The unique Great War German South-West Africa 1914 operations D.S.O. group of four awarded...

The unique Great War German South-West Africa 1914 operations D.S.O. group of four awarded to Colonel J. M. Rose, Royal Marine Artillery Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; 1914-15 Star (Lt. Col. J. M. Rose, R.M.A.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. J. M. Rose. R.M.A.) extremely fine (4) £1,800-£2,200 --- Importation Duty This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK --- --- Just 23 awards of the D.S.O. were made to the Royal Marine Artillery during the Great War, Rose’s award being unique for the German South-West Africa operations of 1914. D.S.O. London Gazette 14 September 1918: ,‘For the manner in which he organized and commanded the Royal Marine Artillery unit in German South-West Africa during 1914.’ John Markham Rose was born on 22 March 1865, and educated at Cheltenham College and the R.N.C. Greenwich. Commissioned as a Probationary Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Artillery in September 1892, he was advanced to Captain in September 1895 and to Major in August 1904, in addition to qualifying as an Intelligence Officer. Soon after the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Rose, now a Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, was advanced to the temporary rank of Colonel and seconded for services in the German South-West Africa campaign, in command of an R.M.A. detachment. He departed on his mission in October 1914, with three officers and 50 men, and four 4-inch and four 12-pounder guns on field carriages. Having then landed at Walvis Bay, his unit joined the Central Force under General Mackenzie, and remained likewise employed until April 1915. It then transferred to the Northern Force under General Louis Botha, under whom Rose and his Marine gunners were present at the occupation of Karabib and Windhoek in the summer. Shortly thereafter, he was invited to raise the South African Heavy Artillery, a task successfully accomplished with his departure from Cape Town in August 1915, with five batteries and some 650 officers and men under his command. He subsequently led his ‘Heavies’ in the Ypres salient from April-August 1916. In March 1917, Botha wrote an official letter of thanks: ‘The record of this officer’s very real and valued connection with the South African Heavy Artillery will be perpetuated and remembered with much pleasure and satisfaction by all those who are interested in the corps and its excellent achievements.’ From September 1917 to July 1918, Rose was a staff officer attached to the Royal Naval Air Service’s Aegean Wing, and he retired in the rank of Colonel in the following year.