The potentially interesting medals to the Farrer family consisting of Father and Son. The father, Captain A.R. Farrer, 3rd Middlesex Volunteer Artillery was present during the Jubilee celebrations in 1897 and the son, Captain H.F.F. Farrer, 7th Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles), King’s Royal Rifle Corps saw Second World War service, possibly in the Defence of Calais and later with the 1st Army in North Africa, being awarded an Efficiency Decoration in the London Gazette of 2nd October 1942 before later taking part in the fighting in Italy. He would later tragically die in accident at Thorns Viaduct, near Wakefield, when he alighted in the dark thinking he was in the station and fell over the 40ft parapet.
Father: Jubilee Medal 1897 in silver; privately engraved naming (CAPTN A.R. FARRER. 3RD M.V.A.) along with matching miniature in original fitted Wyon case.
Condition: Toned, Nearly Extremely Fine
Arthur Richard Farrer was born in St. Pancras, London on 25th March 1858 and was serving as a Captain with the 3rd Middlesex Volunteer Artillery at the time of the 1897 Jubilee. He died on 19th October 1925 whilst living at 66 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn.
Son: Group of 6: 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star bar 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Efficiency Decoration, GRJ cypher, Territorial top bar suspension with reverse dated 1942. Court-mounted for wear.
Condition: court-mounted for wear, Good Very Fine
Along with:
Matching loose-mounted miniature group, the Efficiency Decoration not carrying a date.
Ribbon bar for 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star with 1st Army insignia, Italy Star; Defence Medal
British Legion lapel badge, the reverse numbered 966207
Hugh Frederick Francis Farrer was born in Kensington on 19th September 1901, and would later see service during the Second World War as a Captain with the 7th Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles), King’s Royal Rifle Corps, where he would likely have seen service during the defence of France in 1940, where the battalion was involved in the gallant defence of Calais which aided the British Army in effecting it’s escape from nearby Dunkirk. It is unclear whether Farrer was present during the defence, but the majority of the Battalion was killed or captured during its stand and the Battalion would later need to be reconstituted.
He would later go on to fight in North Africa with the 1st Army, and would be awarded an Efficiency Decoration in the London Gazette of 2nd October 1942 before later taking part in the fighting in Italy.
Surviving the Second World War he would later go on to work as a Solicitor and died in a tragic accident in Wakefield on 17th November 1953, the Sunday post of the 22nd November 1953 reporting:
‘A solicitor who alighted from a train in the dark at Thorns Viaduct, near Wakefield (Yorkshire) station, fell 40ft, to his death over the parapet.
He quite likely thought he was in the station, said the Wakefield District Coroner, Mr S.H.B. Gill, yesterday. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned by the jury on Hugh Frederick Francis Farrer (52) of Finchingfield, Essex.’
