Shropshire auction’s WW2 collection includes Dunkirk evacuation map
A fascinating collection of Second World War items relating to a British officer, who was evacuated from Dunkirk before going to serve in the Middle East and Italian Campaign, will be coming up for auction in Shrewsbury later this month.
The collection, which belonged to Captain Keith Livesey (1920-’88) of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, will be going under the hammer, with an estimate of £300 - £500, in Halls Fine Art’s militaria, naval and aviation auction on August 21.
One of the most interesting items is a War Office map of Lille-Ghent, dated 1938, which was used by Captain Livesey to plan his retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk with annotations and route markings in black ink.
Marked ‘NOT TO BE PUBLISHED’, the map is also inscribed in pencil stating that withdrawal began on Sunday, May 26 before arriving at the beach on May 30. He spent an entire day there before embarking at around 7am next day.
The collection also includes other wartime military maps of Greece, Italy, the Balkans, Korinthos, Rimini and two cut-down sheets of Europe.
Other items include a group of five medals, comprising the Africa Star with 8th Army clasp, Italy Star, 1939-45 Star, British War Medal and Defence Medal.
“It’s quite rare to have such a comprehensive Second World War collection, as this one, particularly as it includes a War Office map with instructions for the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk,” said Caroline Dennard, Halls Fine Art’s militaria specialist.
“Captain Livesey saw service in eight foreign countries during the war. He lived in North West England but trained at Wrekin Officers Training Corps in Shropshire and the collection has been consigned by a descendant.”
Captain Livesey served in France, Belgium, Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus, Italy, Greece and Austria.
His collection also includes a Second World War service dress cap with REME badge, a George VI British Army officer’s dress sword in field service scabbard with original leather sword knot, two shoulder epaulettes with rank pips, two dog tags, button stick and maroon lanyard and a school shield.
Badges, rank and other cloth insignia include Captain Livesey’s various regiments: Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 46th Infantry Division, Lancastrian Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, Territorial Army, Warwickshire Yeomanry, REME and Wrekin Officers Training Corps.
Paperwork includes full service records including locations, black and white photographs including portraits and regimental group shots and soldier particulars.
Amongst letters to Captain Livesey are several from close friend Third Radio Operator Brian Rostron Marsden, his final one written just weeks before he died on May 1, 1943 in an attack on his convoy ship, the S.S. Erinpura which claimed 800 lives.
Captain Livesey’s trained before the war at Wrekin Officers Training Corps in Shropshire from 1933-’36 and at the 4/5Th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment from March to September, 1939.
He served with the East Lancashire Regiment from March 1939 and later transferred to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Corps.
