Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-war civil M.B.E. group of six awarded to Captain T. M. Greensill, Royal Artillery

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf, these unnamed, mounted as worn; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (Lt T M Greenshill (sic), RA) late issue, note spelling of surname, in named card box of issue; together with a mounted set of five miniature dress medals (as above but without Efficiency Medal) and a Great War Commemorative Medal 1914-19, Efficiency Medal extremely fine; others good very fine and better (12) £200-250

M.B.E. London Gazette 13 June 1957.

M.I.D. London Gazette 29 November 1945.

Tom Marston Greensill was born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire on 26 August 1915. A pre-war member of the Territorial Army, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 22 April 1943. Promoted to War Substantive Lieutenant, October 1943, and Temporary Captain, September 1944. During the war Greensill qualified as an Instructor in Fire Control (Anti-Aircraft). He was mentioned in despatches as a Temporary Captain, ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy.’ He relinquished his commission on 22 December 1949 and was granted the honorary rank of Captain. His Efficiency Medal was awarded to him as a Lieutenant (Hon. Capt.) (retired) but with his surname mis-spelt ‘Greenshill’ instead of ‘Greensill’, as per the London Gazette of 23 June 1992. After the war Greensill became an Agricultural Superintendent in the Eastern Region of Nigeria, based at Enugu, and was awarded the M.B.E. in this capacity. By 1963 he was a Senior Agricultural Officer in the Bahamas. He wrote several books including, Vegetable Growing in the Eastern Region of Nigeria 1950-1957 (1957), Rural Science for Tropical Schools (1959), Gardening in the Tropics (1964) and Growing Better Vegetables: A Guide for Tropical Gardeners (1968). A Mason, Greensill also wrote A History of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA) (1987). Tom Marston Greensill died in 1996.

With case for the M.B.E. and with copied gazette extracts.