EL6896 - The Victorian Royal Artillery sword of Conway Rowley Hill DSO, Chevallier Legion d'Honneur 5th Class, Greek Military Cross, 1914 Star Trio. Hill was born in 1881 near Reading, England, the son of Colonel Rowley Richard Conway Hill. He attended Wellington College. Hill was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in August 1900 (when this sword must date to, being marked VR for Victoria) and served with the Royal Horse Artillery. Deployed in WW1, he was Mentioned in Despatches in January 1916, received the Distinguished Service Order in January 1916.He was married in 1910 in Durban, South Africa and died in Exeter, England, in 1943. There is certainly a lot more research to uncover with this sword. As stated, this sword carried the VR cypher, so was presumably his first sword, and the sword he would have kept during his service in WW1. The sword is in average to good condition. Patina and a bit of pitting to the blade, some wear to the etching, the edges of the blade service sharpened for WW1. The blade is firm in the hilt. The hilt with some pitting and patina, the shagreen with a little wear, but almost all of the wire intact. Complete with the original steel scabbard (throat unsecured). A nice sword with great provenance.
