The Ron Penhall Collection: Important Awards and Memorabilia of Lawrence of Arabia Interest

A Great War O.B.E. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Rae, Indian Army, who was also mentioned in despatches for his services in the Bikanir Camel Corps in Palestine in 1917-18

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarks for London 1919; British War and Victory Medals. M.I.D. oak leaf (Maj. J. G. Rae); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (Maj. J. G. Rae, 4-6 Raj. Rif.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Delhi Durbar 1911, very fine and better (7) £400-500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection: Important Awards and Memorabilia of Lawrence of Arabia Interest.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919:

‘For services with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.’

James Gordon Rae was born in Aberdeen in June 1883 and was educated at Edinburgh and the R.M.C. Sandhurst.

Subsequently commissioned in the 123rd Outram’s Rifles, he first witnessed active service in a small anti-gun running expedition in the Persian Gulf in early 1910, when he was embarked in the R.I.M.S. Hardinge and landed by boat on the coast on several occasions - coming under fire on at least one occasion, namely at the capture of a rebel base at Hasar. He was not, however, among the handful of military officers to qualify for Naval General Service Medal, clasp ‘Persian Gulf 1909-14’.

Embarked for Egypt in January 1917, as a Company Commander, he was later attached to the Bikanir Camel Corps, in which capacity he was mentioned in despatches by Allenby for his services in the period September 1918 to January 1919 (London Gazette 5 June 1919 refers), this in addition to his award of the O.B.E.

Having then served in the Waziristan operations as a Major in the re-titled 4-6th Rajput Rifles in the early 1920s, and been placed on the Retired List as a Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1932, Rae served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the 1939-45 War, onetime at Manatee, the landing craft base at Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight - where, no doubt, he was able to fall back on his experiences in the Hardinge in the Persian Gulf. He died in Hampshire in June 1949.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s O.B.E. warrant, dated 3 June 1919, his Record of Officers’ Services, with extensive entries, and a file containing a number of certificates, together with Admiralty letter of appointment to Chatham Barracks, dated 13 February 1944, letter of discharge, dated 14 October 1944, and Admiralty condolence slips (2), forwarding his Defence and War Medals.