Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War military O.B.E. group of three awarded to Captain John Francis Douglas Dimock, 2/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), who led an attack on rebels near the Rialto Bridge, Dublin

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf Capt. J. F. D. Dimock) good very fine (3) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A small collection relating to the Easter Rebellion 1916 and the Anglo-Irish War 1919-22.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919. ‘Capt., 8th Bn. Notts. & Derby. R. (T.F.)’

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 July 1919 (Haig). ‘Capt., 8th Bn. N. & Derby. R. (T.F.)’



John Francis Douglas Dimock was commissioned into the 2/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1 February 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 February 1916 and to Captain on 1 June 1916. As such he served in the suppression of the Easter Rebellion in Dublin. For his wartime services on the Western Front he was mentioned in Haig’s despatches and was created an Officer in the Order of the British Empire in the Birthday Honours of 1919. He retired as Lieutenant-Colonel in the Regiment and died in Nottingham in 1959.

On the night of Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, orders were received for the 178th Brigade to move to an unknown destination. The destination proved to be Liverpool and thence Dublin to combat the Easter uprising. The 2/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters left in two trains at 08.30 and arrived in Liverpool at 20.00 where orders were received to embark three companies at once on the S.S. Patriotic; ‘D’ Company and unfortunately all the Lewis Guns were left behind.

Once in Dublin it was clear that the situation was grave and both the 2/7th and 2/8th Battalions were soon in action. The 2/8th, passing through the 2/7th were ordered to penetrate as far as possible in the direction of Trinity College. Intense fire from Clanwilliam House and 25 Northumberland Road caused casualties and kept both battalions pinned down.

Captain Martyn was requested to clear the buildings in Rialto Street and in the immediate vicinity of the bridge. Meanwhile Captain Oates, M.C. reported firing from the front, and this was followed by a number of shots from a rhubarb field., S.W. of the bridge, and sniping from tall trees due South. The Column was halted as it was necessary to clear the front and flanks before the very steep and narrow defile of Rialto Bridge could be crossed. With this end in view, Captain Dimock with ‘A’ Company was ordered to clear the rhubarb field, force the bridge over the canal, and clear out the rebel snipers south of the bridge. This was successfully completed and led the way for Captain Martyn to advance and occupy much of the South Dublin Union.

As ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies of the 2/8th had suffered most heavily, it was decided to leave them behind at Athlone and to make up Dimock’s ‘A’ and Oates’s ‘D’ Companies to a total strength of 400 men and station them at the Curragh. They remained there until 12 January 1917.

With copied gazette extracts, m.i.c and other research, including a copied photograph of the recipient.