British Mandate (1920-1948)
Samples of decorations awarded to British soldiers for service  in Palestine
 

Distinguished Service Medal group with (navy) service medals for WW1 and WW2
 

 

Distinguished Service Medal (George V - L.S. R.N. Palestine 1936), British War Medal, Victory Medal (Boy. 1 R.N..) , Naval General Service Medal bar Palestine 1936-39 (L.S. R.N.), 1939/45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, War Medal, Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (George V - coinage head) to W.A Richards. One of only 3 awards for Palestine. L.G. 5/11/1936 Leading Seaman, H.M.S. Durban 'For distinguished services rendered in connection with the emergency operations in Palestine during the period 15th April to 14 September 1936' One of the shore party under the command of Lieutenant P. Gretton, R.N. to assist the army in protecting convoys and the police in the control of Haifa during the riots

Source: www.british-medals.co.uk

 
 

Commander of the Order of the British Empire group
 

 
Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2nd. type Military, 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, 1953 Coronation, General Service Medal with Mention in Despatches emblem, 2 clasps. Palestine 1945-48, Near East (Col. O.B.E. Staff) to Col. W.E. Farley.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire L.G. 7/1/1949 for 'Gallant and distinguished services in Palestine, 27th september, 1947 to 26th March, 1948' Col. O.B.E. Royal Engineers

Mentioned in despatches L.G. 7/1/1949 'Gallant and distinguished services in Palestine, 27th September 1945 to 26th March 1946 t/Col. O.B.E. Royal Engineers

Mentioned in despatches L.G. 13/6/1957 'Services in the operations in the Near East, Oct.-Dec. 1956, t/Brig. O.B.E E.R.D.

Source: www.british-medals.co.uk

 

 

Distinguished Conduct Medal

Distinguished Conduct Medal (George V), crowned head, to Cpl. A. Tansey, 1. Loyal R. L.G. 6/11/1936 For emergency operations in Palestine 14 April to 14 September 1936 'From between the wars 'On the 13th. July Lieutenant R.C. Elstone was leading a patrol of A company along the Jenin-Nablus road when they were held up by a road block, which was under fire from a party of fifteen Arabs in a stone sangar on a hill 250 yards away. He immediately led his platoon up the hill at the double, and withheld fire until they had reached the top of the hill, when three Arabs were killed in the sangar and three others outside it. For this successful action he was awarded the Military Cross, while Corporal Tansey received the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Private Thomas the Military Medal' Only 14 awards of the crowned head variety.

Source: www.british-medals.co.uk

 
 
 

Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry group to British Sergeant, Palestine Police
 

 

 

Colonial Police Medal, George VI, 1st issue, for Gallantry (British Sgt. Dennis B. Richards, Palestine Police Force), India General Service Medal 1908 clasp, North West Frontier 1930-31 (Tpr., 15-19 H.); G.S.M, 2 clasps, Palestine, Palestine 1945-48 (1127 T/2/B/Sjt. Pal. Police). Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry was published London Gazette 30 December 1947. Dennis Baily Richards joined the Palestine Police on 15 May 1932, having previously served in the 15th/19th Hussars in India. He served in the Palestine Police until the stand down on 15 May 1948. Served as a Sergeant in the Mounted Section.

Source: www.british-medals.co.uk

 

 

Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Cross
 

 

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2nd. type, military), Distinguished Flying Cross (George VI), reverse dated 1938, Air Force Cross (George VI), reverse dated 1945, General Service Medal bar Palestine (A/Flt. Lt.), War Medal, Defence Medal to Air Commodore D.L. Amlot, R.A.F.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire L.G. 7/6/1951 ‘Group captain (A/Air Commodore) Douglas Lloyd Amlot, D.F.C. A.F.C. R.A.F. ‘On advice of His Majesty’s Pakistan Ministers’

D.F.C. L.G. 22/11/1938 ‘For gallant and distinguished services rendered in Palestine’

A.F.C. L.G. 14/6/1945, Pilot Officer 1935, F/O 1938, Flt. Lt. 1940, Sqdn. Ldr. 1941, Wing Commander 1946, Gp. Capt. 1951, Air Commodore (A) 1958, ret. 1960. Served as Chief of Staff and second-in-command Pakistan Air Force. A total of 16 D.F.C’s awarded during the Palestine campaign (8 in 1938).

