A Remarkable & Important
(C.M.G.) Companion, Order of St Michael & St George,
(C.B.E.) Commander of The British Empire (Civil)
with
"Double Battle Citation" (Battle of CAMBRAI, 3rd Ypres)
Military Cross & Bar.
WW1 Pair, Defence Medal and Coronation Medal 1953.



(With miniatures & uniform ribbon bar & rosette)


To:
Private & later 2nd Lieutenant Thomas William DEEVES.
"D" Coy, 1/15th (County of London) Battalion
(Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles)

& Commissioned from the ranks in 1916 into
16th (Public Schools) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment.

[BIOGRAPHY, 1893-1977]
Thomas William Deeves was born on 19th March 1893 in Kilcooly, Thurles Co. Tipperary, Ireland and was educated at Lurgan College, Northern Ireland. He served as a Junior Clerk with the Inland Revenue from 1909 until enlistment in the army.
Pictured here in The Daily Mirror of 28th August 1918 with an announcement of his 2nd Award Bar.

Served in The Great War 1915-1918 by first joining "D" Company of the 1/15th London (Civil Service Rifles) as a private soldier with an initial arrival in France on 9th September 1916.

[TWICE WOUNDED]
Thomas received a shell fragment wound to his finger on 19th December 1916, he was sent home for treatment on 17th January 1917 and commissioned on 27th June 1917 into the 5th Middlesex Regt and later transferred into the 16th Middlesex Regt with whom he fought so gallantly in France.

Thomas was very seriously wounded at Cambrai on 30th November 1917 during the 3rd Battle of Ypres by a shell fragment fired during the massive Ludendorrff counter attack which was prosecuted with a major artillery attack which included poison gas shelling. The shell fragment smashed into his left shoulder and shattered his shoulder blade causing serious damage to his upper chest and shoulder. Serious neurological damage caused total paralysis to his lower arm and left hand which led to the subsequent amputation of his left arm 4" above the elbow in late 1918. He married Lilian Mary Thompson in 1921 (died 1969) and served as assistant secretary Ministry of Food & at the Foreign Office 'African Dept' during World War Two.
He is seen on a transatlantic voyage to the USA on the R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth in 1947 as part of a British Government Ministry of Food delegation. Presumably this visit was part of the post WW2 Anglo-American grain supply negotiations.
Mr Deeves died in hospital on 11th September 1977 aged 84.

[TWICE DECORATED]
Twice decorated, with the Military Cross & Bar in 1918. Awarded the C.M.G. (1953) & C.B.E. (1949) in the civil service as Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Food WW2 & Foreign Office. Attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.


[MILITARY CROSS, LONDON GAZETTE. 4th FEBRUARY 1918]
2/Lt T.W. DEEVES Middlesex Regiment.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst in command of the battalion scouts in advance of the vanguard, he was held up by the enemy but succeeded in rallying some troops who had lost their leaders, and in organising a firing line he showed great skill and initiative throughout the operation"




[2nd AWARD BAR to MILITARY CROSS,
LONDON GAZETTE. 26th MARCH 1918]

(With published citation L.G. 24th August 1918)
2/Lt T.W. DEEVES Middlesex Regiment.

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an enemy attack. He set a splendid example under heavy machine gun fire, and, though wounded, he continued to encourage his men by his splendid example and determination.

[16th (PUBLIC SCHOOLS) BATTALION, MIDDLESEX REGT.]
The 16th (Public Schools) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was raised in London on the 1st of September 1914 by Lt-Col. J.J.Mackay. They trained at Kempton Park racecourse, moving to Warlingham in December. They joined 100th Brigade, 33rd Division at Clipstone Camp in July and moved to Perham Down for final training in August. They proceeded to France on the 17th of November, landing at Boulogne. 33rd Division concentrated near Morbecque, being strengthened by the exchange of 98th Brigade for the experienced 19th Brigade from 2nd Division. On the 25th of February 1916 they left Division and transferred to GHQ Troops then joined 86th Brigade, 29th Division on the 25th of April. In July they went into action in the Battles of the Somme. In 1917 they were in action in the The First, Second and Third Battle of the Scarpe during the Arras Offensive, then moved to Flanders and fought in the The Battle of Langemarck, The Battle of Broodseinde and The Battle of Poelcapelle. Before moving south for The Battle of Cambrai. In early 1918 the army was reorganised and on the 11th of February the 16th Middlesex were disbanded near Poperinghe in Belgium with troops transferring to other units.

A remarkable, important & extensively documented group to a man who rose from the ranks to become a twice decorated commissioned officer and later rising to a very senior position in the civil service.
A serious 'must have' group for the serious Middlesex Regt collector.


All awards, which are in EF + condition are in their original cases with their original ribbons. The group comes with extensive copy service & medical papers extracted from his officer's file which survives at the National Archive.

SOLD