Decorations

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Orders, Decorations & awards

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  Order of the British Empire    
462 An unusual and rare MBE group to an officer the Welsh Regiment badly wounded in the "Defence of Jerusalem", and as a result seconded temporarily to the RAF in Egypt.  MBE (GVR) Military, BWM & Victory (Capt. J.A. Bonnyman RAF) T.F.W.M. (Lt. Welsh Regt.)    
  MBE LG 3rd June 1919. 2nd Lt. (A./Capt.) John Alexander Bonnyman (Welsh R., T.F.) (Egypt)  

John Alexander Bonnyman was born in South Shields, Durham on 27th November 1887. Educated University College, and served an engineering apprenticeship with Smith’s Docks. In 1911 he was described as a Mechanical Engineer & Ship Repairer for the same company, and living in South Shields. At the outbreak of WW1 he was noted as qualified as a draughtsman and marine surveyor, and as a University Lecturer in Engineering. He was also Assistant Manager, Smiths Docks of Teeside & Tyneside. By now he was living in Llandaff, Cardiff. (He seems to have worked for the company alternating between South Shields and Cardiff although his family lived in Cardiff)

For some reason he travelled back from Cardiff to Newcastle - perhaps he had relatives living there - and enlisted as a private in the 9th Bn. Northumberland Fusiliers on 5th September 1914, at nearly 27 years of age. His father is given as James Smith, 11 Howells Crescent, Llandaff, Cardiff.  However, on the 21st December 1914, he was discharged from the Fusiliers as “not likely to become an efficient soldier”. Perhaps this was an administrative ploy, as four days earlier, on  17th December, back in Cardiff, he had been commissioned into the 4th T.F. Bn. Welsh regiment - strange indeed!

He was posted to the 24th (Glamorgan & Pembroke Yeomanry) Bn. Welsh Regiment, joining the 231ST Brigade of the 74th Yeomanry Division in Palestine on 30th June 1917. He joined in time to take part in the Third Battle of Gaza 27 October - 7 November 1917, including the Capture of Beersheba on 31 October, and the capture of the Sheria Position on 6 November, the capture of Jerusalem 8 - 9 December 1917 and in the Defence of Jerusalem 27 - 30 December 1917.

"Having celebrated Christmas Day in Jerusalem, thoughts now turned to the immanent Turkish attack, and as a pre-emptive strike, on  Boxing Day night 1917, the 24th Welsh attacked the Turkish positions on Hill 1910. The attack was fiercely opposed by the Turks, and  resulted in savage in hand to hand fighting. Before the Welsh had time to consolidate, a fierce Turkish counter-attack drove them back off the hill. However half an hour later the Welsh launched a second attack and re-captured the position. It is during this fighting that Bonnyman was probably wounded, as he was recorded as having gunshot wounds to face, and bomb (grenade) wounds to head and face on 27th December. (worth checking the War Diary for further details)"

He was hospitalised and subsequently graded B1on 21st March 1918. No doubt because of his engineering background, on 27th July he was seconded to the RAF Engine Repair facility in Egypt as an acting Captain on administrative duties. On 30th May 1919 he was transferred to the unemployed list.

On 12 September he relinquished his R.A.F. commission on re appointment to the Territorial Force., and was permitted to retain the  rank of Lieut. He served with 3rd Northamptonshire Bde. RFA as a Lt. with precedence as from 1st July 1917. Promoted to Captain 74th Northampton Brigade RFA on 28th July 1920.

After demobilisation he returned to his old position with Smith’s Docks, and lived at 2 Belgrave Tce, South Shields. He eventually returned to South Wales, living at Wood Cottage, Sketty, Swansea. His business address was 104, Bute Street, Cardiff (the Docks area). In 1929 he patented a design for “an improved cargo hatch cover”.

His last LG entry is; Capt. J. A. Bonnyman, M.B.E., having attained the age limit relinquishes his commission. and retains his rank, 11th  Dec. 1937. Died in Cardiff, 1st quarter, 1957.

   
  A complex story, probably worth researching further. Research papers included. NEF £1175
       
531 An interesting "cold war" civilian BEM awarded for services with the Telecommunications Liaison Group, War Office, Berlin. BEM (EIIR) Civil type. (Walter John Manton Scott) 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, Defence & War Medals.    
  BEM LG.2nd June 1962 Technical Assistant Class II, Telecommunications Liaison Group, War Office, Berlin. This is the only BEM that I can find for this place which was a major "cold war" listening post associated with GCHQ, and a "hot-bed" of "spooks", with all sorts of nefarious goings-on - including digging tunnels to try to tap into Russian and East German telecommunications lines. Could be a very interesting story here - well worth researching. More info about the period being regularly released by the National Archives and there are a number of books on the subject of this "hidden war".    
    VF £545
  Military Cross    
480

A Good fighting M.C. group of three awarded to Captain Stanley Turner Cooke of the ‘Cast Iron 6th’ ‘ -  6th  Bn (City of London Rifles) London Regt. MC (G.V.R),  British War Medal and Victory Medal (Capt S.T. Cooke)

   
 

M.C. London Gazette 15 February 1919; citation 30 July 1919.

