The Rare & Exceptional Father & Son Double Gallantry Grouping.
(To Private Peter & Captain William K. PETHED.
A Family Group of Nine)

New Zealand 'Maori' War Medal, M.S.M. & L.S.G.C. Trio.
(East Surrey Regt, Royal Bombay Fus, & 2/Royal Dublin Fusiliers)

Military Cross, 1914-15 Trio, (M.I.D.) 1902 Coronation & L.S.G.C.
("The Green Howards". The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry)

[Group One: THE SON].
T./Qrmr. and Hon. Capt.
WILLIAM KELLAND PETHED
"THE GREEN HOWARDS"

(9th KING'S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY)


Military Cross: (unnamed as issued)
1914-15 Star: QM & LIEUT. W.K. PETHED. Yorks: L.I.
War & Victory: QM & CAPT. W.K. PETHED.
Oak Leaf Emblem: Mentioned in Despatches
Coronation 1902. (unnamed as issued)
L.S.G.C. 3147. Sgt W.K. PETHED. York: Regt.

To FRANCE: 11th September 1915.

In 1914 and at the age of 42 he is again seen back in uniform for the Great War.



He arrived in France with 9th K.O.Y.L.I. on 11th September 1915 and served throughout the war as Quartermaster LIEUT & CAPTAIN. He was wounded in action, Mentioned in Despatches (LG 21.12.17) and received the Military Cross (EG 26.9.18) . He can be seen seated, fourth in from the right on the front row of this officer group picture taken near Corbie just prior to 1st July 1916.

[1st DAY OF THE SOMME. 1st July 1916] The 9th KOYLI fought just north of Fricourt on 1st July 1916 and were decimated with the loss of over 500 men. Lieut Pethed was one of the few fortunate men who survived the day. As a 44 year old and logistically important QMS he may not have been in the main attack.

His M.I.D. was for an earlier act in October 1917 in the Zonnebeke area of Belgium during the 3rd Battle of Ypres. After much careful research it is now very clear that his Military Cross was awarded for a very identifiable action on 22nd March 1918 during "Operation Michael" the German spring offensive.

From the highly informative and detailed war diary of 1st Bn East Yorkshire Regt who were only a few hundred yards walking distance from 9th K.O.Y.L.I. at GUYENCOURT, it is apparent that the units were both being attacked by low flying enemy aircraft, but that one was cut off from the other by oncoming German infantry.

The officer who compiled the 1st East Yorks diary, states:

"On the morning of the 22nd March 1918 the German attack started again, and now we were to be introduced to low-flying aeroplanes in large numbers, and these were not countered by our men, who seemed to have vanished. Silent was the voice of our artillery. Incessant rifle fire, however, indicated that fighting was in progress"

**This 'incessant' rifle fire was quite clearly the sound of the men under the command of Captain Pethed, who, being only a few hundred yards away from the 1st East Yorks positions, could be heard rapid firing at the aircraft. The 9th Bn war diary of 22nd March also confirms that the unit was constantly being machine gunned from low flying German aircraft with one officer being wounded. Clearly Captain Pethed decided he'd had enough and was determined to do something about it !! (*see citation below )

[CITATION] MILITARY CROSS.
Edinburgh Gazette, September 26th 1918.
T./Qrmr. and Hon. Capt.
WILLIAM KELLAND PETHED, Yorks L.I.
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in withdrawing his stores during a hostile attack, while he was also in charge of stragglers of different units. When bombed by enemy aeroplanes, he got his personnel lined up on the road and brought one machine down. He restored order among excited animals and transport drivers, directed the traffic, and finally brought his transport to safety. On numerous occasions, whether bringing up stores or getting them away under heavy shell fire, he has displayed great coolness and initiative and set a fine example to younger men and to the battalion."


The war diary of 9th KOYLI of 12th July 1918 confirms the award of the M.C. to Captain Pethed.

[BIOGRAPHY]
William Kelland Pethed was born at Newport, Isle of Wight in April 1872. and after a short four month engagement with 5th Royal Dublin Fusiliers (his father's unit) he is seen at age 18 and four months, attesting for the Yorkshire Light infantry on 8th July 1890 at Dublin, Ireland. Prior to enlistment he had been a school teacher. On July 10th 1900 at age 28 he married 24 year old Florence Elizabeth Perring at The Established Church, Yealmpton, Devon. The marriage produced three children, Archibald William, in Sheffield, (1901) who sadly only survived for 32 days, and Eileen & Cyril Joseph Pethed who were both born in Richmond, Yorkshire in 1904 & 1908. He served, via two terms of engagement, for a total of exactly 21 years with a discharge at the rank of Quarter Master Sergeant on 7th July 1911. He had served in Gibraltar during 1898 & 1899.

