A fine Great War C.M.G., scarce ‘North West Frontier 1908’ D.S.O. group of eleven awarded to Brigadier-General P. T. Westmorland, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, late Bedfordshire Regiment and West India Regiment, attached Army Pay Department, who served as a Brigade Commander during the Great War, and over the course of his career was three times Mentioned in Despatches for services on three different continents.
The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt, gold appliqué and enamel, with integral gilt riband buckle.
Distinguished Service Order, E.VII.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar.
East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1893-94 officially named to: Capt: P. T. Westmorland. 1/W.I.R.
Ashanti Star 1896, the reverse privately engraved ‘P T W’.
Queens South Africa 1899-1902, no clasp officially named to: Major P. T. Westmoreland [sic], 3/W. India. Rgt.
Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Gambia officially named to: Major P. T. Westmorland, 3/W. India. Rgt.
India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908 officially named to: Major P. T. Westmorland. 1st. R. War. R. rank officially corrected.
1914-15 Star officially named to: Lt: Col: P. T. Westmorland. 19/Lond: R.
British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves officially named to: Brig. Gen. P. T. Westmorland.
Minor enamel damage to the first two; light pitting and contact marks to the three VR awards, and minor edge bruising to the AGS, otherwise very fine and better.
C.M.G. London Gazette 14 January 1916.
D.S.O. London Gazette 14 August 1908:
‘In recognition of services in connection with the recent operations against the Zakka Khel and Mohmands.’
Percy Thuillier Westmorland was born on the 25 July 1863, the son of Colonel J. P. Westmorland, Royal Engineers, and the late Rose Julia, eldest daughter of the late General Sir Henry Thuillier, C.S.I., Royal Artillery. He was educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned into the Bedfordshire Regiment on 9 September 1882, being promoted Captain on 28 August 1889. He was transferred to the West India Regiment on the 7 December 1892 and was employed with the Army Pay Department from 12 May 1894 to 31 December 1897.
Westmorland served on the West Coast of Africa in 1894, with the Expedition of the Gambia against Fodey Silah, for which services he was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 4 May 1894). He next saw service with the Ashanti Expedition of 1895-96 and was promoted Major on 22 December 1897. He saw further service in the South Africa during the Boer War 1899-1900 as Staff Officer, Glencoe and in command at St Helena, before proceeding to West Africa in 1901 with the Expedition of Gambia.
Transferring to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Westmorland served with the 1st Battalion on the North-West Frontier of India and in 1908 took part in the operations in the Mohmand country, for which service he was again Mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for the action near Matta Mughal Khel on 24 April 1908:
‘While the left column under Colonel Unwin was occupying the attention of the right flank of the Mohmand position, General Anderson's right column was going into action near Matta. Here up to 8,000 tribesman (mainly from the Baezai clan) had constructed a series of strong sangars stretching for about one and a half miles along a line of low foothills. The right column made up of 1150 infantry drawn from six different corps included 300 men from the 1st Royal Warwickshire’s under the command of Major Westmorland. They prepared to advance up the slopes to the west, which were covered with flags and the sangars of the tribesmen who were clearly present in great strength along a front of one and a half miles. Anderson brought forward all of his infantry in line and prepared to attack. The action began at 07.00 and lasted until 10.20. Anderson's orders forbade him from doing anything more than driving the enemy to his right as the dominating feature, he ordered the men of the Warwickshire Regiment under Major Westmorland to seize the knoll and clear it. The general advance had not progressed very far when the tribesmen opened a heavy fire, the Royal Warwicks charged straight on their objective, the small hill, pushing parties up the slopes, then collecting together in an area of dead ground near the crest before rushing the summit with fixed bayonets and taking the hill. Eventually the position was won and the tribesmen fell back into the hills towards the Burjina Pass after having received - and given out - a fair degree of punishment.’ (Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India refers).
Westmorland retired from the service on 4 December 1912, but was recalled following the outbreak of the Great War and served initially as Commanding Officer, 19th Battalion, London Regiment on the Western Front from 10 March 1915, and later as Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. For his services during the Great War he was Mentioned in Despatches for a third time (London Gazette 1 January 1916) and was created a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. He saw further service with the Lincolns in Egypt in 1916, before returning to the Western Front as Commanding Officer of the 9th Battalion, Royal Scots, and was promoted Brigade Commander, 151st Infantry Brigade, in September 1916. Following the cessation of hostilities he joined the Territorial Force Reserve, and was latterly employed with the Ministry of Munition. He was one of the 134 descendants of the Rev. C. Cardew, D.D. (1747-1831), Rector of St. Erme, Cornwall, who served in the British forces in the Great War. He died in London on 4 June 1929.
Sold with copied research, including a photographic image of the recipient.
Product Code: EM3934
