Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Lieutenant-Colonel F. C. A. Himely, Devonshire Regiment, later Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, an Extended Service Commission Officer who served from 1935 to 1964

Defence and War Medals 1939-45 (Lt. Col. F. C. A. Himely 64105 Devon Regt.) contemporarily engraved naming; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, E.II.R. (Major F. C. A. Himely. T.D. Devon & Dorset.) unit partially officially corrected; Efficiency Decoration G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Territorial, the reverse officially dated 1950 and additionally privately engraved ‘Lt. Col. F. C. A. Himely. 64105. Devon Regt.’, with one Additional Award Bar, the reverse officially dated 1950, and integral top riband bar, mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine, the GSM believed unique to unit (4) £260-£300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore.

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Frederick Charles Albert Himely was born at Macagua, Cuba in 1909. The son of a Cuban medical practitioner who brought his whole family to England and settled in Torquay, the family’s Certificate of Naturalisation is dated 1 September 1921. Educated at Newton Abbot College and a member of the OTC based at the college he subsequently trained as a Chartered Accountant and qualified in 1931. Appointed Second Lieutenant in the 6th (Territorial) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment on 9 March 1935 he attended annual Camp in each of years prior to the Second World War and had been promoted to Captain by the time he was embodied with the 6th Battalion on 1 September 1939. He embarked at Glasgow for attachment to the Indian Army and was posted to the 14/5th Mahratta Light Infantry on 8 March 1941. Appointed Second in Command of the 14/5th M.L.I. (with the rank of Acting Major) on 20 February 1942, the battalion were posted to Addu Atoll, Maldive Islands on 22 October 1942, and he served there until being posted back to India to attend the Combined Operation Course which he passed in August 1943. Appointed Commandant Acting Lieutenant Colonel 14/5th M.L.I. on 19 February 1944 he disembarked with his battalion at Basra, Iraq, P.A.I. Force on 14 February 1945. Returning to India on 9 May 1946 he relinquished command of the 14/5th M.L.I. on disbandment of the battalion on 11 September 1946.

Granted a Short Service Regular Army Commission in the Devonshire Regiment with the rank of Major on 1 November 1946, Himely returned to UK and was posted to the South West Infantry Training Centre on 11 March 1947. Various posting then followed both in the UK and Nigeria which presumably took account of his civilian professional qualifications and during this time he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration with Clasp on 20 June 1950. Taken on strength of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment on amalgamation on 29 April 1958 he was posted to Wessex Brigade Depot, Exeter on 12 January 1959. Posted to FARELF he was taken on strength Combined Statistics and Record Centre, Singapore on 31 January 1959, the very last day to qualify for his General Service Medal with clasp Malaya, the single day’s service being the requirement, leading to his possibly uniquely named G.S.M. to an officer in the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Returning to the UK in 1961, further staff postings both at home and in BAOR followed before he finally relinquished his commission on completion of his service with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 1 November 1964, after a total service of 29 years and 236 days. He retired to Newton Abbot, Devon and died whilst visiting Rhodesia on 28 March 1979, aged 69.

Sold with copied service record and other research