British Groups

Lot 5686    Session 18 (2.30pm Friday)    British Groups

Estimate $13,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

GROUP OF FIVE: Distinguished Service Order (GV); Africa General Service Medal 1902-56 (EVII), - clasp - Somaliland 1908-10; 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mention in Despatches emblem. First medal unnamed, Lieut. O.H.K.Maguire. R.N. H.M.S.Philomel on second medal, Lieut. O.H.K.Maguire. R.N. on third medal, Wg. Commr. O.H.K.Maguire R.N. on last two medals. Court mounted, in fitted two layer plush case with gold blocked initials O.H.K.M. on lid, by Gieves Ltd, London, made to hold medal group, miniatures and riband bar, extremely fine.

The Rare Sea Plane 'Spider's Web', Anti-Zeppelin, Submarine Patrol, Great War DSO Group of Five to Wing Commander O H K 'James The One' Maguire RN, RNAS and RAF. DSO LG, Third Supplement, p.10155 1/10/17 Citation: 'For services on patrol duties and submarine searching in Home Waters.' Owen Hugh Knox Maguire, was born in 1886 and entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1902. After service off Somaliland as Lieutenant on HMS Philomel he retired 11 July 1910. He re-engaged for WWI and commanded gun-boat, HMS Bustard and was noted for his service during the naval bombardment and attack upon the Belgian coast in co-operation with the Army, 22-July - 19 November 1915. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander 1 April 1916 he served at Felixstowe Air Station which operated flying boat patrols to hunt for submarines. In this book, The Spider Web, Sqn Ldr T D Hallam, refers to 'James The One' or 'Number One' Maguire, who in the course of his duties, ran the Station in the absence of the CO who for long periods was engaged in experimental seaplane research. Lieutenant Commander O H K Maguire was First Lieutenant of the Station and he ran it under naval routine with the time being tapped off on a bell and the ship's company being divided into watches. 'James The One' had a shrewd tongue and was rather feared by the junior officers. On 14 June 1917 Maguire was awakened at daybreak by the ringing of the telephone, it was a coded message resulting in the duty pilots, Billiken and Dickey scrambled to take-off and after a long search they found a Zeppelin, L43, 600 feet long, looming out of the mist and after a short engagement they destroyed it (DSO 1/10/17). The 'Spider's Web' Seaplane Patrol devised at Felixstowe was highly successful starting on 13 April 1917 and in twelve months to 12 April 1918 flew 605 patrols encompassing 105,300 nautical miles, sighted and reported 47 U-boats, bombed 25 of them and destroyed one Zeppelin. On the amalgamation of the RFC and the RNAS into the RAF on 1 April 1918, Maguire is recorded as Lieutenant Colonel and on 1 November 1919 he is shown as employed at the Air Ministry as a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. Together with an original document, 'Protection Certificate (Officer)' for Lieutenant Colonel O.H.N.Maguire dated 2 Nov 1919 and a personal letter dated 23 Sept 18 congratulating him on his 'acting rate', written on paper with an embossed letterhead of 'Commander in Chief's Office, The Nore' and the official crest. Also a copy of a Roll for R.N., R.N.V.R., R.N.A.S. which shows, Wg.Commr. Owen H.K.Maguire, D.S.C., R.N.A.S., entitled to Star, Victory, British War Medal. With research. Together with riband bar with MID emblem affixed and matching miniatures, court mounted, the DSO in 18ct gold, hollow type. With research.