CAPTAIN ALFRED MARTIN MARTIN-SMITH, WORCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT, SALONIKA

[Guest]

  The following item is listed for auction at Roseberys, auctioneers of West Norwood in London on Saturday 22nd July 2017.:

 

Martin-Smith(Alfred Martin, Worcestershire Regiment) Diary of Service in Greece, c.40 leaves, mostly on rectos, readable hand, later cloth,, Salonika, 1917-18 and later posting to India, 1920 ''In Oct 1915 the first British troops landed...the British Salonika Force fought alongside French, German, Italian, Russian and Serbian contingents. '' - Salonika Campaign Society. The diary makes clear the inter allied complications; Lieut.(later Capt.) Martin, who was an alumnus of Downside and a practising catholic, seems to have acquited himself well and was made Chevalier of the Order of the Redeemer by the Greeks.

 

      The catalogue can be found online. I post this for the record that such item actually exists, if it may aid a GWF member in future times. . As a bookseller, I have no connection with (or knowledge of) the vendor and no connection with the auctioneer. 

 

[Guest]

   I will probably have a look at the sale later in the week and post a comment about what the diary looks like in the flesh. These sorts of things pop up from time to time and I put a thread up merely to let other GWF members know that the item actually exists.-whatever happens to it against the hammer or where it subsequently goes. Have to say it doesn't look a strong diary but it's all grist to the mill

[Emanuel1914]

I missed out on this item by a matter of minutes, I only saw your post this afternoon. It sold for £150. I would be very interested in speaking to the buyer as Alfred Martin Smith was an alumnus of Emanuel School in Battersea. He often wrote to the School Magazine The Portcullis and his brother Geoffrey was killed in action on the first day of the battle of Passchendaele. If the buyer sees this post please see my blog Emanuel School at War on Wordpress where you contact me directly. I spent 5 years researching about the Emanuel boys and I feel so sorry I didn't manage to purchase this item for the School archive.

 

Daniel.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Emanuel1914 said:

I missed out on this item by a matter of minutes, I only saw your post this afternoon. It sold for £150. I would be very interested in speaking to the buyer as Alfred Martin Smith was an alumnus of Emanuel School in Battersea. He often wrote to the School Magazine The Portcullis and his brother Geoffrey was killed in action on the first day of the battle of Passchendaele. If the buyer sees this post please see my blog Emanuel School at War on Wordpress where you contact me directly. I spent 5 years researching about the Emanuel boys and I feel so sorry I didn't manage to purchase this item for the School archive.

 

Daniel.

 

    Ask the auctioneer to forward a note to the buyer-explaining the circumstances. I did not go to the sale but it may well pop up somewhere soon at a hiher price in the "trade"   If the item is still on te premises, the auctioneers may let you still look at the item-without copying. Their book man is a nice retired chap, John Collins, ex Maggs Brothers.

 

 

Edited 22 July , 2017 by Guest

[Emanuel1914]

 

    Ask the auctioneer to forward a note to the buyer-explaining the circumstances. I did not go to the sale but it may well pop up somewhere soon at a hiher price in the "trade"   If the item is still on te premises, the auctioneers may let you still look at the item-without copying. Their book man is a nice retired chap, John Collins, ex Maggs Brothers.

Thank you. I have contacted the auctioneer. They said they don't facilitate that but am hoping the buyer may get in contact some how.