert Montresor Rogers of the 44th Regiment earned his VC, offered at Spink in a Group of Six, along with the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, at an estimate of £130,000-150,000. Rogers saw action in the Second China
War of 1860 and was involved in the assault on the Taku Forts. Cited jointly with Private John McDougall of the 44th Regiment, and Lieutenant Edmund Henry Lenon of the 67th Regiment, the London Gazette of August 13, 1861 told of the their acts of bravery on the occasion of the assault and capture of the North Taku Fort on August 21, 1860. The three had swum the ditches
before entering the fort by an embrasure during the assault. “They were the first of the English established on the walls of the fort, which they entered in the order in which their names are here recorded [Rogers being listed first], each one being assisted by the others to mount the embrasure.” Next up is the Great War VC, MM
pair awarded to Lance Sergeant T. Neely of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, estimated at Spink at £100,000-140,000. The award relates to action in the
Far left: Major-General Robert Montresor Rogers of the 44th Regiment, who as a lieutenant won a VC in the Second China War of 1850. Rogers’ medals, above, one of four VC groups being offered by Spink on November 25, carries an estimate of £130,000- 150,000. Also pictured, left, is the highest estimated VC group in the sale, the Somme VC Casualty Group of Four awarded to Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell of the Yorkshire Regiment, which is guided at £140,000-160,000.
dying days of the First World War at Flesquieres. On September 27, 1918, Neely’s
company was advancing when it was checked by heavy machine gun fire from the flank. As the London Gazette of December 14, reported: “Corporal Neely, realising the
seriousness of the situation, at once, under point blank fire, dashed out with two men and rushed the positions, disposing of the garrisons and capturing three machine guns. Subsequently, on two successive occasions, he rushed concrete strong points, killing or capturing the occupants. The splendid initiative and fighting spirit displayed by this gallant non-commissioned officer in dealing with a series of posts, in some cases single-handed, was largely responsible for the taking and clearing of a heavily fortified and strongly garrisoned position, and enabled his
company to advance 3000 yards along the Hindenburg support line.” At £140,000-160,000, the Somme
VC Casualty Group of Four awarded to Second Lieutenant Donald Simpson Bell of the Yorkshire Regiment, holds the highest estimate. Bell was a footballer before the Great
War, playing as an amateur for both Crystal Palace and Newcastle United and as a professional for Bradford Park Avenue F.C. During his battalion’s first action of the battle of the Somme in July 1916, he rushed across No Man’s Land under heavy enemy fire and attacked a German machine gun post, shooting the gunner with his revolver and bombing out 50 of the enemy, ensuring the objective was taken. Bell did not have long to savour his
triumph, however; a mere five days later he was killed leading a similar attack on German positions at Contalmaison.
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