Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Edward VII East African operations D.S.O. group of seven awarded to Major-General L. H. R. Pope-Hennessy, C.B., D.S.O., Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Distinguished Service Order, E.VII.R.; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1897-98 (Lieut. R. P. Hennessy, Oxford L.I.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 5 clasps, Jubaland, Somaliland 1902-04, Nandi 1905-06, East Africa 1905 (a contemporary copy clasp), Somaliland 1908-10 (Lt. L. H. R. Pope-Hennessy, Oxf. L.I.); 1914-15 Star (Major L. H. R. Pope-Hennessy, D.S.O., Oxf. & Bucks. L.I.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Brig. Gen. L. H. R. Pope-Hennessy); Legion of Honour, Chevalier, silver-gilt and enamels, the group mounted court style for wearing, backstraps of clasps removed for mounting purposes, minor enamel damage to wreaths of the first, otherwise nearly extremely fine (7) £4000-5000

D.S.O. London Gazette 13 March 1908: ‘For services during minor operations in East Africa 1902-06.’

Ladislaus Herbert Richard Pope-Hennessy was born in 1875, son of Sir John Pope-Hennessy, K.C.M.G., M.P., of Rostellan Castle, Co. Cork. He entered the Welch Regiment in 1895 and became Lieutenant in the Oxfordshire Light Infantry in 1898, being employed with the West African Frontier Force in the hinterland of Lagos (Medal with Clasp); He served in the British East Africa Protectorate with the King’s African Rifles from September 1899; took part in the operations against the Ogaden Somalis, Jubaland 1901 (Medal with Clasp); operations in Somaliland, East Africa 1902-03 (Despatches, Clasp); East Africa 1905, in command of operations in Sotik (Despatches); operations in Nandi 1905-06 (Despatches, Brevet of Major, Clasp); specially employed during operations in Somaliland, East Africa, 1908-10 (Despatches, Clasp).

During the Great War, Pope-Hennessy held various Staff appointments as G.S.O. 3 and G.S.O. 2 in France 1915-16. He commanded the 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, in Mesopotamia 1916-17; was G.S.O. 1 3rd Indian Division 1917; B.G.G.S. 1st Indian Army Corps 1917-19 (Despatches four times, Legion of Honour, Brevets of Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel).

Appointed A.A.G. at the War Office 1920-24, he served as A.A. and Q.M.G. with the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control in Berlin 1924-26, and as Military Attaché in Washington 1927-30. He was made a C.B. (Military) in 1926 and was Commander of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division and Area from 1931 until his retirement in 1935. During the Second World War he was G District Warden with Hampstead A.R.P. until his death on 1 March 1942.