Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An impressive Great War C.M.G., M.V.O. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Thresher, Rifle Brigade

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck cravat; The Royal Victorian Order, M.V.O. 4th class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse officially numbered ‘1019’; 1914 Star (Major, Rif. Brig.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col.); Belgium, Order of the Crown, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on ribbon; Belgium, Croix de Guerre 1914-18; France, Third Republic, Legion of Honour, Officer’s breast badge, gold, silver-gilt and enamel, rosette on ribbon; France, Order of Agricultural Merit, Officer’s breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, with gold centre, rosette on ribbon, generally extremely fine (9) £1200-1400

C.M.G. London Gazette 12 December 1919.

M.V.O. London Gazette 14 July 1917.

James Henville Thresher, who was born in August 1870, the son of a clergyman, was educated at Winchester. Originally gazetted to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant in April 1892, he transferred to the Rifle Brigade in the following month, gaining advancement to Lieutenant in December 1894. Not having witnessed any active service, however, he was placed on the Retired List in the rank of Major in March 1909.

Recalled on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, Thresher was appointed to the Staff as a Camp Commandant and arrived in France in the same month. He remained similarly employed for the duration of the War, being mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 15 June 1916), given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel, and awarded the C.M.G. and M.V.O., the last named for his services on the occasion of the King’s ‘visit to the Army in the Field’ in 1917. In addition, he was four times decorated by the Allies, The Rifle Brigade in the Great War giving the following dates of award: Belgian Order of the Crown, Officer (14 February 1917); Belgian Croix de Guerre (11 March 1918); French Legion of Honour, Officer (14 February 1917) and French Order of Agricultural Merit, Officer (7 October 1919).

Thresher, who became a substantive Lieutenant-Colonel on his retirement in 1919, died at Fleet, Hampshire in February 1943.