Col. Henry George Gandy, RE, Brigade Major Signals School

[QSAMIKE]

GANDY, H. G. (Henry George)

REG. NO.: N/A

RANK: LIEUTENANT

REGT: ROYAL ENGINEERS - TELEGRAPH BATTALION

BARS: CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902

REMARKS / HISTORY:

1. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER, GEORGE V. CAPTAIN H.G. GANDY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

2. OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, FIRST TYPE, CAPTAIN H.G. GANDY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

3. AFRICA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, BAR: SOMOLILAND 1902-1904, JIDBALLI, LIEUTENANT H.G. GANDY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

4. 1914 STAR WITH BAR, CAPTAIN H.G. GANDY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

5. 1914 - 1918 WAR MEDAL

6. INTERALLIED VICTORY MEDAL, MAJOR H.G. GANDY, ROYAL ENGINEERS

7. TURKISH ORDER OF THE MEJIDIE, 4th CLASS

Turkish Mejidie Order (Mecidi Nishani) - Established in 1852 by Sultan Abdulmejid I, this order became the quintessential decoration of the Ottoman Empire. The order came in five classes, with the highest class limited to 50 members, and the lowest class limited to 6,000. This limitation did not apply to foreign recipients, however, and many examples were awarded to foreign diplomats, heads of state, and British, French, and German military personnel. The badge is a seven-pointed star in silver, with a gold central medallion, around which is a red enameled band bearing four plaques with the words "Zeal, Devotion, Loyalty" and the year AH 1268 (1852) on the bottom plaque. Between each ray of the star are small crescents and stars. The badges of the order are suspended from a red enameled crescent and star device. The ribbon is bright red with narrow green stripes inset from each edge.

8. LONDON GAZETTE 27922 - PROMOTED TO ACTING CAPTAIN 08-06-06

9. LONDON GAZETTE 27924 - 22-06-06 - POSTED 1st NEWCASTLE ON TYNE ROYAL ENGINEERS TO BE ADJUTANT.

10. LONDON GAZETTE 28122 - PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN.

11. LONDON GAZETTE 29001 - MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES - December 9th, 1914 - SIR JOHN FRENCH

12. LONDON GAZETTE 29200 - MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES - June 18th 1915 - SIR JOHN FRENCH

13. LONDON GAZETTE 29320 - PROMOTED TO MAJOR - October 8th, 1915

14. LONDON GAZETTE 29480 - PROMOTED TEMPORARY COLONEL AND APPOINTED BRIGADE MAJOR AND SECRETARY SCHOOL OF MILITARY ENGINEERING

15. LONDON GAZETTE 30730 - AWARDED OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MILITARY) -

16. NOTE: H. S. GANDY ON Q.S.A.

17. VERIFIED P.R.O. WO-157/104 - 161/9

18. Q.S.A. ISSUED July 11th, 1906

COLONEL HENRY GEORGE GANDY, DSO, OBE, R.E.

27 Nov 1879: Born at Barndale House, Alnwick, Northumberland, son of Captain Charles Gandy, 1st King's Dragoon Guards, and Mrs. Dorothy Jane Gandy

Educated at Seabank School, Alnmouth, and Sedbergh School, Yorkshire, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

14 Mar 1899: Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Engineers.

25 July 1901: Promoted Lieutenant

1901 - 1902: Service in the South African War. Awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps [CAPE COLONY] [ORANGE FREE STATE] [TRANSVAAL][sOUTH AFRICA 1901][sOUTH AFRICA 1902].

1902 - 1904: Service in Africa. Awarded the Africa General Service Medal with clasps [sOMALILAND 1902-04] [JIDBALLI]. Served in the third and fourth expeditions against the Mad Mullah in East Africa (Abyssinia and Somaliland) with the Telegraph Detachment, Royal Engineers.

08 Jun 1906: Appointed Adjutant, Royal Engineer Volunteers.

14 Mar 1908: Promoted Captain.

01 Apr 1908: Titled changed to Adjutant, Royal Engineers Territorial Force.

1908: Fired in the Class I Competition of the Royal Engineers Rifle Association. Took 4th place with a score of 91/100. Was assigned at the time to the Northumbrian Division Royal Engineers.

