Colonel Commandant Webb Gillman.

We are pleased to offer Colonel Commandant Webb Gillman's Holland and Holland presentation prize .22lr rook rifle, serial number 10646, as part of our 5th February Firearms and Militaria auction. 

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Webb Gillman's Holland and Holland roof rifle. 

This fine Holland and Holland rifle was originally chambered in .295 but is now sleeved to .22lr. It features a 26inch octagonal barrel with fixed 50 yard and folding 100 yard sights and is engraved Holland and Holland 98 New Bond Street London, Winner of the Field Rifle Trials 1883'. The figured chequered stock has a silver plaque engraved 'R. M. Academy Steeplechase 1st Prize, Presented Presented to W. Gillman 9th May 1888'. The rifle is fitted into a green canvas and leather Rigby labelled case bearing W. Gillman name to the lid, it is accompanied by a leather bound copy of 'Gilly' An Appreciation which also contains a funeral program of his Grandon and two Will letters.

General Webb Gillman 

Webb Gillman (b.26^th October 1870 d. 20^th April 1933) or ‘Gilly’ was educated at Dullwich college before transferring to Army Cadets in 1888 and passing out as Second Gunner Royal Field Artillery in 1889. Gillman saw five years service in Ireland, promoted to Lieutenant in 1892, before taking on a period of service in India where he enhanced his already fine skills in horsemanship excelling at Polo and Pigsticking. During his service in India, Gillman was to win the Rook Rifle included in our February sale, the rifle butt being inlaid with a silver plaque engraved ‘R. M. Academy Steeplechase 1st Prize, Presented Presented to W. Gillman 9th May 1888'. In November 1898 Gillman returned to Woolwich where a lot of time was passed taking part in Drag Hunting and Polo until war clouds formed and in 1899 and he was sent to South Africa to take part in the second Boer War 1899-1900. Appointed to an Ammunition Column he took part with the French Cavalry Division in the Relief of Kimberley as well as being present at the surrender of Cronje at Paardeburg, the Battle of Driefontein, and the capture of Bloemfontein. Promoted to Captain in 1900, Gillman acted as staff officer in the Aro Expedition of Southern Nigeria being awarded the D.S.O. leading a storming party being ‘the first over a stiff stockade’. Further service in Africa saw Gillman promoted to Major in 1905 and then received Lieutenant Colonel in 1914 having worked with the War Office under the Director of Military Operations.

Webb Gillman's service in WWI

Webb Gillman saw extensive and varied service during the Great War receiving numerous awards and being mentioned ten times in despatches. At the outbreak of WWI in 1914 Gillman assumed command of the 114^th Field Battery in the 1^st Division taking part in the retreat at Mons, the battle of Marne, and seeing severe fighting during the crossing of Aisne. Gillman acted as special liaison officer between Sir John French and Sir Douglas Haig during the first battle of Ypres rallying troops drifting back after some of the most vicious fighting of the battle. He next saw service in Gallipoli under Sir Charles Monro where he distinguished himself bolstering the confidence of soldiers from Privates upwards earning the complement ‘I don’t know how we should have ever got out of this show without Webb Gillman’ following the successful evacuation of the Dardanelles.

1916 saw promotion to brevet colonel and in 1916 Gillman was sent to Mesopotamia acting as liaison officer between the War Office and Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force. He next received Major General and in 1917 he was selected to command the 17^th (Indian) Division. Gillman eventually returned home in 1919 and was given command of the Catterick Camp Demobilization centre. His next appointment was that of Commandant of the Royal Military Academy in September 1920 where he stayed until 1924 when he was appointed as Inspector of Royal Field Artillery at the War Office. In 1926 Gillman was permitted to go as guest to the French Government as Military Attache on Marshal Petain’s staff in Morocco during operations against Abd-el-Krim in the Rifi country. He was the only foreign officer to receive this permission. In March 1927 Gillman was sent to Singapore as head of a Commission report on the defences of the new naval base. In October of 1927 he took up duties as Master General of the Ordnance and by 1931 was promoted to General.

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Should you have any items you would like to sell in one of our Firearms, Arms and Militaria sales we would be pleased to hear from you. For more information please contact Chris Large on 01270 623878 or email chris.large@wilson55.com