Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine C.B., C.B.E. and Great War M.C. group of eleven awarded to Colonel Leonard Green, East Lancashire Regiment, later High Sheriff of Lancashire and noted Lancashire county cricketer

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Civil) silver-gilt neck badge; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) 2nd type neck badge; Military Cross, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star (Lieut., E. Lan. R.); British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); Defence Medal; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., complete with top suspension; Special Constabulary Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, with bar ‘Long Service 1950’ (Comdt.) generally good very fine (11) £800-1000

Leonard Green was born at Whalley, Lancashire, on 1st February 1890, and educated at Bromsgrove School, Worcestershire, where he was a member of the O.T.C. On leaving school he was at once gazetted Second Lieutenant in the 4th East Lancashire Regiment, Territorial Force. With the battalion he served throughout the war, first in Egypt then in Gallipoli, where he was wounded, and later at Sinai and in France, where, in November 1917, he gained the Military Cross for carrying wounded under fire at White House, Nieuport (another account states that the M.C. was awarded for ‘gallant conduct under fire while assisting in extinguishing a fire at an ammunition dump’). During 1919 he was with the British Military Mission in Siberia as a machine-gun instructor. He had been appointed Captain in June 1916, and during 1921 he was promoted to the rank of Major. He became Lieutenant-Colonel in 1928, Brevet Colonel in 1932, and Colonel in October 1934, when he was appointed to the command of the 125th (Lancashire Fusiliers) Brigade T.A.

Colonel Green is probably the best all round sportsman the Clitheroe District has produced. He played cricket with Lancashire second eleven during 1910, and was Captain of the Whalley team. He was a member of the Lancashire Eleven from 1922 until 1935, and Captained the Lancashire County Team during the years 1926-7-8, when Lancashire won the County Championship three times in succession. During his career with Lancashire he played in 152 matches, scoring 5,575 runs, with a highest score of 110 not out against Gloucestershire in 1923. He also played hockey for Lancashire in 1920 as well as rugby football in representative games.

Colonel Green was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1935, awarded the C.B. in 1937 for his work with the Territorials, and appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1954. During the Second War he was Commandant of the Lancashire Special Constabulary and was awarded the M.B.E. in 1946. He was created a Commander of the British Empire in the Birthday Honours List of June 1955. Colonel Green died on 2 March 1963. The lot is sold with several copy photographs and transcripts of numerous newspaper articles including some written by himself describing his experiences in the Dardanelles.