Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War O.B.E. group of four awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Oakley, Hampshire Regiment

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; Queen’s South Africa 1899-19023 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (14128 Tpr., 47th Coy. 13th Impl. Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals, unofficial M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.), mounted court style for display, good very fine (4) £260-300

O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1919.

M.I.D. London Gazette 31 December 1917.

John Gretton Oakley was born in Bromley in 1878. During the Boer War he served as a Trooper in the 47th Company (Duke of Cambridge’s Own/Lord Donoughmore’s) 13th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. Whilst on active service with them, he was taken prisoner-of-war at Lindley, 31 May 1900 but was later released. Serving in the Great War, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment on 12 October 1914 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 July 1917. He was appointed a Temporary Captain in the Army on 19 March 1917 and War Substantive Lieutenant-Colonel in the Hampshire Regiment and Labour Corps on 24 February 1918. The 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment was despatched to India in January 1915 and then served in Mesopotamia, September 1917-January 1919. His M.I.D. and subsequent O.B.E. were probably for service in the latter theatre of war.