A Collection of Awards to the Army Service Corps

A Great War D.S.O., ‘Kurdistan’ O.B.E. group of eight awarded to Acting-Colonel R. E. Sanders, Royal Army Service Corps

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, complete with top bar, minor enamel damage; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; 1914-15 Star (Major, A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Lt. Col.); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, N.W. Persia, Kurdistan, M.I.D. oakleaf (Lt. Col.); Defence and War Medals, unnamed, good very fine and better (8) £1400-1600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards to the Army Service Corps.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 3 June 1918. ‘T/Major (A/Lt.-Col.), A.S.C.’

O.B.E. London Gazette 3 June 1924. ‘Temporary Major, D.S.O., Royal Army Service Corps.

M.I.D. London Gazette 24 December 1917; 25 May 1918; 10 July 1919; 9 September 1921.



Reginald Ernest Sanders was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the A.S.C. on 19 September 1914 and was promoted to Temporary Captain in December the same year. In February 1915 he was Temporary Captain with the 13th Reserve Park (129 Coy. A.S.C.) and in May 1915 he was promoted to Temporary Major. On 23 September 1915 he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war. On 9 May 1917 Sanders was promoted to Acting Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Divisional Train of the 4th Cavalry Division - he served with this unit until its disbandment in March 1918 and received two mentions in despatches. From July 1918 until the end of the war he was in command of 15 (Scottish) Divisional Train. 15 Division was attached to the French 10th Army during the battles of Soissonais and the Ourcq, and was mentioned in a Special Order by French General Mangin. From August the Division was attached to I Corps, 1st Army and later the 15th Army. For his services with 15 Division, Sanders was mentioned in despatches and created a companion of the Distinguished Service Order.

Sanders served in the N.W. Persia operations, 10 August-31 December 1920, and was for the fourth time, mentioned in despatches. From 19 March-18 June 1923 Sanders served in Kurdistan in the operations against the Kurdish Chief Sheikh Mahmoud - for which services he was awarded the O.B.E.

In 1924, Sanders was placed on the R.A.R.O. as a Lieutenant-Colonel with seniority as of 28 September 1917. On 24 August 1939, with the outbreak of war, he was recalled as a Lieutenant-Colonel from the R.A.R.O. In June 1940 he was promoted to Acting Colonel, and on 12 January 1942 was appointed District Barrack Officer, Northern Ireland. On 1 May 1943 he was appointed Assistant Director Supply and Transport Branch (Barracks), South-Eastern command where he was heavily involved in finding billets for the massive numbers of troops massing for the D-day invasion. Colonel Sanders retired due to age on 29 January 1945.

With copied m.i.c. and gazette extracts and other research.