Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare and impressive inter-war C.B., Great War Mesopotamia operations D.S.O., B.E.F. 1914 operations M.C. group of nine awarded to Colonel F. G. E. Lumb, Indian Army

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; Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately engraved, ‘Captain F. G. Lumb, 1/39th Garhwal Rifles, Festubert, 23-24th November 1914’; China 1900, no clasp (Lt. F. G. E. Lumn, 3-Madras L.I.), an official later impressed issue; 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. F. G. E. Lumn, 1/39 Garhl. Rfls.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. F. G. E. Lumb); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Kurdistan, Iraq (Lt. Col. F. G. E. Lumb); France, Legion of Honour, Chevalier’s breast badge, silver-gilt, silver and enamel, mounted as worn where applicable and contained in a old leather case with gilt ‘F. G. E. L.’ initials to lid, enamel work severely damaged on the last, otherwise generally very fine or better (9) £3000-3500

C.B. London Gazette 1930.

D.S.O. London Gazette 27 June 1919.

M.C. London Gazette 18 February 1915.

Frederick George Edward Lumb was born in January 1877 and was educated at Bedford School and the R.M.C. Sandhurst.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in August 1897, he joined the Indian Staff Corps in the following year and was advanced to Lieutenant in November 1899. Having then witnessed active service with the 3rd Madras Light Infantry in the Boxer Rebellion (Medal), he joined the 1/39th Garhwal Rifles in September 1901.

Quickly embarked for France on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 18 February 1915 refers) and awarded the M.C., the latter distinction for bravery at Festubert that November. Merewether’s and Smith’s Indian Staff Corps in France takes up the story:

‘The left flank of the German trench was selected for the operation, and Major Wardell led with his company from the point where the trench of the 57th Rifles commenced. The attack was preceded by a bombing party, headed by Lieutenant Robson and Captain Acworth of the 55th Rifles, who was attached to the 57th. With them were eight Afridis of the 57th.

Moving forward along the trench, the little party first hurled bombs into a house on the left flank, which was occupied by German snipers, and then bombed the Germans, to their utter dismay, out of traverse, covering the ground with dead and wounded. Many of the enemy at once threw up their hands and surrendered, thirty or forty being captured in this way in the first two traverses. Major Wardell and his men followed up, bayoneting all who resisted. Captain Lumb, not to be outdone, and finding himself blocked by Major Wardell’s men, jumped with a section and a half into the trench ahead of Major Wardell and proceeded to rush the traverses, bayoneting many of the enemy and taking some prisoners. In this work Lance-Naik Sankaru Gusain and Rifleman Kalamu Bisht showed great courage, and earned the 2nd Class, Indian order of Merit.

Affairs then began to look a little awkward, as Major Wardell’s party had been much weakened by casualties during this operation, and could do no more than hold the portion of the trench already taken. A gap was thus fast arising between him and Captain Lumb. Luckily, at this moment, Lieutenant Welchman brought up the remainder of Captain Lumb’s men, and together they pushed on along the trench.




Conspicuous among them, ever in the van, was Naik Darwan Sing Negi. This non-commissioned officer, from the beginning to the end, was either the first, or among the first, to push round each successive traverse, facing a hail of bombs and grenades. Although twice wounded in the head and once in the arm, he refused to give in, and continued fighting without even reporting that he was wounded. When the fight was over and the company fell in, his company commander saw that he was streaming with blood from head to foot. For this most conspicuous bravery Naik Darwan Sing was awarded the Victoria Cross, being the second Indian soldier to receive this honour ... For his determined leadership, Captain Lumb of the Garhwalis was awarded the Military Cross.’

Advanced to Major in August 1915, Lumb went on to witness further action in the Egypt operations of 1916 and in Mesopotamia 1917-18, adding the D.S.O. and French Legion of Honour (London Gazette 24 January 1920 refers) to his accolades, in addition to a brace of further “mentions” (London Gazettes 21 February and 5 June 1919 refer).

Lumb next witnessed active service in the Kurdistan operations of May-December 1919 (Medal & clasp), for which he was given the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel and again mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 12 February 1920 refers), and in Iraq in 54 Brigade in the following year (clasp), and he was advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in February 1921.

Latterly C.O. of Rangoon Brigade Area 1925-26 and Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master General Rawal Pindi District 1927-29, he was placed on the Retired List in the latter year.

The Colonel, who settled in Tangier in North Africa, died in March 1958; sold with research, including a reference to a portrait photograph held by the National Portrait Gallery.