Stories of Service & Recent Results


August 2026

Some categories of auction are about more than buying and selling. Militaria, medals and military ephemera carry with them the weight of real lives, real sacrifice and real history. The objects are often modest in scale, but what they represent is anything but.

Here we share some of our most recent results from this category, each with its own story to tell, as we invite entries for our forthcoming Militaria, Medals and Sporting Guns sale.

One Man's War
The most personal lot in the sale belonged to Leslie Scott, a member of the Special Allied Airborne Reconnaissance Force, one of the rarest and least known units of the Second World War. Set up by Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in February 1945, the SAARF comprised just 264 personnel drawn from France, Britain, Belgium and Poland, and was involved in only a single airborne drop before being disbanded on 1st July 1945. The group offered here included Scott's extremely rare embroidered parachute jump wing, his WWII medals comprising the 1939-45 War Medal, Defence Medal, 1939-45 Star and African Star, his Soldier's Service book, discharge papers and personal photographs. Together they told the story of one man's service in a unit so small and so brief that most people have never heard of it. The group sold for £2,100. You can read more about Leslie Scott and the SAARF on our blog here.

Medals, Orders and a Royal Badge

This medals section brings together a remarkable range of decorations spanning three centuries of British military history and the results reflected the depth of interest in this area.
A WWII medal group awarded to Commander John Cecil Gilbert Martin of the Royal Navy, comprising his OBE, eight campaign medals, Coronation medal and Royal Life Saving Society Medal, together with engraved silver ephemera and OBE documentation, sold for £280.

A Charles I silver gilt Royalist Badge by Thomas Rawlins, showing the King in profile with lace collar and doublet, sold for £2,000, a quietly beautiful object from one of the most turbulent moments in British history.

A group of eight medals and corresponding miniatures awarded to Colonel S.C.F. Jackson of the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, displayed in a presentation case and offered together with his portrait and sword, sold for £4,200.

Ten medals awarded to Major P.T. Sanders, spanning service from the Boer War through to the Second World War and accompanied by a matching miniature set, ribbon bar, a Moise Dreyfuss stopwatch and his personal bible from the 24th Company 8th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry, sold for £700.

Edged Weapons and Headgear

Military hardware provided some striking results. 
A WWI Prussian artillery Pickelhaube, circa 1895, with brass ball finial, eagle helmet plate and original leather chin strap, sold for £360.

A WWII German Kriegsmarine naval officer's sword, its blade marked Carl Eickhorn Solingen with lion mask pommel and wirebound ivorine grip, sold for £500.

A British 1832 pattern Royal Horse Guards state sword by Henry Wilkinson of Pall Mall, circa 1862, retaining virtually all of its original polish and complete with steel scabbard, sold for £1,900.

Arms and Firearms

Antique firearms rounded off these results with two lots that demonstrated the craftsmanship invested in even functional military objects.
A pair of cased British officers' percussion cap duelling pistols by Braggs of London, with octagonal Damascus steel barrels, figured walnut half stocks and a brass bound mahogany case complete with bullet mould, powder flask, percussion caps and case key, sold for £4,000.

A 19th century 1793 Brown Bess flintlock musket, with full walnut stock and period triangular socket bayonet, sold for £1,200.

Now Inviting Entries


These results reflect the breadth and depth of what this category can offer, from a single man's wartime story to a Royal badge from the English Civil War. We are now accepting entries for our forthcoming Militaria, Medals and Sporting Guns sale, welcoming medals, uniforms, insignia, wartime memorabilia, edged weapons, antique firearms and fine sporting guns. The last day for entries is Thursday 3 September. Get in touch below for a free valuation and advice.
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