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Remembered Today:

Distinguished Service Order ( D.S.O. ) recipients 1886-1923


Lancashire Fusilier

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21 hours ago, Julian said:

Finally, they had a brother Trevor Newall Watson MC. (5th Probyn's Horse). I do realise this is a D.S.O. page but any tip as to how to find out why he was awarded the MC. would be useful as I have got nowhere with that.

 

Julian,

 

You obviously come from a family with an excellent military background ! and as to Major T. N. Watson, M.C. of 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse, you may wish to start a separate post requesting details of him under the ' Soldiers ' Forum heading, as there are several GWF members, including Steven Broomfield, who are very knowledgeable regarding members of the Indian Army, and I am sure they can help you.

I also found this nice photograph of your Great Uncle, Major T. N. Watson, M.C., ( 2nd from left obviously ) taken on 25th April 1925 in London, which may have been in connection with his having been made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order 4th Class in King George V's 1925 Birthday Honours.

 

Regards,

LF

GWF TNW wearing MC.jpg

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Cracking picture, LF.

 

Watson was from the 12th Cavalry (which amalgamated in 1922 with the 11th KEO Lancers (Probyn's Horse) to create the 5th. He was initially commissioned on 19th August, '06 and I think (if I'm reading the Indian Army List 1919 correctly) joined the 12th in 1910. His MC may well have been gazetted in August '17 and he also received a Mention. The 12th spent much of the war in Mesopotamia, initially on Lines of Communications and latterly with the 15th Infantry Division.

 

In 1919 he was 2i/c of the 12th.

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LF

Thank you! I feel slightly embarrassed by the amount of work I've given you and I'm so grateful and pleased to have this information.

I'm also pleased that Campbell did indeed receive a bar to his D.S.O., it's been frustrating not to be able to confirm this up to now.

As far as Reginald is concerned I had no idea he might have had a bar to his D.S.O. he died in 1930 when my father was a boy so there was little anecdotal material whereas Campbell lived until 1957 and was an imposing figure. He lost a leg in the war and used to be wheeled about in a bathchair and I think scared the living daylights out of his nephews and nieces. My father is no longer alive but I shall ask my Aunt if she has any further information (she was only just born when he died)

The citation for Reginald that I saw was concerning a raid in Zeebrugge. I've just been trying to find it in the Gazette but without success (though he was mentioned in despatches on the 19 July 1918 for action taken in the Dover Patrol on the 22-23rd April 1918) I shall persevere and if it comes up post it here.

There was also Harold Newall Watson who was a commander RN and the youngest George Newall Watson whom I believe was also in the Indian Army so I may follow your advice and make inquiries in the Soldier section. As you say, quite a military outfit.

It all makes me feel rather humble.

Many thanks once again

Julian

 

 

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Thank you as well, Stephen, much appreciated. I have an even better photo which he had on his own wall but perhaps should not be posting it on this page? 

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11 minutes ago, Julian said:

Thank you as well, Stephen, much appreciated. I have an even better photo which he had on his own wall but perhaps should not be posting it on this page? 

 

Julian,

 

I am sure the members would enjoy seeing his photograph, which you may wish to post alongside your ' Soldier ' Forum post, and I know Steven would love to see it.

 

Regards,

LF

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Bit more on T N Watson. Born 18.4.86. First commission 29.8.06 (into the 1st Dragoons - The Royals); Indian Army 11.6.10 (Indian Army officers spent a year with a British regiment prior to joining their chosen unit). He had a Proficiency certificate from the Cavalry School (either Saugor or Netheravon - I'd assume the former), was qualified at the School of Musketry and was qualified in Punjabi, but only at the Obligatory level (!)

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George Newall Watson was commissioned into the 14th Hussars on 27.1.09 (b. 29.12.88), and then into the 13th Duke of Connaught's Lancers (Watson's Horse) 25.7.14. Substantive Captain 1.9.15. Qualified at the School of Musketry and on the Machine Gun. He is noted as "Not having passed the Final Examinations), though of what I am uncertain. I wonder if it might be the obligatory Hindustani (compulsory for all officers). He also seems not to appear in the section of "War Services".

3 hours ago, Lancashire Fusilier said:

 

Julian,

 

I am sure the members would enjoy seeing his photograph, which you may wish to post alongside your ' Soldier ' Forum post, and I know Steven would love to see it.

 

Regards,

LF

Sure would.

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Thank you Steven for that information. 

