Medals from the Collection of Peter and Dee Helmore

Four: Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant T. P. Hender, Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry

1914-15 Star (788 Sjt. T. P. Hender. R. 1st Devon. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (788 Sjt. T. P. Hender. R. 1-Devon. Yeo.); Imperial Yeomanry L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (788 Sjt: T. P. Hender. Rl. 1/Devon I.Y.) cleaned, generally very fine (4) £600-£800

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

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Thomas Peter (Petre) Hender was born at Launceston, Cornwall in 1866 and enlisted initially in the Royal 1st Devon Imperial Yeomanry. Discharged from the Imperial Yeomanry on the formation of the Territorial Army he enlisted in the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry on 24 April 1908 and was awarded the Imperial Yeomanry Long Service Medal per Army Order 104 of May 1908. He was mobilised with the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry as Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant of No. 1 Troop, ‘D’ Squadron on 4 August 1914 and entrained for Winchester before moving to St Osyth, Essex on 1 August 1914. There then followed a period of intensive training whilst guarding the East Coast of England against the invasion scare from August 1914 to September 1915.

Entraining for Liverpool on 22 September the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry embarked on H.M. Transport Olympic, disembarking at Mudros on 2 October 1915. Embarking on Osmanieh, a Khedivial steamer, they landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, on 8 October 1915 and marched to reserve dugouts west of Karakol Dagh. Taking over front line trenches on 3 November 1915, it was whilst in the trenches at Yeoman’s Knoll during a heavy thunderstorm that they were flooded out on 27 November 1915, many men subsequently suffering from severe frostbite. On receipt of notification of evacuation the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry embarked Gallipoli for Imbros and thence to Mudros, arriving on 24 December 1915. Embarking on the Leyland liner Novian for Alexandria they were transported by trams to Sidi Bish Camp on 30 December 1915 and were assigned with the newly-formed brigade to protect the western frontier of Egypt against the Senussi on 12 February 1916.

The Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry and Royal North Devon Hussars amalgamated to form the 16th Battalion Devonshire Regiment on 21 December 1916 resulting in Hender being re-numbered 220002. The newly formed 16th Battalion took over command of part of southern canal section at Deversoir on 8 January 1917. Embarking for home, Hender was discharged on 4 October 1917, aged 50, and was subsequently awarded a 50% Disablement Pension from 7 July 1920. In the 1921 Census he is recorded as a Poultry Farmer aged 54 residing at Buddle Park, St Thomas, Exeter, and in February 1926 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal and clasp (not present). A prominent member of the Exeter and Devon Poultry Society he successfully won over 5,000 prizes together with 8 challenge cups at poultry fancier’s shows throughout the country and judged at numerous fancy shows. He died in Alphington, Exeter on 30 September 1935, aged 68.

Sold with a November 1914 signed postcard depicting Hender in uniform and mounted which notably for the time includes the following wording ‘this is the mare I am riding if all is well across the water’; and copied research.