Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare C.I.E., Waziristan 1923-24 M.B.E., Afghanistan 1919 M.C. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel T. I. Stevenson, 2-8th Gurkha Rifles and 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles

The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s 3rd type neck badge, gold and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 1st type breast badge, silver, hallmarks for 1919; Military Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. T. I. Stevenson); India General Service 1908-35, 4 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, Malabar 1921-22, Waziristan 1921-24, Burma 1930-32 (Captn. T. I. Stevenson, 2/8/Gurkhas); India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1937-39 (Maj. T. I. Stevenson, 2-8 G.R.); Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the sixth with largely officially corrected naming, generally good very fine (9) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The collection of Medals formed by the Late Clive Nowell.

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C.I.E. London Gazette 18 July 1933.

M.B.E. London Gazette 13 March 1925.

For valuable services rendered in the Field in connection with military operations in Waziristan 21 April 1923 to 31 March 1924.

M.C. London Gazette 29 November 1919.

For good leadership and conspicuous gallantry during the withdrawal to camp from Orange Patch Ridge on 15 May 1919. The enemy pressed the retirement heavily and, being without signallers, he went from one position to another under continual fire and personally arranged the retirement of each party of his force. The retirement was carried out successfully.

Thomas Ivor Stevenson, who was born in September 1895, was originally commissioned into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps in September 1915, with whom he appears to have served in France from January 1916 to January 1918. Transferring to the Indian Army in March of the latter year, when he joined the 2nd Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles as Lieutenant, he was awarded the M.C. for the above cited deeds during the Third Afghan War in 1919.

Advanced to Captain in June 1920, Stevenson witnessed further active service with the 2-8th Gurkhas in the Malabar operations of 1921-22 and in the Waziristan operations 1923-24, for which latter work he was awarded the M.B.E. Having then served as a Staff Officer from October 1926 to October 1930, and as an Intelligence Officer in the Burma operations 1930-32, for which he won a “mention” (London Gazette 20 December 1932 refers), he returned to the 2-8th Gurkha Rifles, in which capacity he was awarded the C.I.E. in 1933 and served on the North West Frontier in 1937-39.

Stevenson, who transferred to the 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles in June 1940, was placed on the Retired List as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 1947.