As the senior NCO of his unit he had accompanied his commanding officer Captain Maxwell-Heron to the coronation of King Edward VII for which on 26th June 1902 he received his first medal, the 1902 Coronation Medal. As there were only TWO awards of this medal per serving unit this is a VERY scarce item. He received his LSGC in April 1909.

At the time of his discharge in 1911 he is shown as a member of the Permanent Staff of "B" Coy, 3rd Reserve Battalion, Yorkshire Regt. Upon final discharge on 23rd June 1911 had returned to the teaching profession and was living in Seymour Street, Bishops Auckland, Durham.

Immediately after WW1 (1920) he was clearly living at or using his father's home address in Yealmpton, Devon, in a well known road called "Speculation" which is where his service medals were sent. This was the home address of his father and his second wife MaryAnne. His later service address was: Depot, K.O.Y.L.I. The Barracks, Pontefract, Yorkshire.

The grouping includes an original illustrated newspaper cutting detailing the sad & sudden death of Captain Pethed on 21st September 1933, at the age of only 61, after he unexpectedly collapsed in his army stores room at The KOYLI Barracks in Pontefract. Just five months earlier in April of 1933 he had assisted in the visit of HRH The Duchess of York to the barracks and had accompanied the Duchess during her visit. He left £956 10s 2d in his will to his widow Florence who was then resident at the family home: 'Kitley' Pontefract Road, Purston, Pontefract.

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[Group Two: THE FATHER]
(Peter Joseph "Joe" Pethed)

NEW ZEALAND MEDAL:
932. Peter PETHED. 70th REGt. (East Surrey Regt)

LONG SERVICE & GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL: (Victoria).
4088 SERgt P. PETHED. 103rd Foot. (Royal Bombay Fusiliers)

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL: (Edward VII)
C.SERJT. P. PETHED. 2/RL Dublin Fus.

[BIOGRAPHY]
Peter Joseph Pethed (known as Joe) was born in 1842 at Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland. He joined the army on 22nd January 1861 at age 19 at Rochdale, Yorkshire. He had previously been a Groom. He served in the U.K. for three years until his departure to New Zealand on 8th January 1864. He was wounded in action, age 22, in New Zealand at "Siege of Orakau" on 1st April 1863. He returned to the U.K. on 27th March 1866 after 2 years & 78 days service" His first marriage to Anne Pethed (nee Kelland) which took place about 1870-72 ended in 1876 due to the death of his wife in childbirth. Anne died at The Female Hospital, Ragland Barracks, Plymouth while giving birth to her second baby, Annie, who also died during delivery. It was Peter Pethed's first marriage to Anne that produced their first child, William Kelland Pethed.

One year later Peter Pethed married his second wife, Marrianne Derry at Yealmpton, Devon on 20th September 1877.




[THE WOUNDING MUSKET BALL]
(*With the group is the actual Musket Ball with which he was shot which he had superbly encased by a jeweller in an 18ct Gold Global Suspension Cradle & Engraved:
"STORMING OF ORAKAU, 'APRIL 64"
"CR SGT. J. PETHED. 70th Regt."


*Having weighed the soft lead ball at 20.5 grm (2/3rd oz) it's apparent just how lucky Peter was to survive as this is a lethal item. Also looking closely at the shape of the round it does have a slightly flat area where it's clearly stopped when it hit a bone.....Ouch !! It must surely have hit him in the leg or arm as a strike to the body or head would have proved fatal.

*The 103rd Foot (Royal Bombay Fusiliers) was linked with the 102nd Foot (Royal Madras Fusiliers) and assigned to District No. 66 at Naas Barracks in County Kildare, Ireland. On 1st July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect which amalgamated the 103rd with the 102nd to form the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, with whom Peter Pethed was serving when awarded his Meritorious Service Medal.

His earlier award of the L.S.G.C. is named to the 103rd Foot. Toward the end of his service he is seen having transferred from 2nd to 5th Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers.












This is a seriously historic, unique and superbly documented family assembly which will clearly attract huge interest from both New Zealand & UK collectors.


There are 24 superb pages of copy attestation and discharge service papers and other records for Captain Petted and 14 pages for his father Peter Joseph Pethed.

[CONDITION]
Everything about this assembly is truly outstanding, and this includes the condition of the medals. The M.C. Group is swing mounted but practically unworn with "Black EF" silver and bright original star & victory. The New Zealand Medal, MSM, LSGC trio is GVF to EF with original ribbon and is still originally mounted on the individual Victorian silver claw & buckle top mounts. Quality & originality wise it seldom comes any better then this !

SOLD

With part-exchanges welcome.

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