Letter from a Cockleshell Hero

Going under the hammer in Tennants Auctioneers’ Militaria and Ethnographica Sale on 7^th December is a pair of signed letters from two Second World War heroes (estimate: £150-200 all figures excluding buyer’s premium). One letter is by Bill Sparks, one of the original Cockleshell Heroes, who writes about the raid which "took place in December 1942 on the harbour of Bordeaux” as part of operation Frankton, and the other by David Stirling, the founder of the Special Air Service (SAS). Brought to the silver screen through the 1955 film The Cockleshell Heroes staring Trevor Howard, and more recently, the 2022 series SAS Rogue Heroes, these figures are household names in the history of the Second World War.

Of note in this diverse sale is a pair of early 19^th century Spanish flintlock duelling pistols (estimate: £5,000-6,000). Made by Astiazaran-Ribas of Placencia, the pistols were presented in 1810 by the Junta de Defensa de Molina de Aragon to Pedro de Villacampa when he was appointed to lead the 2nd Army Division of the Molina Infantry Battalion which the Junta had established. Pedro de Villacampa was a noble-born politician and soldier who in 1852 was appointed Captain General, and President of the Supreme Court of War and Navy in 1854.

Also in the sale are a 19^th century Caucasian Shasqua engraved with the Cyrillic cypher of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, a weapon mostly used by Russian and Ukranian Cossacks (estimate: £1,500-2,500), an early 20^th century white metal presentation inkwell in the form of a Kabuto (estimate: £200-300), presented to Captain Dundas who in 1908 served as the personal aid to Admiral Togo of the Imperial Japanese Navy, often referred to as the ‘Nelson of the East’, and a group consisting of a 19^th century Caucasian Khindjal and Caucasian Hardwood Swordstick (estimate: £300-500).

 The sale also includes a fascinating array of military medals including, a Military General Service Medal awarded to Thomas Webber of the 28^th Foot (estimate: £2,000-2,500). The medal features five clasps denoting a lengthy army service in which Webber saw action at Talavera, Albuhera, Vittoria, Pyrenees, and Toulouse. The Military General Service Medal has an important place in British medallic history since, along with the Waterloo Medal, it was the first British campaign medal issued to all soldiers regardless of rank. Also of note is a South Africa Medal 1834-1853, awarded to William Roberts of the 45^th Regiment of Foot who served in the Eighth Xhosa War (estimate: £600-700).

 Of special interest is a Second World War group representing the war service of Sgt. R "Titch" Rickaby, P Troop, 41 Royal Marine Commando (estimate: £1,500-2,000). The group includes a Fairburn Sykes fighting knife, six Second World War medals including the Africa Star, Royal Marine cap badge, commando sleeve insignia, and official war diaries describing events from May 1944 to August 1944.

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