I should not have said a better photograph, merely more formal (lacking the jaunty leg off the table).King's Indian Orderly Officers 1925.JPG

 

an amusing aside to this is that these photos are held in the V&A Lafayette collection and in those photos one of the officers is incorrectly named and a relative has sent in the photo above to provide proof, but you will see in that photo that my uncle and some of the other officers have been given a moustache makeover and the King has acquired a new headdress!

http://lafayette.org.uk/kin8581.html

An interesting account of the Indian officers' day out in London can be read here.

http://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2014/08/the-kings-indian-orderly-officers.html

 

But I digress. Reginald Watson was involved in the battle at Ostend, commanding HMS Lord Clive on the dates given before. I have seen quite a few of the names in the account of the battle in a list of subsequent D.S.O. awards and shall trawl the Gazette for early 1919 to see if I can come up with anything,

Many Thanks to you all

Julian

 

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Julian,

 

Excellent photographs, and changing the King's headdress was an early form of ' photoshop '.

I also took the liberty of adding some colour to one of the photographs of Major Watson, and here is the result.

 

Please let me know if you find any further information on Capt. R. J. N. Watson's possible Bar to his D.S.O., and I shall keep looking also.

 

Regards,

LF

GWF Indian offs standing col pic rev.jpg

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LF and Steven

I've come to the conclusion that the Bar for Capt. R.J.N. Watson R.N. in the book is probably an error.

I've spent a lot of time trawling though the Gazette and have found nothing despite trying all permutations of his name and initials and widening the date range to a year. I then found the (excellent) website www.naval-history.net which lists all D.S.O. recipients in the Navy along with details of combat. It seems that in the Ostend raid his ship was mainly giving covering fire so I'm assuming it is unlikely that would have led to anything more than the mention in despatches he received.

Lastly, in the National Archive of Scotland I have found the Navy Lists which also has a chronological list of D.S.O. recipients. The navy lists of 1920 would surely have been up to date and checked (I'm also assuming) and those sailors who had Bars are listed by the date of their first D.S.O.

 

Navy List 1920.JPG

 

From the Naval history website I see that the French made him a Chavalier of the Legion of Honour, so I have a bit more research to do there.

Thank you both for your help.

Julian

 

 

 

 

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It may be that he was recommended for a Bar but no award made; that then gets passed on to 'history' as an award. Not uncommon.

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  • 2 months later...
Guest Hannibal
On ‎03‎/‎12‎/‎2012 at 20:26, Lancashire Fusilier said:

I now have listing on all the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) recipients from 1886 - 1923.
Apart from the D.S.O. listings, the book also provides more detailed information and photographs on many of the D.S.O. recipients.
If any member would like me to look up a particular D.S.O. recipient, I shall be pleased to do so.
LF

Hello

I wonder if you could help me by supplying any information you may have on the DSO citations for the following WW1 brothers:

SAMUEL HENRY DOAKE, DSO. RFA. Awarded in the Kings Birthday Honours 3 June 1918. Posthumous award. Killed 30 March 1918.

RICHARD LIONEL VERE DOAKE, DSO, MC. Bedfordshire Regiment. Survived. 8 March1919?

I have the sword of Samuel Doake and am writing an article on both brothers for the Armourer magazine.

Thanks

Hannibal

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Guest Hannibal

Hello

I wonder if you could help me by supplying any information you may have on the DSO citations for the following WW1 brothers:

SAMUEL HENRY DOAKE, DSO. RFA. Awarded in the Kings Birthday Honours 3 June 1918. Posthumous award. Killed 30 March 1918.

RICHARD LIONEL VERE DOAKE, DSO, MC. Bedfordshire Regiment. Survived. 8 March1919?

I have the sword of Samuel Doake and am writing an article on both brothers for the Armourer magazine.

Thanks

Hannibal

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On 1/9/2017 at 11:37, Hannibal said:

RICHARD LIONEL VERE DOAKE, DSO, MC. Bedfordshire Regiment. Survived. 8 March1919?

I will have something on Richard at home - will drop you a PM with what I have if you like?

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I wonder if you could help solve a mystery?

There is in the family a DSO medal. It is attributed to 2nd Lt. Leonard Llewellyn EVANS. However, I have not been able to find any confirmation of this; Leonard certainly was awarded the M.C. in WWI*, but not, that I have found, the DSO. 

Please could you check your records to confirm that either way; and if it is not Leonard's, then it is most likely a relative of his with the surname Evans. Is it possible to obtain a list of Evans DSOs that I can cross check against the family tree? Sorry, it's a common surname.

Thank you in advance

Roger Fentiman

(Photos available if it is of interest.)

 

*Gazette Info:

Gazette issue 30651. Military Cross; For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When sent to reconnoitre the front line and bring back information, he was wounded, but completed his task in broad daylight and reported the dispositions of the line to battalion headquarters before going to the aid post.

