Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War ‘Ypres and St Eloi’ D.C.M. group of five awarded to Colour Sergeant J. T. Pavitt, Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), later Machine Gun Corps, for his gallant conduct including carrying out sniping duties ‘by day and night’

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (8601 A.Cpl. J. J. Pavitt. 1/Leins: Regt.); 1914-15 Star (8601 L.Cpl. J. T. Pavitt. Leins. R.); British War and Victory Medals, with small M.I.D. oak leaves (8601 Sjt. J. T. Pavitt. Leins. R.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (7809183 A-C-Sjt. J. T. Pavitt. M.G.C.) edge nick to DCM, otherwise good very fine (5) £1400-1800

D.C.M. London Gazette 23 June 1915:
‘For conspicuous gallantry at Ypres on 5th and 6th April, 1915, in erecting wire entanglements on two occasions under close fire of the enemy, whose main trench was within 60 yards. Corporal Pavitt has done consistent good work, volunteering to go out sniping by day and night, and has previously been noted for gallant conduct at St Eloi on 14 March, 1915.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 22 June 1915.

John Thomas Pavitt was born at Fulham, London in 1890, and attested for service with the Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment at London in November 1907. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he served with them in India, before transferring to the 1st Battalion, probably wishing to remain in India with the newly arrived 1st Battalion, rather than return home with the 2nd Battalion.
On the outbreak of the Great War, the 1st Battalion was still stationed at Fyzabad, India. On the 16 October 1914, it embarked at Bombay and landed at Plymouth on 16 November, where it immediately entrained for Morne Hill, Winchester, having been assigned to the newly formed 82nd Brigade, 27th Division. Parvitt embarked with the Battalion at Southampton on 18 December 1914 and landed at Le Havre the following day. Lance Corporal John Pavitt is confirmed as having entered the France and Flanders theatre of war with his unit, on the 19th December 1914. Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his conspicuous gallantry near Ypres, on 5-6 April 1915, he was also Mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatch of 5 April 1915, the Regimental History stating that this was in connection with 'services in connection with the operations round St Eloi and Ypres.’
The 1st Battalion Leinster Regiment, along with the remainder of 27th Division, moved to Salonika in December 1915, before Pavitt transferred to the 82nd Company, Machine Gun Corps in May 1916. He later transferred to the 8th Battalion Machine Gun Corps, and subsequently served with them during the Russian Intervention. Arriving in Murmansk on 20 May 1919, the 8th M.G.C. sailed with convoy and icebreakers for Archangel, arriving at Archangel on 26 May 1919. The following day they marched to Sobornaia Wharf, and on 9 June 1919 proceeded up the Dwina River.
The Battalion embarked for the U.K. on 27 September 1919, and after a short period of home service was transferred to India, where Pavitt is confirmed as having been stationed at Gough Barracks, Trimulgherry, Secunderabad in March 1920. Allocated the new army number 7809183, he continued to serve with the Machine Gun Corps, and saw further active service during the Arab Revolt in Iraq, where his unit served as Divisional Support Troops to the 6th Division during the campaign. He died in 1959.