Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of five miniature dress medals attributed to Sir Eustace J. Missenden, Colonel-Commandant, Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, Royal Engineers, Order of the British Empire, 1st type, O.B.E., on 2nd type civil ribbon; Order of St. John, silver and enamel; France, Legion of Honour, 4th Class, silver-gilt and enamel; Belgium, Order of Leopold I, 5th Class, silver and enamel; U.S.A., Medal of Freedom, without palm, mounted Court style as worn, good very fine and better (5) £80-100

Eustace James Missenden was born on 3 March 1886 and was educated in Folkestone, Kent. He joined the South Eastern & Chatham Railway in 1899 and after undergoing several years of training in several departments, was transferred to the office of the superintendent of the line in 1906. Following the railway grouping in 1923 he was appointed Divisional Operating Superintendent of the London (East), Southern Railways. In 1933 he was appointed Docks and Marine Manager at Southampton, a position he was to hold until 1936, when he was appointed Traffic Manager of the Southern Railway. In 1939 he was appointed General Manager. As such he was responsible for the heavy flow of military traffic on the country’s southern railways during the war years. For his services he was knighted in 1944, was made a Knight of Grace in the Order of St. John and received several foreign honours, including the U.S.A. Medal of Freedom with gold palm. From 1949 to 1951 he was Colonel-Commandant of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps of the Royal Engineers (T.A.). Sir Eustace retired from the railways in 1950 and died on 30 January 1973. Sold with a signed photograph and newspaper obituary clipping.