Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers

Six: Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. B. Church, 14th Sikhs, who was wounded in Mesopotamia during the Great War, was twice Mentioned in Despatches during the inter-War period, and commanded the newly raised Sikh Machine Gun Battalion in the Second World War

British War and Victory Medals (Capt. C. J. B. Church.); India General Service 1908-35, 3 clasps, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919, North West Frontier 1930-31, Mohmand 1933, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. C. J. B. Church, 14 Sikhs.); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Kurdistan, Iraq (Capt. C. J. B. Church.); War Medal 1939-45; India Service Medal 1939-45, very fine (6) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers.

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Constantine John Bromley Church was born in Wells, Somerset, in 1898, the son of an army colonel and descended from a distinguished line of soldiers, the most famous of whom, General Sir John Church, played a prominent part in the Greek War of Independence. Educated at The Dragon School, Oxford, and Lancing College, he passed the Civil Service Commissioner’s Exam for entry into the Indian Army in February 1916 and proceeded from thence to Quetta Cadet College in August 1916. He was admitted to the Unattached List for the Indian Army on 30 January 1917 in the rank of Second Lieutenant and attached to 15th Ludhiana Sikhs on 3 February 1917. He served with 14th Sikhs, in Mesopotamia 1917-18, and was wounded in the action at Mushak on 26 October 1918. He was promoted Lieutenant on 30 January 1918.

Posted to the 2/6th Jats for post-War service in Mesopotamia 1920-21, Church was promoted Captain in January 1921 and transferred back to the 14th Sikhs Kurdistan operations in 1923 where they became the first regiment ever to be taken to a campaign zone by air. He was mentioned in dispatches for the North West Frontier operations of 1930-31 (Gazette of India 11 June 1932).
Church was Adjutant of the 14th Sikhs 1932-35, including service in the Mohmand campaign of 1933, and was advanced Major in 1935, and was again Mentioned in Despatches (Gazette of India 28 July 1934).

After a tour of duty with the territorial 11th Sikhs and the Training Battalion, the 10th Sikhs, in 1941-42, Church was appointed to command and train the newly-raised Sikh Machine Gun Battalion as Lieutenant Colonel in January 1942, an office he held until December 1943 when removed from that post.

Church was not destined to take the Sikh Machine Gun Battalion on active service. In 1943 he fell foul of an incident in which his Subadar Major was accused and convicted of serious malpractice. As the Battalion C.O., Church was held to have failed in his duties in not addressing the problem. He was removed from his command, a decision which many regretted, and although he briefly served as commander of the 7th Indian Division in May 1943, he spent the rest of the war on recruiting duties in Jullundur and Lahore.
Church married Anne Elliot and after retirement they lived in Sampford Peveral, near Tiverton, where they filled a variety of local offices in the church and local politics. Church died there in 1988 in his ninetieth year.

Sold with a comprehensive file of research including an original group photo of the officers (including Church) of the Sikh Machine Gun Battalion in 1942; and original manuscript account of his services and family history; a copy of the book Emergency Sahib by Robin Schlaefli, who served with Church in the Sikh Machine Gun Battalion, containing many references to Church, including photos of him, and also with correspondence between Schlaefli and the vendor and copies of the Sikh Brigade Newsletter; together with other research.