Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War C.B.E. group of five awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Tait, 29th Battalion, Canadian Infantry: as C.O. of “Tobin’s Tigers” he was buried by shellfire on the Somme in September 1916
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star (Major J. S. Tait, 29/Can. inf.); British War and Victory Medals (Lt. Col. J. S. Tait); Coronation 1937; Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration, G.V.R., silver, silver-gilt, hallmarks for Birmingham 1938, the reverse of the suspension crown officially inscribed, ‘Lt. Col. John S. Tait, 72nd Regiment’, contained in an old leather case with gilt initials ‘J. S. T.’ to lid, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, in an old J. R. Gaunt & Son leather case, generally good very fine (12) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the Canadian Expeditonary Force 1914-1918.

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C.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1919.

John Spottiswood Tait, who was born in June 1875, commenced his military career in January 1898, when he was appointed a Lieutenant in the 5th Regiment in Vancouver, and, via an appointment in the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Own Regiment (Vancouver), was serving as a Major in the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders of Canada by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914. Quickly advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel, he was appointed C.O. of the 29th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, and led his unit with distinction out in France until severely wounded near Pozieres on 10 September 1916. Vancouver’s 29th, by Captain W. D. M. Sage and H. R. N. Clyne, takes up the story: ‘As the 29th moved along the communication trench, quite possibly under observation from balloons and planes behind enemy lines, a barrage greeted the slowly advancing ranks - not entirely in front of H.Q. Company as it descended - so that a part of H.Q. continued to advance. The remainder of the Battalion wisely retired in haste, occupying side trenches. An officer of the Battalion, descending from Pozieres, observed the retirement and ran forward to carry them back long the trench. There was a high mound of earth in the trench over which he had to pass with each man. The mound had been formed by the bursting of one of the heavy shells which were still falling. On his final trip he encountered Scout Corporal F. R. Brown and another scout digging furiously at the mound. The Corporal prevented the officer from once again passing over the mound by cautioning, “Not over here, sir, the Colonel is underneath.” By this time others had arrived. The man being carried was handed over and the officer quickly dug at the mound with his hands from the trench while others dug with shovels from above. The officer was the first to uncover the face of Colonel Tait and gave him air. Almost simultaneously, Corporal Brown’s spade struck the steel helmet of the Colonel, whose laconic “Hello” relieved the tension. In reply to being asked if he was all right, the Colonel merely requested that the weight be removed from his back. His rescuers had guessed the position of his head correctly. He had been pinned against the side of the trench in an upright position and facing the front line. It was necessary to dig him out of the closely packed earth down to his crossed feet, during which effort he continued to think there was a weight on his back. It was characteristic of Colonel Tait to refuse all assistance on the way to the dressing station and merely ask for his stick. His back was severely injured and he was never able to return to active duty. Corporal Brown was awarded the Military Medal for his gallant conduct.’

Tait took up an appointment at the Canadian Overseas Military H.Q. in London on recovering from his wounds, and, in addition to his C.B.E., was favourably brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War in March 1918, while his Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration was approved in GO 114 of the same year. He was transferred to the Reserve of Officers in January 1925; sold with two old newspaper cuttings and three Great war period photographs.