Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An impressive Second World War North Africa operations M.B.E. group of twelve awarded to Temporary Major H. W. G. Tingley, R.E., late Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal Artillery - severely wounded in Gallipoli, he gained acclaim as an airfield engineer in the 1939-45 War and was decorated by the Bey of Tunis for his work on Carthage airport

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; 1914-15 Star (5771 Pte. H. Tingley, R. Muns. Fus.); British War and Victory Medals (5771 Pte. H. W. G. Tingley, R. Mun. Fus.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Decoration, E.II.R., Territorial, the reverse officially dated ‘1953’; Special Constabulary Long Service, G.V.R., coinage bust (Herbert W. G. Tingley); Tunisia, Order of Nichan Iftikhar, Commander’s neck badge, silver and enamel, in its Sfez, Tunis case of issue, mounted as worn where applicable, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, but with Efficiency Medal in place of the Decoration, the earlier awards a little polished and the last with chipped enamel work, otherwise generally very fine (24) £500-600

M.B.E. London Gazette 16 September 1943. The original recommendation states:

‘This officer is specially recommended for meritorious service in constructing and maintaining airfields in the Bone area. The successful completion of “Tingley Airfield” in record time was entirely due to this officer’s effort. During several sharp bombing raids on the Bone area airfield, he showed great zeal in personally conducting the immediate repairs. This officer has shown outstanding zeal and devotion to duty during the period under my command, and merits reward as an example to others.’

Herbert Wallis George Tingley enlisted in the Royal Munster Fusiliers in September 1914 and was disembarked for service in Gallipoli on 11 July 1915 - either as a reinforcement for the decimated ranks of the 1st Battalion, or as a member of the 7th Battalion. Either way, he was severely wounded, as a consequence of which he was discharged in mid-January 1916 and awarded the Silver War Badge - a family source states that he retained a Turkish bullet in his body for the rest of his life. He returned to the peninsula in 1934 with the author John North, who afterwards published Gallipoli - The Fading Vision, and was entertained to lunch by Turkish General Pertev Pasha at Istanbul during the same trip.

Commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in September 1939, but subsequently transferred to the Royal Engineers, he was serving as a Temporary Major in No. 3 Detachment, Airfield Construction Group, R.E., at the time of being awarded his M.B.E. Assorted references to “Tingley Airfield” may be found in Fighters over Tunisia, by Shores, Ring & Hess, the runway being constructed with P.S.P. (Pierced Steel Planking). Early occupants included Wing Commander P. H. “Dutch” Hugo, C.O. of 322 Wing, and it was he who christened the aerodrome “Tingley” in January 1943. Better still, the Germans never discovered the new runway and continued to attack the abandoned airstrip at Bone.

Tingley, who was also mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 23 September 1943 refers), is believed to have been awarded his Tunisian decoration for subsequent work in the construction of Tunis-Carthage Airport 1944-45; sold with the original Buckingham Place forwarding letter for his M.B.E., dated 14 June 1947.