13 Jan 1909: Vacated post of Adjutant, Royal Engineer Territorial Force.

21 Jan 1909: Employed with the Egyptian Army.

24 Jan 1909: Appointed Assistant Director of Telegraphs in the Sudan. Gandy held the post for less than two years. He was invalided on October 23rd, 1912, and never returned to the Sudan. During his brief tour of duty he was occupied chiefly in surveying under most trying conditions in unhealthy areas.

1910: In the spring of 1910 he reconnoitred up the Sobat River for a line to connect Taufikia with Nasir, close to the Abyssinian border.

1912: In the beginning of 1912 he surveyed up the pestilential Bahr el Ghazal from Tonga to Meshra er Req to determine the feasibility of connecting Tauifikia by telegraph with Meshra. This project was abandoned, however, when he reported that 40 miles of cable would be needed for the line. He was remembered in the Sudan, not only as an engineer, but as an artist whose sketches and caricatures gave pleasure to many.

21 Feb 1913: Vacated the post of Assistant Director of Telegraphs.

28 Mar 1913: London Gazette announcement of the award of the Order of the Medjidieh, 4th Class.

1914: To France and Flanders with the Old Contemptibles.

Sep 1914: Mentioned in the Despatches of Field Marshal Sir John French (1). Slightly Wounded and Invalided to England.

25 Nov 1914: Joined the 107th Field Company, Royal Engineers with the 26th Division. The company was formed at St. Mary's Barracks in Chatham.

Jun 1915: Mentioned in Despatches.

23 Jun 1915: London Gazette announcement of the award of the Distinguished Service Order. DSO awarded for work with the 2nd Corp R.E. from Aug 1914 to Apr 1915.

12 Aug 1915: Promoted Major.

01 Jan 1916: Appointed Brigade Major and Secretary, School of Military Engineering, (S.M.E.), Telegraph and Signals Section, Chatham, Kent . Brigade Major Signals.

Jun 1918: Awarded the O.B.E.. 09 Oct 1918: Vacated post of Brigade Major and Secretary of the S.M.E.

For service in the Great War awarded the 1914 Star and bar, British War Medal, and Victory Medal with MID device.

23 Oct 1919: Appointed Assistant Military Attache to His Majesties Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.

Dec 1920: Serving in Gibraltar.

22 Nov 1924: Promoted Lieutenant Colonel.

Jun 1926: Serving as Commander Royal Engineers in Ceylon.

1927: Still listed as serving under the Foreign Office.

Sep 1928: Serving in Colombo Ceylon. Lt. Col. Gandy played for the "Brewery Billiard Cup". The cup was presented by the Ceylon Brewers for annual competition between teams of five from the senior Messes in Colombo. Gandy's team won 4 of the 5 games played.

22 NOVEMBER 1928: PROMOTED COLONEL - azette Issue 33442 published on the 27 November 1928. Page 9 of 124

1929: Address listed as Wester Hall, Humshaugh, Northumberland. Club: Junior Naval and Military. Serving as Deputy Chief Engineer, Southern Command.

18 may 1932: Retired pay. -

Gazette Issue 33827 published on the 20 May 1932. Page 7 of 74

1938: Still living at same address in Northumberland.

Cannot find any service during WW2. (i.e. Home Guard)

Died: July 19th, 1950.

[Jerry B]

A very good group and well researched. I wonder why it has a Generals cap badge at bottom right?

[Scalyback]

With a background like that why did he not rebadge to Royal signals? Did RE have more clout with dimplomtic corp?

[QSAMIKE]

A very good group and well researched. I wonder why it has a Generals cap badge at bottom right?

Those are the Badges and Buttons that came with the medals.....

Mike

[QSAMIKE]

With a background like that why did he not rebadge to Royal signals? Did RE have more clout with dimplomtic corp?

I guess that he is the only one who could answer that question......

Mike