Gazette Date :23/04/1918

Gazette Page: 5001

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The award of the D.S.O. to T./Capt. Richard Lionel Vere Doake M.C. was announced in the London Gazette of 7 March 1919

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31219/supplement/3225

but the citation was not published until 4 October 1919

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31583/supplement/12222

 

Edit to add:- Are you aware that T./Capt. R. L. V. Doake was also awarded the Croix de Guerre?

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31393/supplement/7398

and Mentioned in Despatches

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31439/supplement/8587

 

and Capt. (A./Maj.)Samuel Henry Doake was also Mentioned in Despatches

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31439/supplement/8587

 

 

 

Edited by HarryBrook
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My apologies for the erroneous link to the M.I.D. for Capt. (A./Maj.) Samuel Henry Doake, the correct one is:-

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30693/supplement/5978

As the D.S.O. was in the King's birthday honours list there was no published citation.

A notice of his death was published in The Times on Monday 8 April 1918, and on Thursday 18 April 1918 an obituary was published, they may be of interest.

 

Doake, Samuel Henry, The Times, Mon. 8.4.1918.JPG

Doake, Samuel Henry, obit, The Times Thurs. 18.4.1918.JPG

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  • 4 months later...
   On 3 December 2012 at 20:26,  Lancashire Fusilier said: 

I now have listing on all the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) recipients from 1886 - 1923.
Apart from the D.S.O. listings, the book also provides more detailed information and photographs on many of the D.S.O. recipients.
If any member would like me to look up a particular D.S.O. recipient, I shall be pleased to do so.
LF.

 

Hello.

 I'm trying to find out about a DSO awarded to Lieut.Col. James Thomson Rankin Mitchell (1888-1918) 11th battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. I believe he was also awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm, and was mentioned several times in dispatches. He went to France in June 1915 as second in command of the 13th Royal Scots and was promoted to Lieut. Col. some time before 1918. I have seen him referred to as Major James Mitchell, and he came from Bannockburn in Scotland. He died  in the Queen Alexandria Hospital in London on April 1st 1918 as a result of wounds inflicted at Arras on 28th March 1918. As his centenary is approaching it would be lovely if we could find out some more about him.

I hope you can help.

many thanks,

 

Margaret Pollock

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Hello Margaret, and welcome to the forum. I think, perhaps, it would have been better if you had started a separate topic in 'Soldiers' for Lt.-Col. Mitchell; it might have been more prominent.

 

J. T. R. Mitchell was promoted temp. Maj. on 4 June 1916. He was second in command of 13th Bn. Royal Scots (October 1917 Army List). Link to the London Gazette notification https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29675/page/7224

His D.S.O. was a 1917 New Year's Honours List award so no published citation for a specific action

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29886/supplement/25

He was promoted to acting Lt.-Col. on 13 December 1917

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30519/supplement/1909

His Croix de Guerre was gazetted on 17 August 1918

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30848/supplement/9651 the heading on page 9650 just refers to Croix de Guerre (no mention of with palm).

3 x M.I.Ds.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29890/supplement/219

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30434/supplement/13226

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30698/supplement/6062

 

Edit to add: An obituary was published in the Stirling Observer on 6 April 1918 and noted the following:-

James Thomson Rankin Mitchell was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. James Mitchell of Bannockburn House. Born at Airdrie on 26 March 1888. Educated at the Forrestfield School and Airdrie Academy, later at Edinburgh Academy where he prepared for examination for Oxford. He took his Arts Degree at Oxford with honours and thereafter attended the Scotch (sic) Law Classes at Edinburgh and qualified as a W.S. shortly before the war. Commissioned into the A. & S.H. in October 1914. Promotions to Major when he transferred from A. & S.H. to the Royal Scots. Appointed Commanding Officer of his old Battalion of the A. & S.H. Twice (sic) mentioned in despatches. D.S.O. conferred on him at Buckingham Palace whilst on leave. His elder brother also held a commission in the A. & S.H. and at the time had been invalided home from Salonica and was stationed in Southern Ireland.

 

 

Edited by HarryBrook
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  • 3 months later...
On 20/09/2014 at 22:41, Lancashire Fusilier said:

Now there is listed a Simmonds, T. T/Sub-Lt. Drake Batt. R.N.V.R. but he was also awarded the M.C., and the D.C.M.

Here is the D.S.O. Recipient's Book and London Gazette entries for Symonds, G.

D.S.O. Recipient's Book :

SYMONDS, G. ( D.S.O. London Gazette 4.6.1917 ), T/Lt.-Col., R.F.A.

