A Collection of Awards for the 1939-45 War

Ten: Lieutenant-Colonel O. Davies, Indian Army, late Royal Army Service Corps

1914-15 Star (2 Lieut. O. Davies, A.S.C.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oakleaf (Capt. O. Davies); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Waziristan 1921-24 (Lieut. O. Davies, R.A.S.C.); India General Service 1936-39, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1936-37 (Major. O. Davies, R.I.A.S.C. (M.T.)); 1939-45 Star; Burma Star, this privately inscribed ‘Lt.-Col. O. Davies, Indian Elec. Mech. Engnrs.’; War Medal 1939-45; India Service Medal 1939-45; Italy, Armata Altipiani Medal, the India Service Medal with loose re-riveted suspension, the Great War awards a little polished, otherwise generally very fine or better (10) £300-350

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Awards for the 1939-45 War.

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Owen Davies, who was born in May 1888, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps in February 1915, and first entered the French theatre of war with an Ammunition Column, A.S.C., that April. Remaining similarly employed until November 1917, he was next embarked for Italy, where he won a mention in despatches for his ‘splendid work in command of a section of 36th Motor Ambulance Convoy during operations beyond the Piave’ (London Gazette 5 September 1919). He had, meanwhile, been advanced to Temporary Captain.

Remaining a regular soldier after the War, Davies first arrived in India in March 1923, and quickly witnessed active service in the Waziristan operations as a member of No. 1 Motor Transport Company, R.A.S.C. Gaining advancement to substantive Captain in July 1925, he transferred to the Indian Army Service Corps in May 1927, was advanced to Major in November 1935, and participated in further operations on the North West Frontier in May-December 1937.

Employed in a Maintenance Group at Chakala on the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, Davies was advanced to substantive Lieutenant-Colonel in May 1943 and served on liaison duty with 23rd (Indian) Division in Burma later that year. He was placed on the Retired List in early 1946; sold with copied service record.