Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare inter-War ‘North West Frontier 1935’ Immediate D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Captain F. J. Doherty, Indian Medical Service, attached 5th Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides), 12th Frontier Force Regiment, for gallantry in the action on Point 4080 against Mohmand tribesmen, on which occasion Captain Godfrey Meynell, M.C., of the same regiment won a posthumous Victoria Cross

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top ribbon bar; India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1935, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Capt. F. J. Doherty, I.M.S.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Service Medal of the Order of St John (W/784 Dr. F. J. Doherty. P. for W. 1962) mounted court-style, nearly extremely fine (8) £3,000-£4,000

D.S.O. London Gazette 24 December 1935: ‘For gallant and distinguished services in action in connection with the recent Mohmand operations, North West Frontier of India, 1935:- Captain Francis John Doherty, M.B., Indian Medical Service, attached 5th Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides), 12th Frontier Force Regiment, Indian Army.’

This same gazette announced the award of the Victoria Cross to Captain Godfrey Meynell, M.C., 5th Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides), 12th Frontier Force Regiment, who was killed in action in the attack on Point 4080. This was the only V.C. awarded in the rein of King Edward VIII. Lieutenant Godfrey John Hamilton, of the same regiment also received the D.S.O. for the same action; his wife was the author M. M. Kay.

M.I.D. London Gazette 8 May 1936.

Francis John Doherty was born on 5 August 1909, son of Bernard Doherty and Mary McWilliams. He was educated at Queen’s University, Belfast (M.B.); Lieutenant (on probation), Indian Medical Service, 5 February 1934; Captain, 23 August 1935 (Seniority 5 February 1934); married Enid Joan Watkins of Cardiff, 1936. Served in the operations against the Mohmand tribesmen, North West Frontier of India, 1935, including the V.C. action on Point 4080, 29 September 1935 (D.S.O. and M.I.D.); Staff Captain, G.H.Q. India, 13 October 1936 to 18 October 1937; acting Major, 1 May-18 July, 1941, and 10-21 February 1942; temporary Major, 22 February 1942; Major, 5 February 1944; Retired 11 December 1948, with Hon. rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and took up practice in Wales; Serving Brother of the Order of St John, London Gazette 19 April 1968.

On 29 September 1935 at Mohmand, in the Nahaqi Pass within the Khyber Pass on the North West Frontier, in the final phase of an attack, Captain Meynell, seeking information on the most forward troops, found them involved in a struggle against an enemy vastly superior in numbers. He at once took command, and with two Lewis guns and about thirty men, maintained a heavy and accurate fire on the advancing enemy, whose overwhelming numbers nevertheless succeeded in reaching the position and putting the Lewis guns out of action. In the hand-to-hand struggle which ensued, Captain Meynell was mortally wounded, but the heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy prevented them from exploiting their success. Regimental records suggest that when the bodies of his men were mutilated by the enemy (as was their custom), Captain Meynell sought to defend those bodies even as he himself was dying. Captain Meynell was five times wounded, and his last words were, ‘Be brave, we shall soon get help.’ The total British losses were 24 killed, 49 wounded, and nine missing. The tribesmen's casualties were 150. The British withdrew under cover of artillery fire and aerial bombing. The troops re-occupied the position next day, and within a few hours the tribesmen sued for peace.