‘This officer led his company with great gallantry on August 31st, 1918, in the attack on Marrieres Wood. On attaining his objective he reorganised the battalion and details of other battalions, and led them forward under heavy machine-gun fire to a trench 500 yards in front of the objective, which he held and occupied for 36 hours, though subjected to heavy shelling during the greater part of the time. He showed great courage and coolness under fire, and set a very fine example to all ranks.’

Marriers Wood recaptured by 58th Division 31st August 1918.

   
  Stanley Turner Cooke, appointed a Lieutenant in the 6th Battalion London Regiment (City of London Battalion Rifles) in March 1914 and Captain in December 1915. To France March 1917. With copied confirmation of awards. Later worked for the Ministry of Labour as an Officer in the Employment and Insurance Department.    
  Published history: “Cast Iron Sixth” A History Of The Sixth Battalion London Regiment The City Of London Rifles by Captain E G Godfrey MC  ISBN 1843421704     
    AEF £1395
       
  Distinguished Conduct medal    
       
AS The extremely rare D.C.M. awarded to Shawish Abdel Rahman Ahmed, Equatorial Battalion, for his gallantry during the Turkhana patrol in 1918. ONE OF ONLY THREE DCM'S EVER AWARDED TO THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.    
 

   
  Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (2006 Shawish Abdel Rahman Ahmed, 6/Coy. Equatorial Bn) small correction to company number; Khedive’s Sudan 1910-22, 2nd issue, 1 clasp, Aliab Dinka, unnamed as issued, very fine and better.

D.C.M. London Gazette 20 April 1920. ‘Action against Northern Turkana and kindred tribes on 3 July 1919’. One of only three D.C.M’s. awarded to the Egyptian Army. Also received a Mention for Good Services by Special Army Order issued by H.Q. Khartoum, 18 January 1921 - for good services against the Aliab Dinka, 1919-20. With good research.

   
    GVF £3,750
       
  Military Medal    
518 Military Medal, GVR (43179 Private I. P. Marriot, 6th Northamptonshire Regt) British War Medal and Victory Medal both named (26991 Private I.P. Marriot, Bed. Regiment) .    
  MM, London Gazette 17th April 1917. Isaac P. Marriot

Probably for operations on the Ancre 16th January-13th March 1917, and most likely for Miraumont on 17th-18th February 1917.

   
    VF £595
       
519 Military Medal, GVR (M2-114160 Pte T. C. Shorrocks, M.T. ASC). British War Medal and Victory Medal (M2-114160 Pte T.C. Shorrocks, ASC)    
   MM, London Gazette 19th November 1917.    
  Private T.C. Shorrocks, Motor Transport, Army Service Corps.was from Oldham. GVF £395
       
533 A well earned "fighting" WW2 crossing of the Rhine operations M.M. awarded to Sapper J. W. Angel, Royal Engineers, attached 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers, a gallant reconnaissance car Bren gunner who had earlier served in 22 Bomb Disposal Company. MM G.VI.R. (1914153 Sapr. J. W. Angel, R.E.)    
 

M.M. London Gazette 7 June 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘On 25 March 1945, Sapper J. W. Angel was Bren gunner in a recce. car accompanying 6/King’s Own Scottish Borderers in the advance to gain a bridge on the River Issel north of Hamminkeln. When the leading infantry came under fire, Sapper Angel engaged the enemy and drew their fire thus assisting the infantry to locate and silence them. Later when the infantry were hard pressed by counter-attacks, Sapper Angel moved out in his recce. car in full view of the enemy and by engaging them with his Bren gun forced them to go to ground. After replenishing his ammunition he patrolled round neighbouring farmhouses on foot to deal with enemy parties that had infiltrated and later brought forward under gun and small arms fire his unit’s explosives truck which was required for work. Throughout the action Sapper Angel displayed complete disregard for his own safety and his initiative and offensive spirit in co-operating with the infantry were proof of his very fine sense of duty and his determination to carry it out.’ 

James Walter Angel, who was born in Hamworthy, Devon in April 1906, enlisted in the Royal Engineers in January 1940 and quickly saw action in France with the B.E.F. in January 1940. He was evacuated from France on 10th June 1940 probably during  Operation Cycle which was the evacuation of Allied troops from Le Havre from 10 to 13 June 1940, when 11,059 British and Allied forces were evacuated, and followed Operations Dynamo and Ariel.

Having then served in No. 3 Lines of Communication, he was posted to No. 22 Bomb Disposal Company, based in Colchester, in August 1941, where he served until removing to No. 8 Decks Group in July 1943 and then in October, to No. 279 Field Company, R.E. It was in the latter unit that he went out to France on 13th June 1944, seeing action throughout the North-West Europe operations up until the end of the War. Angel was placed on the Reserve in December 1945, the month after he received a £5 LSGC gratuity.  With hand written service details.

Entitled also to 1939/45 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence & War Medals.

   
    GVF £1950