GROUPS AND SINGLE DECORATIONS FOR GALLANTRY
1262
A Second World War O.B.E. and Q.P.M. group of eight awarded to Chief Constable Thomas Biesley Humphrey, South
Shields Borough Police, late Military Foot Police
THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; THE ORDER OF ST.JOHN
OF JERUSALEM, Officer’s (Brother’s) breast badge, silver base metal and enamel; QUEEN’S POLICE MEDAL, for Distinguished
Service (Thomas B. Humphrey, O.B.E., Ch. Const. South Shields Borough Police); BRITISH WAR MEDAL 1914-20 (P-10808 L-
Cpl., M.F.P.); DEFENCE MEDAL; CORONATION 1937; CORONATION 1953; POLICE LONG SERVICE, G.VI.R. (Thomas B. Humphrey Ch.
Const.); mounted as worn together with a VICTORY MEDAL 1914-19 (T4-129287 Pte. R. Brereton, A.S.C.), in leather case,
some contact marks, very fine and better (9) £700-800
O.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1943. ‘Chief Constable and Air Raid
Precautions Controller, County Borough of South Shields, Co. Durham’.
Q.P.M. London Gazette 10 June 1954. ‘Chief Constable, South Shields Borough
Police Force’.
Chief Constable Humphrey joined the County Borough of South Shields Police
Force on 22 September 1913. He served continuously until his retirement on 15
April 1958, except for one break from 1 June 1917 to 27 January 1919, during
the Great War, when he served in the Military Foot Police. Sold with copied
photographs and research.
1263
A Second World War M.B.E. group of five awarded to Chief Civil Defence Warden for Ilford, Thomas William Finch,
late Sapper, Royal Engineers
THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1914 STAR, with copy
clasp (24847 Sapr., R.E.); BRITISH WAR AND VICTORY MEDALS, M.I.D. oak leaf (24847 Spr., R.E.); DEFENCE MEDAL, unnamed, very
fine and better (lot) £750-850
M.B.E. London Gazette 11 June 1942. ‘Chief Civil Defence Warden, Ilford’.
M.I.D. London Gazette 21 May 1918.
Sapper Thomas William Finch, 7th Field Company, Royal Engineers, a Yorkshireman, from Hull, entered the France/Flanders theatre of
war on 23 August 1914. Serving throughout the war, he was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp and was mentioned in Haig’s despatch
of 7 April 1918. Between the wars he was a builder and decorator and was for many years the Chairman of the Ilford Branch of the
British Legion, he was also Chairman of the Benevolent Committee of the British Legion. With the onset of the Second World War,
Finch was appointed Head Warden of the Ilford A.R.P. Becoming Chief Civil Defence Warden, he was awarded the M.B.E. in 1942, for
his sterling work during the ‘blitz’ - the M.B.E. being personally presented to him by the King. When the King and Queen and the two
Princesses visited Ilford after the war, he was again presented to the King, who chatted with him for some time, on his experiences.
After the war, Finch continued as an officer in the Ilford Civil Defence Association and served as an Official of the Public Relations
Office and Information Office of the Town Hall. Mr Finch unexpectedly died in April 1949, aged 57 years.
Sold with M.B.E. bestowal document in (damaged) envelope, bearing the address, ‘Thomas W. Finch, Esq., M.B.E., 44 Benton Road
West, Ilford, Essex’, with associated enclosure; Fourth Division B.E.F. Card of Appreciation signed by Major-General Wilson;
newspaper cuttings re. the recipient’s death; A.R.P. Badge; riband bar; British Legion Badge (2), enamelled; other badges (3);
photographs; copied m.i.c. and gazette extracts and other research.
www.dnw.co.uk
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