Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War M.B.E. group of four awarded to Major D. Gray, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who was taken Prisoner of War during the Fall of France in 1940

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Efficiency Decoration, E.II.R., silver and silver-gilt, reverse officially dated ‘1960’ and additionally privately engraved ‘Major D. Gray. 7th. Bn. A. & S.H.’, with integral top Territorial riband bar, mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Prisoners of War.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 2 January 1956.
The recommendation states: ‘Captain Gray has served about 25 years with the Territorial Army, and has held every rank up to and including Captain. He is at present 2nd in Command of a Rifle Company, to which he devotes unflagging attention and more than adequate time. In addition to his ordinary duties, he has always undertaken additional duties when he conceived that his experience would be to the benefit of the Battalion Since he was a Company Sergeant Major, he regularly fulfilled all the duties which should have been performed by a Signal Officer until a locally resident Signal Officer became available recently He has, for many years, performed the duties of weapon training N.C.O. and Officer, and organised a very successful rifle team. He has always taken a leading part in the running of sports and games in the Battalion, and, since he has commissioned, has been a member of practically all Unit Boards of Enquiry. Captain Gray is self-employed, and though he is to some extent able to regulate his working hours, his activities for the Territorial Army have certainly occupied more than the whole of his normal leisure time. He has adopted a complete disregard of his own business interests by unselfishly performing for his unit, duties far in excess of those required by his official appointment. This must have entailed him in substantial pecuniary loss.’

E.M. London Gazette 15 July 1960.

David Gray joined the ranks of the Territorial Army, and served as a Sergeant with the Argyll and Sutherland during the Second World War. He was taken Prisoner of War during the fall of France in 1940, and was held as P.O.W. no. 1149, indicating that he was one of the first to be captured. He was latterly held in the detention camp at Stalag 383 at Hohenfels, Germany, a detention camp for the more troublesome prisoners of War. The camp was evacuated on 17 April 1945 and liberated a week later. For his actions during the fall of France he was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 11 October 1945). He remained in the Territorial Army following the Second World War, was commissioned, and was ultimately advanced to the rank of Major.