Orders, Decorations and Medals

Family group:

An impressive Great War Somme operations C.M.G., Gallipoli operations D.S.O. group of eleven awarded to Colonel I. T. Standish, Royal New Zealand Field Artillery

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (8776 Tpr., N.Z.M.R., 8th Cont.), single initial ‘I.’; 1914-15 Star (2/283 Lt. Col., N.Z.E.F.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (2/283 Lt. Col., N.Z.E.F.) initials officially corrected on War Medal; War Medal 1939-45; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45; Coronation 1911; Coronation 1937; New Zealand Long and Efficient Service (Lt. Col., C.M.G., D.S.O., R.N.Z.A.), the third, fifth and last with officially corrected initials, the former also with contact marks and polished, thus good fine, the remainder very fine and better

A Second World War North Africa operations M.C. group of seven attributed to Lieutenant J. W. Standish, New Zealand Engineers

Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1943’; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; New Zealand War Service Medal 1939-45, together with his uniform rank insignia and a Returned Services Association badge, extremely fine (Lot) £2500-3000

Ivon Tatham Standish, who was born in December 1883, was awarded his D.S.O. in respect of services in No. 3 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery:

‘For conspicuous gallantry in the Gallipoli Peninsula on 27-28 August 1915. He was controlling the fire of a very exposed section of guns, performing this duty on a flank under heavy fire, when one of his guns was put out of action, and a fire broke out around his ammunition pit. He at once left his observation station, ran to the pit, and personally assisted in extinguishing the fire’ (London Gazette 29 October 1915 refers).

His Great War services also resulted in him being awarded a brace of “mentions” (London Gazette 5 November 1915 and 1 June 1917 refer), in addition to the C.M.G. for his command of 3rd Brigade, N.Z. Field Artillery in France during the period September 1916 to February 1917 (London Gazette 4 June 1917), the original recommendation for the latter stating:

‘Lieutenant-Colonel Standish is an exceptionally good artillery officer, except at administration, very quick and seldom wrong in decision: an accurate eye for country, good knowledge of tactics, and a capacity for quickly establishing intimate co-operations with all infantry with whom he has to work. During the Somme battle his brigade did very good work and always afforded good supporting fire to the infantry. One of his batteries (the 13th), having captured - when our infantry passed through them - two German field guns, till one was destroyed and a wheel of the other shot away by hostile guns. His brigade suffered severe casualties and made four advances during the battle of the Somme. At Armentieres he covered more raids than any other Brigade Commander. At Fleurbaix he gave satisfactory support on all occasions to our infantry.’

Between the Wars he rose to senior command in New Zealand, his appointments including A.A. and Q.M.G., Northern Command 1923-27; Chief Staff Officer, Central Command 1928-31; Q.M.G. General Headquarters, Wellington 1931-34; Adjutant-General and Assistant Director of Artillery G.H.Q. 1934-35 and Officer Commanding Central Command, Wellington 1935-39.

Placed on the Retired List after serving as Adjutant General Army H.Q. Wellington in the 1939-45 War, Standish died in September 1967.

John Wordsworth Standish was serving in No. 7 New Zealand Field Company, N.Z. Engineers, at the time of winning his M.C., the recommendation for which states:

‘Lieutenant Standish has been a Platoon Commander of a Field Company during the whole advance of the 8th Army from Alamein, and during the many actions in which his unit has taken part he has displayed outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty.

Between the initial attack and breakthrough on 21 March 1943 at the gap between Tebaga and the Matmata Hills, Lieutenant Standish lead his platoon on the clearing of lanes through deep minefields and on the construction of tracks to the forward areas. These minefields were subject to heavy shelling and determined dive bombing and machine-gunning from low flying aircraft, but by his coolness and personal example, Lieutenant Standish maintained rapid progress so that the work was completed for the move forward of the armour.

On 16 April 1943, in order to remove the obstacle to our forces and particularly give freedom of movement to our tanks, Lieutenant Standish was given the task of lifting an enemy minefield across the Cairouan-Enfidaville Road just outside the village of Enfidaville. As his party approached the area, the enemy commenced heavy shelling and covered the minefield by heavy machine-gun fire. Despite the increasing intensity and accuracy of the enemy fire, Lieutenant Standish pushed on but handicapped as his men were by having to crawl from mine to mine, progress was slow. Nevertheless, Lieutenant Standish moved about encouraging his men and directing them and kept persevering for some three hours until nightfall, when, under cover of darkness, he quickly and calmly reorganised his detachment and completed the work. A mixture of over 500 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines was lifted. This important task was particularly difficult and hazardous and called for determination, endurance and leadership of an exceptionally high order.’