A Second World War M.B.E. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Thomas Pepperdine, Royal Engineers

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, S.E. Asia 1945-46, Malaya (Lt. Col., M.B.E., R.E.) 2nd clasp attached by cotton; Army L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (1853860 WO. Cl. 1, R.E.) mounted for wear, nearly extremely fine (8) £300-350

M.B.E. London Gazette 11 July 1940. “No.1853860 Warrant Officer Class I (Superintending Draughtsman) Robert Thomas Pepperdine, Royal Engineers.’

Robert Thomas Pepperdine was born in the Military Female Hospital at Brompton, Gillingham, Kent on 26 February 1904, the son of Sergeant, later Company Sergeant-Major Robert Pepperdine, R.E. and Jessie Ann Pepperdine, nee Nye, of 5 Fieldwork Terrace, Brompton Barracks, Gillingham. He enlisted for Boy’s Service in the Royal Engineers in February 1919 and for adult service in February 1922. Promoted to Corporal in January 1926, Sergeant in October 1926 and Staff Sergeant in September 1929. Stationed in Belfast from 1930, he married Olive Edna Boyd at St. James’s Church, Belfast in February 1932. Appointed Warrant Officer Class 2 (Quartermaster Sergeant) in September 1932 and Warrant Officer Class 1 in November 1936 - serving as Superintending Draughtsman in Darlington. Awarded the M.B.E. in July 1940. Commissioned a Lieutenant (Quartermaster) in February 1941 at which he was posted with his family to Singapore and Penang. With the Japanese invasion of the peninsula, his wife and child were fortunate to be evacuated to Australia; Pepperdine managed to escape capture by proceeding to Java and thence Ceylon. It is believed he remained in Ceylon until the end of the war, being promoted to war substantive Captain (Quartermaster) c.1942 and war substantive Major (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) in December 1943. Immediately after the end of the war, he returned to S.E. Asia and served in the ‘clear-up’ operations there. In January 1946 he was appointed a Lieutenant (Quartermaster) in the Regular Army, being promoted to Captain (Quartermaster) in June 1946 and Major (Quartermaster) in March 1950. Awarded the Army L.S. & G.C. c.1949. After service in Malaya, he retired in September 1955 as an Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel. Pepperdine ceased to be in the Reserve of Officers in February 1959. He died in Virginia Water on 10 October 1985, aged 81 years.

With a quantity of copied research. With a silvered prize medal for Tennis, inscribed, ‘B.A.O.R. W.O’s and Sgts. Tennis League Winners 1927-28 & 29 Sergt. Pepperdine R.E.’