A fine Second World War prisoner of war’s M.B.E. group of seven awarded to Warrant Officer 2nd Class T. Primrose, Seaforth Highlanders, who ‘rendered great assistance to our cause by clandestine activities, details of which it is undesirable to publish - this required considerable ingenuity and the taking of risks’


The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (3043 Pte. T. Primrose, Seaforth); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (2811580 Cpl. T. Primrose, Seaforth); 1939-45 Star; War Medal, M.I.D. oakleaf; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (2811580 W.O. Cl. 2 T. Primrose, Seaforth), mounted as worn, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, the Great War pair with contact marks, edge bruising and polished, and the British War Medal with slightly bent suspension bar, good fine, the remainder good very fine (14) £800-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the 1939-45 War.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 1 November 1945:

‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services while a prisoner of war.’

The original recommendation - upgraded from a “mention” - states:

‘This Warrant Officer was on the permanent staff of Stalag XXB for four years and personally organised the parcel department of the camp. Although continually obstructed by the German authorities he maintained his organisation and it was solely due to his efforts that each man in the Stalag received regularly his weekly food parcel, his allotment of cigarettes, medical comforts, and his private parcels until the camp was evacuated by the Germans in January 1945. In the course of these duties this Warrant Officer rendered great assistance to our cause by clandestine activities, details of which it is undesirable to publish. This required considerable ingenuity and the taking of risks.’

Thomas Primrose was mentioned in despatches for services in the 2nd Battalion, Seaforths, in the Great War (London Gazette 9 July 1919 refers), and was awarded the British War & Victory Medals (his MIC refers). Taken P.O.W. while serving in the B.E.F. in France in 1940, he was, as cited above, interned in Stalag XXB and, in addition to his M.B.E., won another “mention” (London Gazette 11 October 1945 refers). Clandestine activities aside, Primrose displayed further gallantry and initiative in the final days of the War, when, amidst the chaos of the German retreat, he went out to forage for food and medical supplies, on one occasion ending up in the middle of a tank battle.

Sold with original M.B.E. card forwarding box and two original Associated Press photographs, the latter depicting a Seaforth Corporal searching an Arab and a group of Seaforths in the field in Palestine (the Corporal is assumed to be the recipient), together with copied research, including extracts from the book Barbed Wire Doctor, by Brigadier A. Crook, M.C., in which Primrose is mentioned on a number of occasions.