The Militaria Department at Tennants holds four specialist auctions each year. With the next auction coming up on 21st September, here is a look back at some rare lots from the last few years; all linked to the Second World War.
The first object is a codebreaking-related card, dated 1944, that was recovered during the dismantling of operations at Bletchley Park in 1945. It was sold in March 2017.
The card was recovered and souvenired by Sergeant Ian Lawrence, who served at Bletchley Park from 1942-45. Born in Middlesborough, Lawrence enlisted in the Royal Air Force at age 18 and trained as a wireless mechanic. He was eventually selected for special duties and posted to Bletchley Park. Whilst his initial duty was to service equipment in Block E, his knowledge of German was recognised, and he was subsequently transferred to Block F to aid in the translation of German message decrypts.
Given its rarity and strong provenance, the card attracted significant interest from bidders and far exceeded its £40-£60 estimate, selling for £420 (plus buyer’s premium).
The next lot to feature here is a Second World War archive of ephemera relating to the Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore. It was offered by Tennants in June 2021.
The archive is connected to Captain Harry Edward Witheford, who became a prisoner of war following the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942. Witheford was imprisoned at Changi, an area in the east of Singapore converted by the Japanese into a prisoner of war and civilian internment camp. The Changi camp became synonymous with hardship and cruelty in the South-East Asian theatre during the Second World War. POWs were housed in military barracks and later the notorious Changi Prison, known for its grim and overcrowded conditions.
Of particular interest in the lot are the drawings by fellow prisoner Ronald Searle, who went on to become a renowned illustrator. Searle, of the Royal Engineers, was also forced by the Japanese to work on the notorious Siam-Burma Death Railway. Among the drawings are sketches of life in the POW camp and hand-drawn greetings cards.
This archive sold for £4,200, surpassing its £2,000-£4,000 estimate.
The third object on this list is a Second World War RAF logbook belonging to Flight Officer Donald Rawnsley with an impressive link to doppelgangers, deception, and D-Day. It featured in the Militaria & Ethnographica sale on 15th June this year.
The logbook contains an entry for a flight from Northolt to Gibraltar, conducted in March 1944 as part of Operation Copperhead, a ruse to convince the German high command that the Allies intended to invade the south of France rather than the north. On the plane was Lieutenant M. E. Clifton James, recruited by British intelligence as a look-alike of Field Marshall Montgomery, and whose name was later added to the logbook. The operation was successful, diverting German troops and resources, and leaving northern France vulnerable for the D-Day landings.
This historically significant logbook sold for £250, at the top-end of its £150-£250 estimate.
The final object, to be featured in the upcoming Militaria & Ethnographica sale, is a special reprint of the 1939 Michelin Guide, produced in 1944 by the US Military Intelligence Division for use in the liberation of France.
The 1939 map, the last pre-war edition before production was suspended, was considered the most accurate and up-to-date. It became an invaluable tool, allowing Allied troops to sweep through occupied France.
Michelin maps were heavily utilised throughout the Second World War. Indeed, German troops were equipped with Michelin maps during the German invasion of Belgium and France in 1939. Allied forces also relied upon Michelin maps to conduct airdrops over France. Now very rare, this guide also boasts a good provenance. The vendor inherited the map from his grandmother who, as a member of the War Department and fluent in French, was posted to Paris during the liberation.
The guide is up for sale as Lot 2136 of the Militaria & Ethnographica sale on 21st September, with an estimate of £1,500-£2,000.
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With thanks to Patrick Hayes, who is studying History at Durham University, for kindly writing this article.
