Explorer's medals realise an astonishing £29,000 at auction

The medals awarded to Bertram Sidney Thomas OBE CMG (1892-1950)

Lot 145 sold on 21st May 2015:
"The medals awarded to Bertram Sidney Thomas OBE CMG (1892-1950) comprising Royal Scottish Geographical Society David Livingstone medal the edge inscribed 'To Mr Bertram Thomas OBE for his outstanding work in the crossing and exploration of the Rub' Al Khali and for his extensive research in Southern Arabia 1932', medal weight 173.4 grams, in fitted case (Alex Kirkwood & Son of Edinburgh) with crest and named to Bertram Thomas, Royal Geographical Society of London William IV Founders medal the edge inscribed 'Bertram Thomas 1931', the obverse and reverse designs of W Wyon master engraver, medal weight 141.7 grams in fitted case bearing GVR cypher, The American Geographical Society of New York Cullum medal struck by Medallic Art Co NY, the reverse inscribed 'Bertram Thomas first traveller from the Western World to cross the sands of Rub' Al Khali, Arabia's Empty Quarter 1932', medal weight 172 grams, the edge stamped 18K in fitted case, Societe Royale de Geographic D'Anvers medal inscribed to reverse 'Mr Bertram Thomas 21 Novbre 1931' in fitted case, Royal Asiatic Society Richard Burton Memorial Medal presented to Bertram Thomas 18th June 1931, Kenning & Son of London 18ct gold and enamelled Sultan of Oman (Taimur bin Feisal) president's neck badge and a silver and enamelled breast badge in fitted case named to Bertram Thomas OBE, The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George CMG Companions neck badge in fitted case, two The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire OBE breast badges one with military 1st type ribbon and one with military 2nd type ribbon, one boxed, George V General Service Medal with Iraq clasp to Capt B S Thomas, WWI war medal to 2 Lieut B S Thomas, Victory medal with oak leaf clasp to 2 Lieut B S Thomas, 1914 Mons star with 5th August 22nd Nov 1914 clasp to 442 Pte B S Thomas N.Som.Yeo, two mounted bars of 14 miniatures and a distinguished line shooting medal awarded to ' The Wazir 'o was 'ere HMS TRIAD August 1929', also a WWII war medal, defence medal and 1939-1945 star, a Spinks and Sons mahogany and glazed fitted medal case with six duplicate 'show' medals including WWI war medal, Victory medal and Mons Star, General Service Medal and WWII war and defence medals, a small collection of North Somerset Yeomanry badges, the Jambiya as illustrated in photocopied photograph of Bertram Sidney Thomas having a horn handle bound in gold metal with inset pink stone complete with scabbard, also a brass mounted powder horn and a pair of shackles both previously possessed by Bertram Sidney Thomas Bertram Sidney Thomas (1892-1950) was a Cambridge graduate who served with the North Somerset Yeomanry in Belgium in WWI before further service with the Somerset Light Infantry in Iraq. The War having concluded he stayed east and took up the position as assistant political officer in Iraq until 1922. It was under his next post as the Finance Minister to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, Taimur bin Feisal that Thomas is most famously remembered. Lawrence of Arabia famously purported in 1929 that the only way to cross the Rub' Al Khali also known as the Empty Quarter (a barren expanse of desert covering 250,000 square miles of Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yeoman) was by an airship. However after a tortuous 58 day long expedition Thomas and his team reached the sea at Doha, the unforgiving desert having not claimed a single life. Thomas is the author of two books Arabia Felix (1932) and The Arabs: The Epic Life Story of a People Who Have Left Their Deep Impress On The World (1937) The University of Cambridge holds in their library nine boxes of 'manuscripts, articles, book reviews, lectures, notes, correspondence and maps' as well as a copy of a film made by Thomas in Arabia circa 1928/1929 and even a portrait of him by Walter Westley Russell"