Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine Second World War C.B., Great War D.S.O., O.B.E. group of ten awarded to Major-General T. C. Newton, Royal Artillery, who was awarded the Order of the White Rose for services on attachment to the Finnish General Staff in the early 1930s

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. T. C. Newton, R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. T. C. Newton); War Medal 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Finland, Order of the White Rose, Commander’s neck badge, by Tillander, silver-gilt and enamel, in its case of issue, mounted as worn where applicable, in Garrard & Co. leather case with gilt initials ‘T.C.N.’ to lid, minor enamel damage to wreaths on the second, otherwise generally good very fine (10) £2000-2500

C.B. London Gazette 11 July 1940.
D.S.O. London Gazette 3 June 1918.
O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

Thomas Cochrane Newton was born in Folkestone in January 1885, the son of G. O. Newton of Croxton Park, St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, and was educated at Wellington and the R.M.A. Woolwich, and commissioned in the Royal Artillery in December 1903.

Advanced to Captain on the outbreak of hostilities, he first went out to France with 10th Anti-Aircraft Section in early November 1914, but transferred to 22nd Anti-Aircraft Section in June 1915 and became C.O. of the 4th Army’s Anti-Aircraft Defence in December 1916, in the rank of Acting Lieutenant-Colonel. He was awarded the D.S.O., the O.B.E., and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 21 May 1918 refers). Between the Wars, Newton was attached to the Finnish General Staff in July-October 1932, gaining appointment as a Commander of the Finnish Rose, and served as Commandant of the School of Anti-Aircraft at Biggin Hill from June 1935 until May 1939, when, as a recently promoted Major-General, he was appointed to the General Staff of Ack Ack Command, T.A., in which role he was awarded the C.B. - presumably on the recommendation of General Sir Frederick Pile, who worked closely with “Stuffy” Dowding in the Battle of Britain.

Placed on the Retired List in February 1942, the General was a High Sheriff for Bedfordshire 1945-46, and afterwards settled in Cambridgeshire, where he died in July 1976.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s warrants for his C.B., dated 11 July 1940, D.S.O., dated 3 June 1918, and O.B.E., dated 3 June 1919, and Finnish Order of the White Rose, dated at Helsinki on 21 April 1933, with related Licence to Wear document, together with his commission warrant for the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, dated 23 December 1903 and three portrait photographs.