Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War 1916 ‘Western Front’ M.C. and 1918 Second Award Bar group of six awarded to Lieutenant J. D. Vincent, Devonshire Regiment, attached Royal Engineers Signals, later Lord Bishop of Damaraland and Senior Chaplain to the South African Forces during the Second World War

Military Cross, G.V.R., unnamed as issued, with Second Award Bar; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. J. D. Vincent.); War Medal 1939-45; Africa Service Medal, these two officially named ‘240570 J. D. Vincent’; Coronation 1953, mounted as worn by Grossberg, Pretoria, with a tailor’s label bearing the recipient’s name and address on the reverse, and housed in a similarly named card box, good very fine (6) £1,400-£1,800

M.C. London Gazette 25 November 1916:
‘For conspicuous gallantry in action. He maintained communications throughout the operations with great courage and ability. He set a fine example to his men.’

M.C. Second Award Bar London Gazette 7 March 1918:
‘For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as Brigade Signalling Officer at the advanced signal station. For two days and nights he was continuously out under heavy fire superintending the repair of lines.’

The Rt. Rev. John Dacre Vincent, Lord Bishop of Damaraland, was born on 1 January 1894, the son of the Reverend Prebendary G. H. Vincent, and was educated at Marlborough College and St. John’s College, Oxford. Commissioned Second Lieutenant, General List, on 17 October 1914, he served during the Great War, on attachment to the Royal Engineers (Signals), on the Western Front from March 1916, and was awarded the Military Cross and a Second Award Bar. He relinquished his commission with the rank of Lieutenant on 13 January 1919.

Following the cessation of hostilities Vincent enrolled at Ely Theological College and took Holy Orders, being ordained Deacon in 1920 and Priest in 1921. He served as Assistant Curate of the parish of Gillingham, Dorset, from 1920-25, and then as a Curate at Bloemfontein Cathedral from 1925-28. Returning to England, he held the living of Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, from 1929-37, before returning once more to South Africa as Archdeacon of Bloemfontein and Rector of St. Margaret’s, Bloemfontein. During the Second World War he served as Senior Chaplain to the South African Forces. In 1952 he was consecrated Bishop of Damaraland, Windhoek, South West Africa, where he supported the first cautious steps of the Namabian liberation struggle, by supporting the Anglican priest Theophilus Hamutumbangela against the suppressive measures of the South African authorities against contract workers from Ovamboland in 1954. He died on 19 May 1960.

Sold with copied service papers and a photographic image of a caricature of the recipient.