Lt-Col J. H. Levey DSO OBE

[michaeldr]

If you have an interest in the Royal Naval Division, then you will no doubt have read Douglas Jerrold's history. You must also have enjoyed and been amused by the included note from Hugh Lunn, entitled "The Time of Preparation." The hero of this brief description of the RND's early days of training at the Crystal Palace is the Chief Military Instructor's second-in-command:

"The best drill instructor is he who can deal with every lapse or negligence, however trivial, as though it were an unprecedented phenomenon, a demonstration deliberately planned to sap loyalty, to sow dissension in the ranks, to debauch the nation, to enhearten the enemy, and to bring the Empire crashing to the ground. Such a drill-instructor was Lieutenant Levey."

A private in the Scots Guards in 1899 Levey, went on to earn the DSO at St. Julien in 1917 and he ended the war as a Lieutenant Colonel, serving as the Deputy Inspector of Training under Maxse

For a brief bio of this interesting character go to

here

Regards

Michael D.R.

[Resurgam13]

This is Lieutenant-Colonel Levey's own copy of Jerrold's History.

[michaeldr]

This officer's name crops up in a few other GWF threads, most recently here https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/306009-social-class-represented-in-regimental-surnames-officers-vs-other-ranks/#comment-3227737
[but also here https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/162733-jewish-highlanders/#comment-158120
and here https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/8080-far-from-a-donkey/#comment-68834 ]

His DSO is mentioned on WO 372/12/69303 (and his MiD on WO 372/24/37643) and both are mentioned in the half-yearly Army List:-
“Levey, Joseph, DSO, OBE. Born 24/3/81.
Comsd. 10/10/14. Capt. 1/1/17. Brev. Maj. 3/6/18. Lt-Col (Army) 1/7/20. ret. Grd. Higlirs. 1/7/20”

He is also pictured with both medals

However, I have never been able to pin down the latter award. I imagine that it was in respect of his work on training with Maxse (including two handbooks which he wrote) but I have not been able to confirm this. 

Can anyone oblige?

Thanks for your interest, Michael

 

 

 

 

 

[Tawhiri]

His DSO citation appeared in the Gazette of 9 January 1918.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30466/supplement/564

And his award of the OBE appears in the Gazette of 3 June 1919, one in a very long list of OBE awards that spans multiple pages.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31370/page/6801

[michaeldr]

Many thanks for that link. Judging by the date, it's the Birthday Honours, so we're unlikely to find a specific reason for the award.

Thanks again, Michael