Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-War C.B. and Great War ‘Mesopotamia’ C.I.E., D.S.O. group of 13 awarded to Major-General R. S. St John, 40th Pathans and 20th (Brownlow’s) Punjabis, Indian Army

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s 3rd type neck badge, gold and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with integral top ribbon bar; India General Service 1895-1902, 1 clasp, Punjab Frontier 1897-98 (Lieut. R. S. St. John 40th Bl. Infy.); China 1900, no clasp (Lieutt. R. S. St John 40th Punjab Infy.); 1914-15 Star (Maj. R. S. St. John, 20/Infy.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt-Col. R. S. St. John.); Defence Medal; Delhi Durbar 1911, silver; Japan, Order of the Sacred Treasure, 5th Class breast badge, silver, gilt and enamels; Serbia, Order of Karageorge, 4th Class breast badge with Swords, silver, gilt and enamels, connecting ring between badge and crown replaced with wire; U.S.A., Military Order of the Dragon (Lieut. R. S. St. John 40th Pathans No. 727) complete with original ribbon and Pagoda top suspension pin, generally very fine or better(13) £4,000-£5,000

C.B. London Gazette 3 June 1927.

C.I.E. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

D.S.O. London Gazette 3 June 1917.

Order of the Sacred Treasure, 5th Class, permission to wear granted 5 April 1904.

Order of Karageorge, 4th Class with Swords London Gazette 15 February 1917.

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 April 1916 (Despatch of General Sir John Nixon, I.E.F. ‘D’, Mesopotamia, April-September 1915; mentioned three times for operations at Khafajjiyah, Aamara, and Kut-al-Amara); 19 October 1916 (Despatch of Lt.-General Sir Percy Lake, I.E.F.; 15 August 1917 (Despatch of Lt.-General Sir S. Maude, C-in-C Mesopotamia).

Richard Stukeley St John was born on 15 January 1876, second son of R. F. St John and Julia Louisa, daughter of Rev. William Churchill. He was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on the Unattached List, 22 January 1896, and appointed to the Indian Army (Staff Corps) on 11 April 1897. He was appointed Officiating Wing Officer, 40th Pathan Regiment, Bengal Infantry, on 2 August 1897, and promoted to Lieutenant on 11 April 1898. Appointed Double Company Officer, 40th Bengal Infantry, attached 20th Punjab Infantry as officiating Double Company Officer (temporary), 14 June 1900; on Staff of China Field Force as Field Intelligence Officer, 1 September 1901; Aide-de-Camp, China Field Force, 1 October 1902 to July 1903; Captain, 22 January 1904; Officiating Officer Adjutant, 20th Infantry (Duke of Cambridge Own - Brownlow’s Punjabis), 6 May 1904; Staff College, Quetta, June 1907 to October 1908; Double Company Commander, 3 October 1908; Staff Captain, Allahabad Brigade, 10 February 1909; D.A.A. & Q.M.G., Karach Brigade, 1 June 1911; Major, 22 January 1914; Brigade Major, 22 May to 27 July, 1915; Temporary Commandant, 20th Bengal Infantry, 10 October 1915 to early 1916; A.Q.M.G. Indian Expeditionary Force ‘D’, 9 March 1916 to 7 June 1917; Lieutenant-Colonel, 3 June 1916; Embarkation Commandant, Bombay Brigade, June 1917 to November 1919; Second in Command, 20th Bengal Infantry, 27 May 1918; Commandant, Administrative Base and Lahore Brigade Area, November 1919 to March 1921; Commander, Lahore Brigade Area, November 1922 to May 1926; D.A & Q.M.G., Northern Command, 2 April 1924; Major-General, 26 March 1926; Brigade Commander, 13th Indian Light Infantry Brigade, 17 May to 3 November, 1926; retired 1929. India and China Medals; Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure; served European War 1914-18 (despatches, D.S.O.); Serbian Order of Karageorge (with crossed swords). Major-General Richard St John died on 6 June 1959.