Campaign Groups and Pairs

Four: Private A. Lawrence, 5th Dragoon Guards, later Chairman of the Cardiff Group of the Old Contemptibles Association 1914 Star, with clasp (14093 Pte. A. Lawrence, 5/D. Gds:); British War and Victory Medals (GS-11158 Pte. A. Lawrence. 5-D.Gds.); Defence Medal, mounted as worn; together with the recipient’s Old Contemptibles of Wales, Cardiff Group President’s Jewel, silver (hallmarks for Chester 1934) and enamel, the obverse featuring the dragon of Wales within a wreath, embellished with crossed rifles, the reverse engraved ‘Presented by our President Sir Robert J. Webber J.P., to the Cardiff Group of the Old Contemptibles of Wales, Nov. 1934’, on neck riband with engraved name plates of 12 past Presidents, including ‘Chum A. Lawrence 1958 - 60’, in case of issue, nearly very fine and better (5) £300-£400 --- Alfred Lawrence was born at Wem, Shropshire in 1894, and joined the Merchant Navy as a boy apprentice. In November 1912 had a serious accident falling from a ladder into the ship’s hold of the S.S. Iddesleigh, and was carried ashore unconscious. He was left behind by his ship and spent some time in the British Seaman’s Hospital at Constantinople, but was picked up by the Iddesleigh on its return voyage in December 1912. Lawrence attested for the 5th Dragoon Guards and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 20 September 1914. He survived the Great War and was transferred to the Army Reserve on 11 March 1919. Following the Great War he joined the Fire Service in Cardiff where he served as a Company Officer in the National Fire Service. In the 1939 Register he is recorded as residing in one of the Fire Station apartments in the Central Fire Station, Cardiff, where he is noted as Fireman / Constable. He died 19 May 1969, at Cardiff. The Past Presidents named on the Old Contemptible’s President’s Jewel are: 1934-35 Sir Robert J. Webber J.P; 1936 Sir William James Thomas, Bart., J.P; 1937-38 Captain Lionel Lindsay M.V.O., O.B.E.; 1938-41 F. E. Nunn; 1942-47 John Dunning; 1949-51 Captain Harry Wallace; 1952-54 Jos. Ware D.C.M, M.S.M.; 1955-57 Major F. C. Clifton; 1958-60 A. Lawrence; and 1961 T. Webb. Sold together with an extensive (and somewhat damaged) photograph and family press cutting album, including a fine portrait photograph of the recipient wearing his President’s Jewel and his war medals and with wartime letters and postcards home, pasted in fibre dog-tag ‘2527 A. Lawrence, C.E. 5.DG’, and 5th Dragoon Guards bi-metal cap badge, original Record Office issue slip for the 1914 Star, ‘Ypres 1914’ sweetheart badge fashioned from two small General Service buttons, photographs of Old Contemptibles remembrance day parades, reunion programmes, and other ephemera.