Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Captain M. S. Chaning-Pearce, Dorsetshire Regiment, later civilian administrator in Iraq, and Inspector General of Arab Levies

British War and Victory Medals (Capt. M. S. Chaning-Pearce.); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Iraq (Capt. M. S. Chaning-Pearce.) with named card box of issue; together with the related miniature awards, good very fine (3) £140-£180

Melville Salter Chaning-Pearce was born in Thanet, Kent, on 9 June 1886 and was educated at the King’s School, Canterbury, and Worcester College, Oxford. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment on 29 August 1914. His battalion embarked for India on 9 October 1914, landing at Bombay on 10 November, before moving to Mesopotamia early in 1916 to become part of 15th Indian Division. Melville is recorded as entering the theatre of war on 5 February 1916 while the main body of 1st/4th Dorsets landed at Basra on 23 February. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 June 1916 and Captain and Adjutant on 18 March 1917. In September 1917 the division was tasked with the capture of Ramadi. For his service in Iraq with 1st/4th Dorsets he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Following the Fall of Baghdad Chaning-Pearce was transferred to the civil administration of Iraq and served variously as a Political Officer, Inspector General of Arab Levies, District Magistrate in Baghdad and Secretary to the High Commissioner. He resigned his commission on 30 September 1921, but remained in Iraq working for the civil administration until 1924, and was awarded the General Service Medal with clasp Iraq. Following his return from Iraq he returned to teaching, founding the Alpine College in Arveyes, Switzerland and was headmaster there until he returned to England in 1934 to set up South Leigh College in Oxfordshire. He was a committed lay churchman and authored a wide range of books of both education, philosophy and Christianity. He died in the north Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, in 1969.

Sold with the remnants of a cap badge; and copied research.