Orders, Decorations and Medals

The outstanding Great War C.B.E., D.S.O. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Arnold ‘Jacker’ Strode-Jackson, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, attached Rifle Brigade and King’s Royal Rifle Corps, the legendary Olympic record breaker and Gold Medallist, wounded three times, mentioned six times and the second of only seven men to win a fourth D.S.O. in the Great War, by the end of which he was the youngest acting Brigadier in the British Army

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., with Second, Third and Fourth Award Bars; 1914-15 Star (Lieut. A. N. S. Jackson, Rif. Brig.) sometime gilded; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. A. N. S. Jackson) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (5) £15000-20000

D.S.O. London Gazette 4 June 1917: general citation, attached 13th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade.

First Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 18 July 1917: Captain (Temporary Major), attached 13th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade. ‘For conspicuous gallantry during lengthy operations, when he assumed command of the battalion and, although wounded on two separate occasions, was able to carry out most valuable work. By his skill and courage he offered a splendid example to all ranks with him.’

Second Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 13 May 1918: Captain (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel), attached 13th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. ‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. His battalion was subjected to an intense bombardment throughout a whole day, which caused many casualties and cut off all communication by wire with the front-line companies. He handles the situation with such skill and initiative that when the enemy attacked towards evening the casualties caused by the bombardment had been evacuated and replaced by reinforcements and communication with the front line had been re-established. It was entirely due to his powers of command and the splendid spirit with which he inspired his men that the attack on the greater part of his front was repulsed, and that the enemy, though they penetrated into parts of the front line, were counter-attacked and held at bay until the arrival of reinforcements. By his skilful dispositions he materially assisted the counter-attack which finally drove the enemy back with heavy losses and completely re-established the position.’

Third Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 2 December 1918: Captain (Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel), attached 13th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps. ‘For conspicuous gallantry and brilliant leadership. During an attack by our troops Lt.-Col. Jackson advanced with the leading wave of his battalion, and was among the first to reach the railway embankment. The machine-gun fire against them was intense, but the gallant leading of this officer gave such impetus to the assault that the enemy’s main line of resistance was broken. He was subsequently wounded during the work of consolidation.’

Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 15 June 1916, 23 July 1917, 21 December 1917, 24 May 1918, 28 December 1918 and 12 January 1920.

Arnold Nugent Strode Strode-Jackson (Jacker) was born in 1891 and educated at Malvern College and Brasenose, Oxford, where he took a degree in law. He represented Brasenose at football, hockey and rowing but was best known as an athlete being President of the Oxford University Athletic Club in 1914. He won the mile each year in the College and inter-University Sports. In 1912 at the Olympic Games at Stockholm, he won the 1500 metres in the then world record time of 3 minutes 56.8 seconds, beating three famous American milers. It was Britain’s only track gold medal of the games.

On the outbreak of war in August 1914 he was commissioned in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and, in September 1914, was attached to the 13th (Service) Battalion, The Rifle Brigade. He went over to France with the battalion and was with them until promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1918, when he took command of the 13th Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He held command until October 1918 when he was promoted Acting Brigadier. He was awarded the D.S.O. and three bars; the first two awards during his attachment to the Rifle Brigade, the others whilst commanding the 13th (Service) Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He was mentioned in despatches six times and was a member of the British Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference for which he received the C.B.E. in 1920.

Arnold Strode-Jackson was wounded three times, the last wound leaving him lame for the rest of his life. He was a very keen and able supporter of athletics, was a Member of the Olympic Council in 1920, and a moving spirit in the formation of the Achilles Club. He lived for many years in the U.S.A. where he had an exceptional career in industry and was a magistrate in Connecticut. He directed the first Kentucky Derby Festival in 1935. During World War II he was a Colonel on the staff of the Governor of Kentucky, and Administration Officer of the Inspection Board of U.K. and Canada in New York and Ottawa, in charge of Inspectors and Anti-Sabotage precautions. He used also to meet convoys coming into New York and give what help he could to returning servicemen. In 1963, on the death of his wife, he returned to Oxford where he lived until his death on 13 November 1972.

Sold with original Warrant and Statutes for the D.S.O., tunic ribbon bar for the first three, various news cuttings and obituaries and other research. See also Lots 507, 563, 696, and 704 for miniatures and related family medals.