Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Great War Mesopotamia operations M.C., Burma incident K.P.M. group of five awarded to Major. R. Tilly, Indian Army and onetime Commandant of the Burma Military Police

Military Cross, G.V.R., the reverse privately inscribed, ‘Capt. R. Tilly, 123rd Outram’s Rifles, 2nd Nov. 1917’; King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Maj. R. Tilly, M.C., I.A., Commdt., Burma Mil. Pol.); British War and Victory Medals, with oak palm (Maj. R. Tilly); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1919-21 (Maj. R. Tilly, 4-6 Raj. Rif.), mounted court-style as worn, very fine and better (5) £1800-2200

M.C. London Gazette 11 January 1919:

‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led an attack and held it together under heavy enfilade fire. He had to expose himself continuously to do so, and displayed fearlessness of a high order. Owing to casualties among British officers there was a danger of the attack becoming disconnected and it was entirely due to his gallant leading that this danger was obviated.’

K.P.M. London Gazette 1 January 1923. The original recommendation states:

‘This Officer has been in command of the Northern Shan States Battalion of the Burma Military Police since 1 October 1919, and throughout the intervening period there have been current on the Chinese border rumours of raids from across the Frontier. In December 1919, some raiders actually attacked the Tunhong post in the Bhamo District, which was followed by a raid on Eing Da into the Shan State of Hsenvi in 1920. Major Tilly never relaxed his watchfulness, and his preparedness for any eventuality was fully displayed when, on the 19 March 1922, he received news that Muse had been attacked and some houses burnt. Major Tilly immediately ordered out his available Mounted Infantry from both Kutkai and Lashio to the scene of the trouble. Despite the fact that helio communication between Lashio and Kutkai failed, Major Tilly and the Kutkai Mounted Infantry arrived at the Nampaw crossing at 20.30 hours on the 21 March after covering 57 miles in 21 hours with Sowars and ponies all fit, and joined Dr. Harper’s party from Pangkham. During the 22nd Major Tilly kept his men well concealed awaiting the arrival of further reinforcements from Bhamo and of Captain Caiger’s party - the Headquarters Mounted Infantry. At daylight on the 23 March the raiders attacked. Major Tilly behaved with great coolness and gallantry, withholding his fire and himself leading a small Military Police party across the river, whence he could enfilade the embankment, behind which the enemy were concealed. His fire was most effective and in a very short time, the enemy bolted, leaving seventeen dead amongst whom was the Kyemmong of Tawngma, the leader of the raiders. The main party of the enemy had retired into a previously prepared fort, and from this, after a personal reconnaissance of the position, Major Tilly determined to drive them, inflicting as much punishment on the enemy as possible and with as little risk as possible to his own men. At 15.10 hours, a converging attack was launched, a large number of the enemy were killed with a loss on our side of only three killed and seven wounded. This successful action was entirely due to the gallantry, leadership and coolness under fire of Major Tilly, qualities which by his example, he succeeded in instilling into the Military Police parties which had assembled at the scene of disturbance from long distances, and after rapid and arduous marches.’

Robert Tilly, who was born in June 1884, was commissioned in the Indian Army in August 1904, and first went into action as a Captain in with the 123rd Outram’s Rifles in Mesopotamia in the Great War, where he was awarded the M.C. for the above cited deeds in November 1917. Post-war, his regiment was re-titled the 4th Battalion (Outram’s), 6th Rajputana Rifles, and it was in this capacity that he was present in the Waziristan operations of 1919-21 as a recently promoted Major (Medal & clasp). He was appointed an Officiating Commandant in July 1928 but appears to have been placed on the Retired List in the 1930s.