Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Lot 3954    SESSION 18 (11.30AM FRIDAY 12TH APRIL)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Singles

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $360

COLONIAL AUXILIARY FORCES DECORATION, (GRI), with pin-back ribbon suspender, reverse hallmarked for London 1919 by maker Sebastian Garrard. Major W.H.Gibb R. of O. Engraved. In case of issue, this damaged, medal toned good very fine.

Ex I.S. Wright, Melbourne 1/11/1991.
Handwritten note with case states, 'This decoration was purchased in 1988 from the Strickland Collection and is reputed to have originally been in the Drage Collection. I bought it from Major John Drewan (wrote forward for Reg. William's Medal Book).
Awarded Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration in Auckland 15 November 1926. Also awarded 1914 Star and clasp, British War Medal 1914-18, Victory Medal 1914-19, War Medal 1939-45 and Australia Service Medal 1939-45.
William Henderson Gibb, architect, born 20Apr1886 at Coupar Angus, Scotland; Enl.11Nov1902 in militia and to 3rd Dundee Highland Volunteer Corps; to Cpl 01Sep1903; to Sgt 05Oct1904; to Armourer Sgt 02Jul1906; Disch.31Mar1908 and relocated to New Zealand; Enl.20Jul1908 in NZ Native Vol Rifles; to A/Lt 08Sep1908 and to 2nd Coy NZ Native Volunteers; to Lt 01Mar1911 3rd Auckland Regt; to Capt 26Feb1912; to D Coy 16th Waikato Regt 16Sep1912; granted leave to travel to UK in Mar1914; Appt'd to British Army 15Aug1914 and to 3Bn Black Watch; to 2/Lt 24Aug1914; to 2Bn Gordon Highlanders reinforcements 26Sep1914 and to camp at Lyndhurst; Emb.19Oct1914 for France; to 2Bn Gordon Highlanders at Ypres 03Nov1914; Ops at Fleurbaix then Sailly from 14Nov1914 with a Rifle Platoon; actions at Ypres late Nov1914 and at Fromelles on 18Dec1914; commanding Machine Gun Section 13Jan1915; various other action to 18May1915; to Black Watch Infy Depot UK 17Apr1917; Commanding 2Bn Black Watch Depot 18May1917; various other postings and actions until Disch.01Apr1920 and returned to NZ and resumed position with 16th Waikato Regt; to Major 4th Auckland Bn 01Jun1921; to Reserve List 05Nov1921; to Retired List 05Mar1928; Enl.02Aug1940 in AMF at Royal Park and to HQs Southern Command as Staff Sgt; Disch.25Jun1947; Died 1957.
In 1929 while living with a fellow British veteran and friend, John Thomson, in Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW William Gibb received much notoriety for participating in a sword duel with Thomson who was later charged with assault. Gibb suffered 27 cuts from the duel and then reported Thomson to the police. The incident occurred after the pair quarrelled and Thomson claimed it was a fair duel and he was subsequently acquitted by the court.
With research by Mostly Unsung and other research.