A Collection of Medals to The Royal Engineers

A Coronation 1953 C.B., Burma operations C.B.E., Great War M.C. group of eleven to Brigadier-General L. I. Jacques, Royal Engineers

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Military Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1953, together with miscellaneous uniform buttons and pips, and tunic ribands, the Great War period awards with contact wear and polished, good fine, the remainder very fine and better (11) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to The Royal Engineers.

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C.B. London Gazette 1 June 1953.

C.B.E. London Gazette 8 February 1945. The recommendation states:

‘Brigadier Jacques was Chief Engineer, 21 Corps before being appointed Chief Engineer, 15 Indian Corps. He has had under his control a great number of additional formation engineers and corps and army units, which he has dealt with without any increase in staff. He is a good adviser and all of his forecasts have been accurate. The results of his projects compare very favourably with any others in the Arakan. His service has not yet been recognised in this war, and a s the success of the campaign rested largely on communications, I consider that his services are now worthy of recognition.’

M.C. London Gazette 8 March 1919: ‘For marked gallantry and devotion to duty at Knocke on 21 October 1918, when he carried out a reconnaissance of the canal crossing and constructed a bridge in the face of very heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. Throughout the operation he showed great coolness and determination and set a high example to his men.’

Leslie Innes Jacques was born in December 1897 and was educated at Clifton and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

Commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant in April 1916, he served out in France and Flanders and was mentioned in despatches by Sir Douglas Haig for his services with 223rd Field Company, R.E. for the period February to September 1918, which dates encompassed the retreat on the Somme in March, the fighting at La Bassee Canal and the Battle of Lys (London Gazette 23 December 1918). His subsequent M.C.-winning exploits were for bravery at Knocke in October 1918, by which time he was a substantive Lieutenant.

Jacques briefly served out in Egypt after the War, returning to appointments at Cambridge, Chatham and Bulford until the mid-1920s, when he was advanced to Captain and attached as Adjutant to the 50th Northumbrian R.E. Territorials. And during the 1930s he served out in India and was advanced to Major in November 1934, but did not win entitlement to any further awards.

The 1939-45 War witnessed Jacques serving with distinction in North Africa and Burma, and he was awarded the C.B.E. and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 9 May 1946) for the latter theatre of war, in addition to gaining advancement to full Colonel in September 1944.

His post-war appointments included a stint of service as Chief Engineer in West Africa in the late 1940s and he retired in the rank of Brigadier in December 1953, a few months after being awarded the C.B. in the Coronation Honours List.