Lot 40S5
A fine Wilkinson retailed .455 Webley Fosbery patent Model 1903 'Small Grip' recoil-operated revolver, no. 3778/4033 In a leather case stamped K.M.C. together with a Prideaux style speed-loader and a 'Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver' instruction manual
4 December 2013, 14:00 GMT
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £5,000 inc. premium
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A fine Wilkinson retailed .455 Webley Fosbery patent Model 1903 'Small Grip' recoil-operated revolver, no. 3778/4033
The recoiling upper part with the makers name and '.455 Cordite' and replacement lever-safety, the topstrap with push-button cylinder release, Webley cylinder strap, dull blacked finish, the butt with replacement chequered wooden grips and lanyard-ring, the backstrap engraved C.H.H. Vulliamy R.E. the barrel engraved Wilkinson Gunmakers, Pall Mall, London, S.W. with high-blade foresight
6in. barrel, contemporary Birmingham nitro proof
In a leather case stamped K.M.C. together with a Prideaux style speed-loader and a 'Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver' instruction manual
6in. barrel, contemporary Birmingham nitro proof
In a leather case stamped K.M.C. together with a Prideaux style speed-loader and a 'Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver' instruction manual
Footnotes
Provenance:
Major-General Colwyn Henry Hughes Vulliamy DSO 1894-1972
Literature:
Geoffrey Allen, 'The Webley Fosbery', Classic Arms and Militaria, pp. 20-23
'The revolver featured here was once the property of Major-General Colwyn Henry Hughes Vulliamy DSO... he entred the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1912 and joined the 2 Divisional Signal Company in August 1914.
He was returned home wounded the following February, promoted to full Lieutenant four months later and sent to 18 Divisional Signal Company in July 1915, serving for most of the remainder of the war in France. Promoted Acting Captain in 1916, he received a further promotion to Acting Major... in Germany in December 1918.
Following his distinguished wartime career, Vulliamy returned to the School of Military Engineering at Chatham in mid 1919 before being posted to India in 1921, joining the 3rd Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners at Kirkee before forming and commanding 2 Wireless Company, B Corps Signals at Rawalpindi. Transferring to the Royal Corps of Signals in 1926, he was promoted to Major the following year before attending the military Staff College at Quetta and being appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Indian Divisional Signals and promoted to Lt. Colonel
After a spell in England serving as a General Service Officer at the War Office, he left for India once again in 1935 to command the "A" Corps Signals at Rawalpindi. Further service in the 1937 campaign on the North West Frontier resulted in the award of his D.S.O.
As the storm clouds gathered over Europe in 1939, he was posted home again...
He returned to India once more in May 1945, as director of Signals, GHQ India before returning to the UK the following year to take up the appointment of Director of Signals at the War Office. In January 1951 Major General Vulliamy was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Signals, his last posting before his retirement later that year'
The Fosbery is one of the few Webley top-break revolvers legally importable in to the U.S.A. This revolver could be held under both categories of s.7 Historic Pistol in the U.K