A Civil C.B.E. group of three awarded to Major John Samuel Champion Davis, Oudh Light Horse

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Volunteer Officers’ Decoration, V.R.I. cypher, reverse inscribed, ‘Captn. J. S. C. Davis, Oudh Light Horse, hallmarks for Birmingham 1898, with top bar; Delhi Durbar 1903, silver, unnamed, with buckle on ribbon, these two mounted for wear; together with ‘English Eight Club’ Badge (2), silver and enamel; another, bronze and enamel, these with buckles on ribbons; B.R.C.S. War Service Medal 1914-18, bronze, these unnamed, nearly extremely fine (6) £550-650

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Long Service Medals from the Collection formed by John Tamplin.

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John Samuel Champion Davis was born on 21 February 1859, the second son of Rev. S. Davis, Vicar of Burrington, North Devon. Educated at Rossall and Balliol College, Oxford, he entered the Indian Civil Service of the United Provinces in 1880. He was Junior Secretary and Joint Secretary of the Board of Revenue, 1886-91; Settlement Officer, 1893-97; Deputy Commissioner, 1900-09; Commissioner, 1903-06; and on special duty with the Viceroy, 1903. He retired from the service in 1906. He held commissions in a number of local Indian Volunteer Corps from 1888, including the United Provinces Light Horse and Oudh Light Horse. He retired with the rank of Major in 1907. Returning to Devon, he became a Member of the Devon County Council; Member of the Devon Territorial Force Association; Deputy Chairman of the Exeter Diocesan Board of Finance; County Director of the British Red Cross Society, and Treasurer of the University College of the South West, Exeter. For his work in the control of the Red Cross and and V.A.D. in Devon he was awarded the C.B.E. in 1918. Major Davis, C.B.E., D.L., J.P., M.A., V.D. died on 12 February 1926. With some copied research.