Auction News: Prisoner of War Rolex Going Under the Hammer
A Second World War Rolex given to a British Army lieutenant captured at the Battle of Dunkirk highlights an auction of luxury watches at Fellows, in Birmingham. The watch is offered for sale alongside a defence medal, images of the lieutenant and two books.
Charles Maurice Anthony (Tony) Whitaker (1918 – 1969), of the Worcestershire Regiment, was commissioned into the Territorial Army in the 1930s. After he was captured inland during the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940, Tony was given a Rolex Oyster Perpetual wrist watch whilst spending time at Oflag VII-B, a prisoner of war camp in Bavaria. Over 80 years later, the watch has resurfaced. With an estimate of £2,800 – £3,600, it is Lot 171 in the Luxury Watch Sale, an auction taking place in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter on Monday 21st March.
Tony Whitaker (1918-1969)
Tony Whitaker, who lived in Pershore, came from a family of Worcestershire landowners. He joined the Worcestershire Regiment in 1937 and was second lieutenant. He was reported missing after the Battle of Dunkirk in May 1940. Whitaker was captured whilst holding a bridge for men retreating to the beaches. It was from here that the second lieutenant was missing for a year, presumed dead by his family.
He was moved between several prisoner of war camps in Poland and Germany for the next five years – including Stalag Luft III and Oflag VII-B – where he was given the watch. Whilst held captive at Stalag Luft III, Whitaker made friends with a flight lieutenant, Eric Williams, who penned the book ‘The Wooden Horse’. A signed copy is included with this lot.
It was at Oflag VII-B, a camp for officers in Bavaria, where Tony received the Rolex. Rolex and Hans Wilsdorf sent these watches to officers as a morale boost, who paid for them later on returning to Great Britain. British soldiers had to request a watch by letter.
At the closing stages of the war in 1945, Whitaker sustained injuries in a friendly fire incident. With a shrapnel wound in his leg, he spent months after the war in hospital on the Isle of Wight. Whitaker continued to wear the Rolex in later life and held down several jobs in businesses, including at a Gloucester engineering firm. Whitaker died in 1969.
Max Whitaker
Whitaker’s son, Max, 72, who lives in Bath, is selling the Rolex. The watch has been in constant use since the war, worn by Tony himself, Max’s late mother and briefly by Max.
Max Whitaker says:-
“No one knew what happened to my dad after the Battle of Dunkirk until eventually he was listed as a prisoner of war a year later. He was a very social man, he loved racing and often visited Cheltenham. My dad rarely spoke to me about the war. When I was a child, he did tell me that he tried to escape the camps twice and was once recaptured outside the perimeter fence in a field of potatoes. My dad still managed to hold down several jobs despite suffering nervous problems after the war. His Rolex watch has been in constant use since the war and I have worn it on occasion myself in the last ten years.”
Rolex: Details
The timepiece still works. It is is going under the hammer alongside a signed copy of ‘The Wooden Horse’ by Eric Williams. Also, a further book listing inmates from Oflag VII-B, a defence medal and two photos of Whitaker. One photo shows him wearing the Rolex. It is unclear whether the defence medal was awarded to Whitaker or another individual.
Numbered 2595, the watch has a signed manual wind calibre 710. It sports a black dial with baton and quarterly Roman numeral hour markers. Fitted to an unsigned black leather strap, it is in a great condition for its age.
Fellows Auctioneers
Michael Jagiela, Senior Watch Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, comments:-
“It is an honour to offer a Rolex with such an extraordinary history in our upcoming Luxury Watch Auction. Tony Whitaker was held captive for years during the war, after he was captured heroically helping soldiers in the Battle of Dunkirk. We are extremely grateful to Max for selling his father’s watch with us. Military timepieces like this do not come around at auction often. Therefore, I expect huge interest on this historic watch from around the globe.”
Auction Details and How To Bid
The Rolex is lot 171 in the Luxury Watch Sale on March 21st 2022.
Click here to view the Rolex in the auction.
Photo credit: Fellows Auctioneers
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