Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Great War Mesopotamia operations D.S.O. and Bar, O.B.E. group of ten awarded to Colonel J. Body, East Kent Regiment, a veteran of the hard fought relief of Kut and Tigris operations who was also four times mentioned in despatches for his command of the 1/5th Battalion in 1916-18, and afterwards led “Body’s Column” against Sheik Mahmud’s rebels in Southern Kurdistan in 1919

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, with Second Award Bar; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarks for London 1919, with 2nd type riband; 1914-15 Star (Capt., E. Kent R.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Kurdistan (Lt. Col.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., silver, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919, complete with upper suspension bar; Special Constabulary Long Service, G.V.R., coinage bust (John Body), mounted as worn, generally very fine or better (10) £4000-5000

D.S.O. London Gazette 22 December 1916:

‘For distinguished service in the Field in Mesopotamia, with effect from 3 June 1916.’

Bar to D.S.O. London Gazette 17 March 1917:

‘For distinguished service in the Field in Mesopotamia, with effect from 10 March 1917.’

O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919:

‘For valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in Mesopotamia.’

John Body, who was born in August 1875, was educated at Tonbridge School and commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 2nd (Weald of Kent) Volunteer Battalion, East Kent Regiment, in March 1895. Transferring to the 5th Battalion in March 1909, he was advanced to Captain in December of the following year, and entered the Mesopotamian theatre of war in late 1915. And there he remained actively employed until the end of hostilities, assuming command of the Battalion as a Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel in October 1916. Mentioned in Sir Percy Lake’s (Indian Expeditionary Force “D”) despatch (London Gazette 19 October 1916 refers), he added another “mention” to his accolades in Sir Stanley Maude’s (Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force) despatch (London Gazette 15 August 1917 refers), in addition to a brace of D.S.Os, the latter undoubtedly for the Tigris and relief of Kut operations in 1916 - added to which the 1/5th were the first to enter and occupy Baghdad in March 1917.

Later still, Body held brief command of 35th Infantry Brigade in May 1917 and January 1918 and was awarded the O.B.E. in June 1919, in addition to a brace of further “mentions” in Lieutenant-General W. P. Marshall’s (Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force) despatches (London Gazette 21 February and 5 June 1919 refer).

Then in June-August 1919, after somehow finding time to serve as Master of the “Tigris Vale Foxhounds”, Body was given command of a column in Southern Kurdistan, better known as “Body’s Column”, in which he participated in operations against Sheik Mahmud’s rebels. Returning to the U.K., he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th Battalion, the Buffs, in February 1920, and ultimately an Honorary Colonel of the 4th Battalion in January 1934. The Colonel, who resided at Wittersham Court, Kent, and was a J.P. for that county, died in December 1945; sold with a quantity of research.