The Chris Thomas Collection of Boer War Medals

Lot 2348    Session 8 (2.30pm Wednesday)    The Chris Thomas Collection of Boer War Medals

Estimate $20,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $15,000

FAMILY GROUP TO BRIG-GENERAL AND HIS SON KIA AT GALLIPOLI: Father. Group of Six: Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) (Military) collar badge; Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) neck badge; Queen's South Africa Medal 1899, (type 3 reverse), - five clasps - South Africa 1901, Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Transvaal, Rhodesia; 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19 with MID. First two medals unnamed, Lt.Colonel E.T.Wallack, Tasmanian Permnt.St. on third medal, Colonel. E.T.Wallack C.B. Trans.Serv. A.I.F. on fourth medal, Brig-Gen E.T.Wallack. A.I.F. on fifth and sixth medals. The third medal engraved, the fourth and sixth medals impressed. In plush lined timber case, the first two medals with neck ribbons, the third to sixth medals swing mounted, good very fine - extremely fine. Son. Pair: 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18. Captain G.T.Wallack. 2/Bn. A.I.F. Both medals impressed. Very fine.

Together with sporting medals to G.T.Wallack. St.Peter's College, South Australia. 1. Silver for first in High Jump 1905; 2. Bronze for second in Long Jump 1905; 3. Bronze for second in Steeplechase 1905; also, St.Peter's & Prince Alfred Colleges, South Australia Intercollegiate Athletics Sports bronze medal for first in High Jump 1905. All four in cases of issue.
Father: Ernest Townshend Wallack, born 09Aug1857 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England; attended a School of Instruction at Wellington Barracks, London and was attached to 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards in 1880 ; he began his career as an officer of the Middlesex Regt; Boer War: Served as Special Service Officer to Sir F.Carrington, Lord Methuen and the Earl of Erroll on Staff of Rhodesian Field Force 01Apr1900 to 24Jun1901 and 01 - 14Nov1901 and then invalided to England; Acting Commandant in Tasmania 1903-4; D.A.A.G., Victoria 1904-5; Commandant in South Australia 1905-6, later Adjutant-General and Member of the Commonwealth Military Board; Commandant in New South Wales 26Apr-26Jul1910 and 11May-31Oct1915; WWI: 1915-17 to Egypt on Special Service and in command of Transport Service (voyage only) OC of troops on HMAT Euripides; on arrival carried out inspection re administration, accommodation and training of the AIF in Egypt on behalf of Minister of Defence; following a series of illnesses invalided from Egypt to England; 24Jul1916 RTA; 03May1917 to Brig-General; 10May1917 to Sea Transport Service as OC of troops on HMAT Shropshire; 01Jul1917 to be CMG; 19Jul1917 arrived England; RTA 15Nov1917 as OC of troops on HMAT Eulysses; appointment terminated 17Nov1917; invalided from service in 1918 and retired to Tasmania and then moved to Nelson, New Zealand in 1923; Died 12Feb1932 at Nelson. CB: LG 19/4/1901, p2698, to Lt-Colonel E.T.Wallack, Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen in recognition of services during operations in South Africa up to 29 November 1900. CMG: LG 24/1/1917, p925, posn 2; CAG 25/7/1917, p15399, posn 4 to Temporary Brigadier General E.T.Wallack, Sea Transport Section, 'in recognition of valuable services.' MID Boer War: LG 2/4/1901. WWI: LG 25/1/1917, p946, posn 1; CAG 25/7/1917, p1539, posn 21 to Temporary Brigadier General E.T.Wallack, Sea Transport Section. Son: Gordon Townshend Wallack, born 18Nov1885 at Hobart, Tasmania; 2Lt with Senior Cadets Tasmania 1902-3; attended Church of England Grammar School at Melbourne entering in 1904, being a member of the football team and the team eight rowers that year and next year was in the athletic team that won 'The Argus' and the 'Australasian' Cup and was second in the high jump. On leaving school he studied for the profession of soldier; service with 10AIR as 2Lt, 01Mar1906 5AIR as Lt, 04Feb1908 RAGA as Lt, 01Mar1914 Captain and in charge of the military station on Thursday Island; as a commissioned officer in RAGA, age 28, current address Victoria Barracks, Sydney Enl.17Aug1914 in 2Bn; Emb.18Oct1914; Captain Adjutant 17Aug-28Dec1914; to F Coy as CO 29Dec-31Dec1914; appointed second in command D Coy 01May1915; KIA 23May1915 at Gallipoli; buried at Browns Dip North Cemetery 500 yards south of Anzac Cove; exhumed 1923 and relocated to Lone Pine Cemetery, Anzac. Following Captain Wallack's death, Lt Colonel E.S.Browne wrote to his father, Colonel E.T.Wallack, and said, 'During the early hours of the morning the enemy made four determined attempts to rush our trenches, and it was just as the last one of these was repulsed at dawn that your son was shot in the execution of his duty. For some time past the Captain had been acting Second-in-Command of the battalion, and his loss at the present juncture is irreparable, and is felt not only by us as a unit, but personally by every member of it.' Brig-Gen J.F.Hobbs also wrote saying, 'He died as a soldier should die, and in dying shed honour on your name and an indelible example to his comrades. He is deeply mourned by all who knew him, and his death is a distinct loss to his brigade.' On 23 January 1920 Maj General E.T.Wallack wrote to the Department of Defence querying the date of his son's death as he believed that it was 19 May 1915. The Department replied on 9 February 1920 stating that all records held by them showed the date to be 23 May 1915. However, the headstone of Captain G.T.Wallack does show the date 19 May 1915. Captain E.T.Wallack mentioned in Bean's Official History of WWII, Vol2, p156. With research including various photos, correspondence, AIF files and copies of various pages of books and publications featuring the above medal recipients.