Militaria and Medals Specialist Caroline Dennard gives detailed insight into how she prepares for her auctions and the research involved in a particular lot.
16/08/2024
Our militaria sales, perhaps more than all other sales, lend themselves to hours of research. Armed with names, regimental numbers and regiments, the modern access to digitised records means that I am well placed as a cataloguer to delve deeper into the history of many objects. Some groups, such as Lot 130, come with solid family provenance and are consigned by a direct descendent. This Second World War lot, including medals, a sword, uniform and maps, was owned by Captain Livesey, who, quite wonderfully, kept almost everything relating to his service and was explicit in his note-taking. The highlight of this lot had to be opening up one original wartime map to find sketches of routes and relevant annotations mapping Capt. Livesey’s final retreat from the French interior to the beaches of Dunkirk during the large-scale evacuation from 26th May – 4th June 1940.
![An interesting Second World War group relating to Captain Keith Livesey (1920-1988), Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers [86060], who was successfully evacuated from Dunkirk before going to the Middle East and later taking part in the Italian Campaign.](https://halls.blob.core.windows.net/main/130.jpg)
Some lots present a more intriguing challenge, with research often leading to more questions than answers. Lot 141, a Waterloo and Military General Service Medal pair, is a prime example. Named to Lieutenant Robert Uniacke of the 7th Queen’s Own Hussars and accompanied by a letter from the regimental museum in 1965 confirming entitlement, this initially seemed like a promising lot. Further research revealed that Lt. Uniacke fought at both the Battle of Waterloo and the Peninsular War – but upon close inspection, the medals have both been renamed. The question of why remains a mystery. Did Lt. Uniacke, a member of a historically wealthy Irish family, sell his original medals to alleviate his rising family debts? Or were the medals lost, stolen, or are these simply the original medals with inexplicably renamed matching styles of details around the rim? The true facts may remain unclear, but the guide price of £600/£800 will undoubtedly entice bidders to solve this intriguing puzzle.
Other items come in without provenance at all, often as hand-me-downs from previous collectors to other members of the family. They are typically in large bundles or assorted mixed lots, which require careful sorting and cataloguing. Some items might be post-war fabrications intended to deceive (especially those purporting to be German!), and others might be worth more than they first seem. Even when there is a family story, it is important to verify details where possible. Memories can be innocently muddled over the generations, and many stories can take on a Chinese Whispers effect by the time the items are presented for sale. Oral history is fascinating but, alas, can be notoriously unreliable! Nevertheless, it is exceptionally useful to add context and can act as a springboard for further research and/or confirmation. Several lots in this sale relating to Captain Clarke of the Wiltshire Regiment come with a wonderful oral history as dictated to the family, which will no doubt help the buyer to find out more if they so wish. Such first-person accounts are unusual for that traditionally stoic and silent generation, and one standard quote to us from family members is, ‘I just wish I had asked more questions!’
I hope the intriguing mixture of items in this sale, with or without provenance, will suit all tastes and collecting brackets. We are now consigning for our 2025 Maritime, Militaria and Aviation auctions series, and I welcome the opportunity to view any items for potential sale.
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