Orders, Decorations and Medals

The Great War Trio awarded to Lieutenant J. T. Waite, 5th Battalion, East Kent Regiment, killed in action during the attempted relief of Kut in January 1916
1914-15 Star (Lieut., E. Kent R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut.) nearly extremely fine (3) £200-250

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brett Collection of Medals to The Buffs.

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Joseph Thorpe Waite, L.R.C.P. & S. Edin., was the eldest son of the late Dr. William Waite, a leading practitioner of Halifax. He was educated at Bootham School, York, and studied medicine in Manchester and Edinburgh, taking the diploma of L.R.C.P.Edin. in 1896. He took service as surgeon with the Orient and Elder Dempster lines, and made voyages to Australia and South Africa. For some time he also held an appointment under the Colonial Office and served with the West African Frontier Force in Northern Nigeria. In 1899 he returned to England and began to practise first in York, and later in Pluckley, Kent. He joined the Territorial Force and took a keen interest in stimulating recruiting for it. He received a commission as Lieutenant (combatant) in the 5th Buffs on 22 August 1914, and was given charge of the machine-guns. In India he continued the training of his gunners, and in November 1915, left for Mesopotamia, forming part of General Aylmer’s relief force. After surviving the terrible fighting of 6th-10th January, in which the regiment earned the high praise of the Brigadier, Lieutenant Waite fell at the head of his men in a desperate attack upon an enormously strong Turkish position on the 21st January, 1916. He is buried in the Amara War Cemetery, Iraq.