Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War Battalion Commander’s D.S.O., M.C. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. P. Burnett, 8th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment and 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar, this adapted to slide fitting for mounting purposes; Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued; 1914-15 Star (Capt. R. P. Burnett. S. Staff. R.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Col. R. P. Burnett.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, original court-style mounting though now a little frayed, the Great War trio rather polished on the obverse, otherwise better than very fine (7) £2,400-£2,800

D.S.O. London Gazette 3 June 1919:
‘For Military Operations in France and Flanders’.

M.C. London Gazette 1 January 1917.

M.I.D. London Gazette 18 December 1917, 28 December 1918 and 9 July 1919.

Richard Parry Burnett was born on 18 March 1891, in Rotherham, Yorkshire. His family moved to Oxley, Wolverhampton, and he was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School. Qualifying as a civil engineer, he volunteered for military service on 5 August 1914, and was selected for a commission into the 8th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, raised in Litchfield. Appointed Captain in May 1915, he appears to have been a member of the Battalion’s advance party, landing in France on 16 July 1915. The Battalion joined 51st Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division, which had been selected for home service, but that was reversed and they proceeded to France, landing in July 1915 and concentrating near St Omer. They moved into the Southern Ypres salient for trench familiarisation and then took over the front lines in that area. In the spring of 1916 they were in action at the Bluff, south east of Ypres on the Comines canal, then moved south to the Somme, seeing action during the Battle of Albert in which the Division captured Fricourt, and the Battle of Delville Wood. Appointed Major in July 1916, he was wounded in the right foot on 10 July on the Somme. In November 1916 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 8th South Staffordshires. In 1917, the Battalion moved to Arras and saw action in the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the Capture of Roeux. Wounded again on 27 May, this time in the arm and head, he was sent as Quartermaster to the Army Infantry School upon his recovery. Returning in April 1918, Burnett was attached to the 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) as commanding officer. He remained with the 7th Royal Fusiliers until its return to England in May 1919. He then applied for a permanent commission and this was granted in January 1921 to the York and Lancaster Regiment.

During the inter-war years, Burnett served at home and in India, and only regained his Great War rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on his retirement from the Army in December 1938. At the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined the Regiment, and in 1941 was commanding the 11th Battalion. He relinquished command of the 11th Battalion on 12 May 1942, and was appointed Commander (Acting Colonel) of the Cambridge sub-area the same day. Appointed Temporary Colonel in November 1942, he relinquished command of the Cambridge sub-area on 15 March 1943. He subsequently received a glowing reference from Brigadier General Lesslie:

"I was in command of the 190th Infantry Brigade, 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, in France, from June 1918 until April 1919. Throughout this period Temp. Lt-Col. R. P. Burnett D.S.O. M.C. commanded the 7th Royal Fusiliers, one of the three Battalions of the Brigade, and I was, therefore in constant touch with him. I regarded him as a very efficient Commanding Officer, capable, energetic, tactful, possessed of initiative and not afraid of responsibility, he set a fine example to the personnel of his unit, and to him, to a great extent, is due the credit of the excellent record of this Battalion during the closing months of the War. If proof is needed that I was right in my appreciation of his qualifications, and of his general good service, it lies in the fact that he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and was later selected for a Commission in the Regular Army. It gives me great pleasure to record that, in my opinion, he well deserved this recognition. I am confident, moreover, that however employed, he will continue to add to the fine record of service which he has already achieved.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Burnett died in March 1971 at Wincanton, Somerset.

Sold with original documents including Warrant for D.S.O. (mounted on board), three M.I.D. certificates (all Field Marshal Haig), full record of service (Army Form B199A), two portrait photographs in uniform, and a certified true copy of Brigadier-General Lesslie’s testimonial dated May 1931; together with copied research.