An M.B.E. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Commander W. A. Dye, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who as a member of the British Armoured Car Detachment in Russia was arrested by the Bolsheviks

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., R.N.V.R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Commr., R.N.V.R.) extremely fine (4) £800-900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Royal Naval Air Service and Armoured Car Squadrons.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 2 January 1939. ‘William Alfred Dye, Esq., Staff Officer, Admiralty’.

M.I.D. London Gazette 11 August 1917.’Lieut.-Cdr., R.N.V.R.’

Williamd Alfred Dye entered into the R.N.A.S. on 1 March 1915 and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the R.N.V.R. (London Gazette 16 March 1915), serving with the Armoured Car Section. After being attached for a period to the Belgian Government he was then posted as an officer in Locker Lampson’s Russian Armoured Car Squadrons. In early January 1916, as Lieutenant-Commander and Adjutant, he directed the evacuation of vehicles and stores to Tiraspol. In 1917, with the Bolshevik Government then in power in Moscow, Dye was one of a small number of officers and men in the Armoured Car unit still remaining in Russia. A Reuters’ report takes up the tale:

Petrograd, Feb. 2 - “Red Guards” appeared at the quarters of Commander Dye and Lieut. Smith, of the British Armoured Car Detachment, at 3 o’clock this morning and presented a warrant for the arrest of Commander Dye on a charge of being the owner of two bombs which were found in a room in the Hotel Astoria after their departure. The warrant was signed by the commission for combating the counter revolution.

After his belongings had been searched, Commander Dye, whom Lieut. Smith accompanied, was driven under arrest to the former Prefecture of Police, where he was brought before the commission. Several hours were spent over the examination. The officers were eventually enabled to communicate with the Embassy, and after assurances had been given by Colonel Thornhill, the assistant military attache, they were released.

The officers and men of the Armoured Car Detachment had been asked to leave the Hotel Astoria at short notice, and one of the men while packing overlooked two unloaded grenades, souvenirs of the fighting in which they had participated’.

Whilst Dye was released, Smith remained in custody for several more days and was closely questioned about the immobilisation of the armoured cars at Kursk.

In August 1917 Dye was was mentioned in despatches; in his service papers it is stated, ‘To be mentioned for good work with Russian Armoured Cars’. Just prior to the Second World War, Dye was awarded the M.B.E. for his work with the Admiralty. Sold with copied service paper and otther research.