Six: Major H. G. Morrell, Indian Army, who was Mentioned in Despatches for the operations in Mesopotamia in 1914-15, taken prisoner after the siege of Kut in April 1916, and was again Mentioned in Despatches for the Iraq Campaign 1919-20

1914-15 Star (Captain H. G. Morrell, 119 Infy.); British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Capt. H. G. Morrell); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (Major H. G. Morrell.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (Maj. H. G. Morrell. 2 K. Rfls.); Defence Medal, mounted as worn, scratch to obverse of BWM otherwise good very fine (6) £300-£400

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

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Harold George Morrell was born in 1885 in Burcot, Oxfordshire. He was a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, before being commissioned Second Lieutenant in August 1905 and placed on the unattached list, being appointed to the Indian Army in October 1906. He was advanced Lieutenant of 36th Jacob’s Horse on 5 November 1907 and transferred in 1908 to 75th Carnatic Infantry in Trichinopoly. Appointed Quartermaster in 1909 and Adjutant in 1911, he was attached to the 34th Divisional Signal Company as Company Officer in 1911 and transferred to 119th Infantry in April 1914. Promoted to Captain in August 1914, he served in Mesopotamia with the 34th Divisional Signal Company and was appointed Assistant Director of Army Signals in April 1915 while serving in that theatre. Morrell was with General Townsend’s army in its initial advance on Baghdad and was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 5 April 1916) ‘for operations in Mesopotamia between November 6th 1914 and April 14th 1915’.

At the time of the Battle of Ctesiphon, 21 November 1915, the strength of the 34th Company was one British and one Indian Officer, 61 British and 133 Indian Other Ranks. Of these, 23 became casualties in that battle.

Morrell was present throughout the siege of Kut-al-Amarah from December 1915-April 1916 and became a prisoner of war on the surrender of the town on 29 April 1916. He re-joined the 119th Infantry after his release in 1918 and served with it through the Iraq Rebellion of 1919-20. He was again Mentioned in Despatches, this time in General Haldane’s despatch of 5 July 1921 (London Gazette 3 September 1921) ‘for distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty’. His was the only M.I.D. to the regiment for Iraq.

Morrell went on to serve in Waziristan with the war-raised 2/50th Kumaon Rifles, which was disbanded after these operations in 1922. During the Second World War Morrell was commissioned Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Reserve (London Gazette 26 September 1939), and was advanced Squadron Leader, admin duties, on 15 April 1940. He relinquished his commission on 8 October 1945.

After the war, Morrell was a Sheriff of Oxfordshire from 1951-53 and High Sheriff in 1954. He died in Ploughley, Oxfordshire, on 10 May 1968.