London Gazette :

London Gazette, 4 June, 1917 - War Office, 4 June, 1917.

His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned rewards for distinguished service in the field.

To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order : .........................

SYMONDS, Guy, Temporary Lieut. Colonel, Royal Field Artillery.

Regards,

LF

 

 

Hi LF,

 

It appears that G Symonds above is the right one.

 

Is there any more info such as a citation or could it have been awarded as part of the Kings Birthday or New Year Awards.

 

I presume 4 Jun is the LG publication date not the date of any 'deed' that merited the DSO?

 

Thanks again.

 

Jim

Edited by Jrmh
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 19 May 2017 at 06:17, HarryBrook said:

Hello Margaret, and welcome to the forum. I think, perhaps, it would have been better if you had started a separate topic in 'Soldiers' for Lt.-Col. Mitchell; it might have been more prominent.

 

J. T. R. Mitchell was promoted temp. Maj. on 4 June 1916. He was second in command of 13th Bn. Royal Scots (October 1917 Army List). Link to the London Gazette notification https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29675/page/7224

His D.S.O. was a 1917 New Year's Honours List award so no published citation for a specific action

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29886/supplement/25

He was promoted to acting Lt.-Col. on 13 December 1917

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30519/supplement/1909

His Croix de Guerre was gazetted on 17 August 1918

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30848/supplement/9651 the heading on page 9650 just refers to Croix de Guerre (no mention of with palm).

3 x M.I.Ds.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29890/supplement/219

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30434/supplement/13226

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30698/supplement/6062

 

Edit to add: An obituary was published in the Stirling Observer on 6 April 1918 and noted the following:-

James Thomson Rankin Mitchell was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. James Mitchell of Bannockburn House. Born at Airdrie on 26 March 1888. Educated at the Forrestfield School and Airdrie Academy, later at Edinburgh Academy where he prepared for examination for Oxford. He took his Arts Degree at Oxford with honours and thereafter attended the Scotch (sic) Law Classes at Edinburgh and qualified as a W.S. shortly before the war. Commissioned into the A. & S.H. in October 1914. Promotions to Major when he transferred from A. & S.H. to the Royal Scots. Appointed Commanding Officer of his old Battalion of the A. & S.H. Twice (sic) mentioned in despatches. D.S.O. conferred on him at Buckingham Palace whilst on leave. His elder brother also held a commission in the A. & S.H. and at the time had been invalided home from Salonica and was stationed in Southern Ireland.

 

 

 

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Dear Harry Brook,

 

Thankyou for all this information.

I did collect it originally in May but it was only on revisiting the site this week that I realised I could reply.

Apologies if I have not replied sooner.

 

It's wonderful to have this information and it is now helping us to trace his elder brother whom we now know was called David Cumming Mitchell ( born around 1883/4, aged 7 in the 1891 census).

By including James' obituary which mentions David and his commission, we are tracing David through the Salonika campaign and the Argylls. He died in the early 1921 in Switzerland, aged 37.

 

The reason we are researching this is as follows:

 

The Mitchell family were among the last owners of Bannockburn house, an old manor house and estate at Bannockburn on the outskirts of Stirling, Scotland.

The House was recently put on the market and a group of townsfolk decided to form a trust to purchase and restore the House. The sale is almost complete, and will hopefully go through. In the meantime we are researching all the families who owned the house from 1685 onwards. 

They have been a distinguished lot with three MP's, a sprinkling of Baronets, a victorian gentleman who created the first fish farm and the Wilson family who were famous for weaving tartan.  ( Paterson, Ramsay, Gibson-Maitland, Mitchell, Pickard and Drake.)

Bonnie Prince Charlie used the house as his headquarters before the battle of Falkirk and again on his way to Culloden.

Also, one of the apprentice gardeners, John Hayes McLaren, emigrated to America where he became famous creating the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

 

If we are successful with the purchase, we hope to hold an ecumenical service to commemorate all the local men who gave the Ultimate Sacrifice in WW1, including a tree planting in memory of Lt. Col James Mitchell and his brother, on April 1st, 1918.

Had either of them lived, the House could still have been in the Mitchell family and would have had a completely different future, but then we could say that about many families.

 

So you see, your information has been crucial in getting us this far.

Thank you for all the work you do enabling these brave men to be remembered and the sacrifice of their families to be understood and respected.

With very best wishes,

 

Yours gratefully,

 

Margaret Pollock

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  • 11 months later...

Hi

Researching for a book. Could you tell me if it was likely for a lance corporal to receive the DSO in WW1 (1917 specifically), and what would be the likely reasons?

Thank you in advance.

Jules

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