A VICTORIAN AND LATER MEDAL GROUP OF SEVEN AWARDED TO LIEUTE...

Hammer

£2,000

A VICTORIAN AND LATER MEDAL GROUP OF SEVEN AWARDED TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HAROLD WYLLIE O.B.E. R.A.F.
Comprising O.B.E. in silver by Garrard & Co., London; Queen's South Africa Medal with Transvaal, Natal and South Africa 1902 clasps (Lieut. H. Wyllie Vol. Co. R. West Kent R.); WW1 1914 Star with 5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914 clasp (Capt. H. Wyllie AMPS: R ATTD: R.F.C.), British War Medal (Major H. Wyllie R.F.C.) and Victory Medal with Oak Leaf (Major H. Wyllie R.F.C.); and WW2 Defence Medal and War Medal; mounted for wear and housed within a glazed frame alongside cap badges for the Royal West Kent Regiment, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), Hampshire Regiment, Wiltshire Regiment and Royal Flying Corps; cloth R.F.C. and R.A.F. pilot's wings; and bullion-embroidered R.A.F., Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm cap badges; the frame measuring approx. 43.5cm x 34cm externally; with a set of corresponding miniature medals.

Together with Wyllie's copy of Knots Splices and Fancy Work by Chas. L. Spencer; Brown, Son & Ferguson, second edition, pub. June 1935, signed and inscribed by the author, with HMS Implacable embossed stamp on half-title page, inscribed by Wyllie "The best book ever written about practical work" and featuring frequent additional pencil illustrations and notes in his hand (2)

Harold Wyllie (1880 – 1973) - Born at Hoo, in Kent, Wyllie was the first of nine children born to the renowned marine artist W.L. Wyllie and his wife Marion Amy. His life was divided between his artistic and military careers, with his lifelong interest in the sea filling any gaps in his busy days. On leaving school he travelled to New York to work as an artist for The Graphic, but returned to fight in the army in the Boer War. In the First World War he became a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, much of his work involving making sketches in the air to be used by Army war planners. In 1916, he joined the Army and was made up to Lt. Col. In 1932 he was appointed in charge of HMS Implacable in Portsmouth Harbour, where she was in use as a training ship. Wyllie helped his father when HMS Victory was placed into dry dock in Portsmouth, and he was appointed Chief Rigger of the Victory. In 1958 he was appointed Vice President of the Society of Marine Artists.

Wyllie spent his latter years in Dunkeld, Perthshire. He continued his work as an artist, and it is believed that at the time of his death, at the age of 93, he still had a year’s work in commissions.