Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare and impressive ‘Arakan’ C.B., ‘Burma’ C.B.E., ‘Mohmand 1933’ D.S.O., and ‘Black Sea 1920’ M.C. group of eleven awarded to Major-General H. L. Davies, 18th Garhwal Rifles, who won the O.B.E. for operations in Iceland 1940, and later commanded the 25th “Ace of Spades” Indian Division in the Arakan

The Most Honourable Order of The Bath, C.B. (Military) neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) 2nd type neck badge in silver-gilt and enamels; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., some minor enamel chips and obverse centre a little depressed; Military Cross, G.V.R.; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. (Capt. H. L. Davies); India General Service 1908-35, 2 clasps, Waziristan 1921-24, Mohmand 1933 (Capt. H. L. Davies, 2-18 R. Garh. Rif.); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D., generally very fine or better (11)

M.C. London Gazette 14 January 1921. ‘For distinguished service in the field with the British Army of the Black Sea.’ Only five M.C.’s awarded for these operations.
D.S.O. London Gazette 3 July 1934. ‘For distinguished services rendered in the field in connection with military operations against the Upper Mohmands, period July-October 1933.’ Only three D.S.O.’s awarded for these operations.
O.B.E. 1941, GSO1 Iceland Force.
C.B.E. London Gazette 28 October 1942. ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma during the period December 1941 to May 1942.’
C.B. London Gazette 13 September 1945. ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Burma.’
Mentioned in despatches for the Black Sea 1920, Mohmand 1933, Iceland 1941, Retreat from Burma 1941-42, and the Arrakan 1944 (twice).

Major-General Henry Lowrie ‘Taffy’ Davies was born on 25 January 1898, the son of Lt-Col. H. Davies, C.M.G., Army Service Corps. He was commissioned into the 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles, Indian Army, on 18 March 1916, and served in France and Flanders, Mesopotamia. In 1920 he fought with the 2nd battalion, 39th Royal Garhwal Rifles against the Turkish and Kurdish rebels on the Black Sea, winning one of five Military Crosses awarded for this campaign. After the campaign in Waziristan 1921-24 and various staff appointments, he served as Brigade Major in the Mohmand campaign of 1933, under Sir Claude Auchinleck who considered that ‘Taffy’ was ‘the finest Brigade Major he has ever come across.’

During 1940-41 he was GSO1 Iceland Force, for which he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the O.B.E., but it was in Burma that he was to gain higher recognition. Taffy Davies was a tower of strength to the Burma Army as Chief General Staff Officer during the early days of the 1942 Burma Campaign, which ended with the fall of Rangoon, and subsequently to General Bill Slim’s Burma Corps in their grim fighting withdrawal from Rangoon to the frontiers of India. Slim says of him in his book Defeat into Victory: “I was fortunate in my BGS, Taffy Davies. He was something more than a brilliant staff officer; he was a character in his own right. His tall bony figure grew more and more emaciated as the retreat dragged on while he gave himself no rest, either physical or mental. But he got - and kept - that scratch headquarters working. From nothing, and with almost nothing, he formed, organised and infused it with his own spirit.”

In 1943, Taffy Davies became a Major-General and commanded the newly raised 25th “Ace of Spades” Indian Division against the Japanese with great distinction in the Arakan. Unfortunately ill-health forced him to give up command in September the following year, but he later commanded the 34th Corps in India with the acting rank of Lieutenant-General. Immediately after the war he became Chief General Staff Officer to the Pakistan Army and Commandant of the Staff College at Quetta. He retired in 1948 and served with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries until 1962, when he became Chief Historian at the Cabinet Office, Historical Section. Major-General Davies died on 6 July 1975.