Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Pozières, August 1916’ M.C. group of four awarded to Lieutenant T. D. Harvey, Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Machine Gun Corps, who died in Nigeria in 1918 whilst attached to the Nigeria Regiment

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse inscribed ‘Lt. T. D. Harvey. Machine Gun Corps. Pozières, Aug. 1st. 1916’, mounted on original investiture pin; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. T. D. Harvey.) naming erased on B.W.M.; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Nigeria 1918 (Lieut. T. D. Harvey. R.W. Fus.) the last three mounted for display with the M.C., good very fine or better (4) £1,000-£1,400

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917: ‘Temp. 2nd Lt., attd. M. Gun Co.’

‘Nigeria 1918’ is unique named to an officer in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Thomas Daniel Harvey was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, and enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corps in September 1914, a dentist by profession. Promoted to Corporal in February 1915, he was discharged from the 70th Field Ambulance R.A.M.C. on 21 March 1915, having been granted a commission in the 12th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He served in France from 23 May 1916, and was wounded whilst serving with the Machine Gun Company at Pozières on 3 August 1916, with shrapnel wounds to the left wrist, left thigh and right Os Calcis, these being considered small and superficial. He was, nevertheless, repatriated to England and was on medical leave until 6 September.

Harvey was awarded the Military Cross without citation in the 1917 New Year gazette but he clearly felt that this was for his work at Pozières, these details being inscribed on his award. According to his obituary in The Isle of Man Times it was awarded ‘for conspicuous bravery in handling his machine gun whilst in a position of grave danger.’ He was transferred to the West African Frontier Force in September 1917 and attached to the Nigerian Regiment. Whilst serving in Nigeria in 1918, he died of influenza at Zungeru on 17 October and is buried in the cemetery there.