Beschreibung:

WORLD WAR II - "COMMENCE HOSTILITIES"Naval message, commanding "Commence hostilities at once with Germany", received at 13.07 hours on 3 September 1939, printed "Naval Message" form, the message and other information added in pencil, filing holes and old folds, 220 x 200mm., [1939]; together with a small group of other material relating to the WWII service of Walter Philip Higginson, a Telegram operator aboard H.M.S. Coventry, including his identity card for H.M.S. Coventry (stamped "Admiralty 18 June [19]40"), a few mimeographed naval orders and notices, and 8 gelatin silver prints of H.M.S. Coventry, and places visited (Alexandria, Suez, etc.) (small group)Footnotes"COMMENCE HOSTILITIES AT ONCE WITH GERMANY" - a naval message taken at 13.07 hours on 3 September 1939. It is probable that this was taken aboard H.M.S. Coventry, or possibly another ship, on which W.P. Higginson served in the early part of the war. Amongst other items in the lot are photographs of H.M.S. Coventry and a mimeographed "Daily Orders" (dated 20 February 1941) from the ship's commander mentioning "their proceeding to a spot about 120 miles of Malta...", and reporting on a recent success at bringing "out of Benghasi [Benghazi, Libya] a convoy - in spite of very heavy air attacks...". Other mimeographed notices include one (dated 15 November 1939), regretting a missed chance "of bringing down an enemy aircraft... [due to] failure of a lookout to spot the machine... [and] a mistake by the Control Officer...". On a lighter note is a notice headed "The Dog" ordering everybody "not to give the dog any bits or anything to drink, except plain water".
Provenance: Walter Philip Higginson (1914-1986), who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, mentioned in Navy List for 1943 as a Temporary Sub-Lieutenant for the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; by descent to the vendor.Additional informationAuction informationBuyers Premium and ChargesFor all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:Buyer's Premium Rates
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and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.Buyers' ObligationsALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.Payment NoticesFor payment information please refer to the sale catalog.Shipping NoticesFor information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licences please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.Related DepartmentsBooks & ManuscriptsAuction ViewingsLondon, Knightsbridge18 June 2023, 11:00 - 15:00 BST19 June 2023, 09:00 - 17:00 BST20 June 2023, 09:00 - 17:00 BST21 June 2023, 09:00 - 10:00 BSTConditions of SaleView Conditions of Sale