Orders, Decorations and Medals

A fine K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. group awarded to Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Thomas Humphreys, Lancashire Fusiliers, Commanding a Brigade during Allenby’s advance to Jerusalem, and Commanding the Leinster Regiment during the Malabar Rebellion 1921-22

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, K.C.B. (Military) neck badge and breast star, silver-gilt and enamels, some light chipping to green enamel wreaths on the neck badge; The Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels, minor enamel chips to both centres and reverse centre a little depressed; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., some chips to green enamel wreaths and obverse centre a little depressed; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (Lieut., Lanc. Fus.) minor official correction to initial; King’s South Africa, 2 clasps (Capt., Lanc. Fus.); 1914 Star, with slide type Mons bar, (Brig. Gen.) unofficially re-impressed; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. (Brig. Gen.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Malabar 1921-22 (Col., Leins. Regt.); Jubilee 1935; Egyptian Order of the Nile, 3rd class neck badge by Lattes, silver, gilt and enamels, unless otherwise described, very fine or better (12)

Edward Thomas Humphreys was born on 5 November,1878, and educated at Charterhouse. He entered the Army in 1898, from Sandhurst, and joined the Lancashire Fusiliers, with whom he served during the Boer War, acting as Adjutant of a Mounted Infantry Battalion from June 1901 to May 1902 (Despatches London Gazette 10 September 1901). Promoted Captain in October 1901, he acted as Adjutant from March 1904 to March 1907, and was made Major in September 1915. During the Great War he served in France, Slaonika, and Palestine, with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Humphreys Commanded 179 Brigade, 60th Division, during General Allenby’s advance to Jerusalem, including actions at Wadi Surar and Ain Karim (Wounded; Despatches London Gazette 17 February 1915, 1 January 1916, 4 January 1917, 16 January 1918 and 5 June 1919; Brevets of Lieut.-Colonel and Colonel; Order of the Nile, 3rd class; C.M.G. and D.S.O.).

In September 1919, Humphreys was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding the Leinster Regiment, and commanded the Leinsters during the Moplah Rebellion of the Moslem peasants of Malabar, 1921-22. For his service during the rebellion he was mentioned in despatches London Gazette 2 June 1923, and created a Companion of the Bath. His subsequent appointments were Deputy Director of Military Operations and Intelligence, War Office, 1925-28; Major-General 1927; Commandant of Staff College, Quetta, 1928-31, and Commander of 5th Division, 1931-34. He was made Lieutenant-General in 1933, created a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1936, and retired on half pay in 1937. General Humphreys died on 15 January 1955.