Featured: Wartime Rarities and Remarkable Stories Lead Militaria Sale


May 2025

Last week we held our Militaria, Medals, Weapons & Sporting Guns sale, at our Vine Street Salerooms in Scarborough. This specialist auction featured a compelling selection of medals, military memorabilia, edged weapons, antique firearms, and historical artefacts - each with a story to tell.

Among the standout entries was Lot 3134 (pictured above), a particularly rare and evocative medal group awarded to Surgeon Probationer Norman Jennings, a 23-year-old medical student recruited by the Royal Navy during WWI to serve as a shipboard medic. With little more than a month’s training, Jennings was deployed aboard HMS Waveney for anti-submarine patrols in the North Sea. He later became a prominent figure in East Yorkshire’s civic life as His Majesty’s Coroner for Hull. While the individual medals - such as the 1914-15 Star and British War Medal - are not uncommon, the significance of the group lies in Jennings’ unique status as a Surgeon Probationer, a rank held by only a few hundred young men during the war. This lot achieved a sale price of £440.

Also of note was Lot 3135 (pictured above), a WWI medal pair awarded to Charlotte R. Stobie, a female recipient—an exceptionally rare inclusion in any militaria sale. Women’s contributions in wartime service, particularly in the Mercantile Marine, are often underrepresented in the historical record. The lot comprised of her British War and Mercantile Marine medals, along with a miniature and ribbon, and sold for £240.

 

Further highlights

Left to right: lot 3131, 3152 & 3153

Lot 3131  A distinguished ten-medal group awarded to Major P.T. Sanders, including an OBE, Boer War and WWI service medals, and a WWII Defence medal. Sold £700.

Lot 3152  A poignant two-generation family collection, featuring medals, uniforms and a memorial plaque for the Potter family, spanning both World Wars (£200–£400). Sold £420.

Lot 3153  Another fascinating family archive awarded to the Lattimore family, with Boer War and Indian Army service medals, photographs and ephemera (£400–£600). Sold £360.

Left to right: lot 3008, 3020 & 3041

Lot 3008 A striking WWII German Kriegsmarine officer’s sword, with anchor and lion-mask detailing and a Solingen-marked blade. Sold £500.

Lot 3020 A finely carved Polynesian war club, full of tribal character and artistry. Sold £600.

Lot 3041 A classic Webley Mark I air pistol, dating from circa 1924. Sold £100.

Left to right: lot 3049, 3081 & 3110

Lot 3049 A unique and delicate Turkish prisoner-of-war beadwork snake, worked in vibrant glass beads. Sold £50.

Lot 3081 A Jaeger-LeCoultre military pocket watch, marked with the broad arrow. Sold £130.

Lot 3110 A beautifully preserved 1828 letter signed by the Duke of Wellington, framed for display. Sold £160.

 

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply fascinated by the stories that military artefacts can tell, this sale offered a fascinating and diverse range of lots with deep historical resonance.
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