Militaria

Lot 4497    SESSION 15 (2.30pm Friday)    Militaria

Estimate $10,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

WWI DOG TAG, for L.C.Maygar VC, DSO, VD, in aluminium, impressed naming 'CAPT / MAYGAR L.C. / 4. A.L.H. / C.E.' At the top is scratched MAJOR, at the left side just above MAYGAR is scratched Lt. and at the right is scratched Col. Together with a silver religious medal with a scene of the Holy Family on the obverse and on the reverse in relief is the title 'Divins Exiles / de / Matarieh / Protegez - Nous' (Mother of Divine Exiles Protect Us) with both items attached to a long, thin, silver chain with fob-style fittings. These items form the central feature of a professionally framed tribute that includes restrikes of the Australian Rising Sun badge at the top, the colour patches of the 4ALH and 8ALH, both with the metal A for ANZAC badge attached, one at each side and below this is a biography of Lt-Col Maygar VC, DSO, VD calligraphied onto a parchment at the left, the dog tag, medal and chain in the centre and on the right is a coloured photo of the colonel being a copy of a coloured portrait photo by Krystii Melaine that hangs in the RAAC Tank Museum at Puckapunyal in Victoria.

Lt-Colonel Leslie Cecil Maygar, VC, DSO, VD * Awarded VC in the South African War for his brave actions at Geelhoutboom in Natal on 23 November 1901 serving as a Lieutenant with 5th VMR. * First Victorian to be awarded VC. * Last VC awarded to an Australian for the Boer War. * Mentioned-in-Despatches for service in South African War. * Commanded the last party to pull out of the trenches during the evacuation from Gallipoli. * Awarded DSO on 4 June 1917 for his gallant leadership of 8th LHR during the campaign in the Sinai. * Mentioned-in-Despatches three times in WWI, once in 1916 and twice in 1917. * Awarded Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration on 24 August 1917. * In command of the reserve force at the Battle of Beersheba. * Severely injured on the day of the Battle of Beersheba when a German aeroplane attacked General Chauvel's Divisional Headquarters dropping two bombs, one of which exploded almost under Lt-Col Maygar and his horse. * Arm was amputated at 65th Casualty Clearing Station at Karm but on 1 November 1917 complications in the form of a sudden haemmorage set in and he died. * Buried at Palestine 1 Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel. Leslie Cecil Maygar was born on 26 May 1871 at Dean Station, Kilmore, Victoria into a family of graziers who had emigrated from Bristol, England. He was educated at Alexandra and Kilmore State Schools and privately. His father and three brothers owned Strathearn Station at Euroa, a small town in the north-east of Victoria about halfway between Melbourne and Albury. Living on a station, of course, Leslie was an expert horseman and so he joined the Victorian Mounted Rifles in March 1891. He was among the first volunteers for the war in South Africa with the Boers but his departure overseas was delayed because of a dental condition that required treatment. He finally departed with the 5th (Mounted Rifles) Contingent arriving at Cape Town in March 1901. His contingent was in continuous action for the ensuing months until it was transferred to the colony of Natal in August. It was here, at Geelhoutboom, on the morning of 23rd November 1901 that Lt Maygar was awarded the Victoria Cross for rescuing a man, Pte A.J. Short, whose horse had been shot out from under him, all the time under very heavy enemy fire. The VC was presented to him by Lord Kitchener. Before leaving South Africa for home in March 1902 he was also Mentioned-in-Despatches. He returned to work on the land at the family property but continued his military service with the 8th (later 16th) Light Horse, Victorian Mounted Rifles. He was promoted to Captain in 1905 and when World War I broke out he enlisted in the A.I.F. being appointed Captain in the 4th ALH and served on Gallipoli where he was promoted to Major. On 17 October 1915 he was appointed Temporary Lt-Colonel and Commanding Officer of 8ALH. This rank promotion was made permanent on 13 December 1915. During the evacuation of troops from Gallipoli, Maygar was left in command of a party of forty men with instructions to hold the trenches at all costs until 2.30 a.m. and thus this party was the last to pull out of the trenches. Following on from Gallipoli, Lt-Col Maygar continued to gallantly lead the 8ALH during its service in the Sinai and Palestine. It was during this campaign that Maygar's inspiring and gallant leadership earned him an award of the Distinguished Service Order in June 1917. When Brig General T.R. Roysten was invalided home, Maygar was appointed as Acting Brig Gen to take command of 3rd LH Bde. On 29 October 1917 he returned to command the 8alh wth his unit placed in reserve during the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917. Toward's the end of the day the 8th was ordered back to General Chauvel's Desert Mounted Corps Headquarters. While there, two German aeroplanes flew over and dropped bombs, one of which exploded almost underneath Maygar and his horse. The horse bolted with the badly wounded Maygar on board and by the time help reached him, he was virtually beyond saving because he had lost a lot of blood. He was taken to the hospital at Karm for treatment but, as the result of his injuries, LT-Col Maygar died on 1 November 1917. A case of his belongings was despatched to the family on 28 December 1917 and amongst the items listed was one disc, one medallion, one chain and these are the items now being offered for auction. These three items were given by the family at the Euroa property to the owner of the adjoining property, a family friend, as a remembrance of Leslie Maygar. Many years later they were acquired by a local trader. They then passed through a few hands before coming into possession of the present owner. Lt-Col Maygar's medals are housed in the Hall of Valour in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The items offerred here, his most personal of all wartime possessions, are unique and of the utmost rarity. Together with research.