Source: www.british-medals.co.uk
 
  

King's Police Medal for gallantry

Established in 1909 for award to officers of Police and Fire Brigades throughout His Majesty's Dominions.
 

Source: Glasgow Police Museum 

 

 
 
Here follows the extraordinary edition (no.636) of the Palestine Gazette, published by the British authority during the mandate in Palestine. This is an announcement dated back to October 2nd, 1936 regarding the King's Police Medal (for gallantry) awarded to members of the Palestine Police. This single page like poster measures: 12 3/4x8 inch.
 

@ Source: ebay store of Yuic01
 
 

King's Police and Fire Services Medal and General Service Medal

PAIR: King's Police and Fire Services Medal (GVIR) for Gallantry (posthumous) 1st type 1937-1948; General Service Medal (GVIR) Ind Imp 1937-1949 - two clasps - Palestine; Palestine 1945-48. Denis J Flanagan (deceased) Asst.Supt. Palestine Police on first medal, 385 T.2 B.Sjt D.J.Flanagan Pal.Police on second medal.

Denis Joseph Flanagan, Assistant Superintendant of Police. KPFSM: LG 05Feb1946, No 37457, pg 817; Palestine Gazette 08Feb1946, No 1474. 'On Friday 27th December, 1946 a large number of Jewish terrorists armed with automatic weapons made an attack on Police Headquarters in Russian Compound, Jaffa Road, Jerusalem. In the course of the attack they destroyed an electricity distribution centre plunging the district around Police Headquarters into darkness. An enormous exchange of gunfire then occurred between police and the terrorists as they planted several bombs for the purpose of destroying the Police Headquarters building and killing as many police personnel as possible. British Constable Noel Nicholson, whilst engaging the attacking terrorists was killed in one of the resultant explosions. Assistant Superintendent Denis Joseph Flanagan who was on his way to hospital in answer to an emergency call for a blood donor, hastened to the scene of action and armed with two revolvers entered the small lanes through which the attackers were likely to escape. After engaging a party of the terrorists he expended all ammunition from both revolvers and he was then shot and killed. As the terrorists escaped some ran into Zion Square located about three hundred yards from the Police Headquarters. There British Constable Edward Hyde, who was off duty at the time, courageously engaged a group but was killed by overwhelming firepower of the offenders'. Both British Constables were also posthumously awarded the King's Police Medal for Gallantry.

Source: http://www.noble.com.au

 
 

'Crowned Head' Military Medal pair

The Extremely Rare 'Crowned Head' M.M. Pair to Fusilier W. Vines, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Military Medal, G.V.R., 2nd 'Crowned Head' type (3128344 Fsr. W. Vines. 1-R. S. Fus.); General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Palestine. M.M. London Gazette 6.11.1936, Fusilier William Vines, 1st Battalion The Royal Scots Fusiliers, 'For gallant and distinguished services rendered in connection with the emergency operations in Palestine during the period 15th April to 14th September, 1936.'

Source: http://www.spink.com/

 

 

Colonial Police Gallantry Medal with Bar Group of Five
 

 

An Extremely Rare Colonial Police Gallantry Medal with Bar Group of Five to Sergeant P.R. Adams, Palestine Police Force.
Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry, G.VI.R., first type (Sgt. Phillip R. Adams. Palestine Police Force), with Second Award Bar; General Service Medal, G.VI.R., two clasps, Palestine, Palestine 1945-48 (748 Sgt. P.R. Adams. Pal. Police.); Defence and War Medals; Colonial Police Long Service, G.VI.R. (Brit. Insp.Philip R. Adams, Palestine Police).

Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry London Gazette 18.8.1939, Phillip Robert Adams, Sergeant, Palestine Police Force
Bar to Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry London Gazette 28.1.1944 Inspector, Palestine Police Force

Inspector Phillip Robert Adams, from Norfolk, served as a regular soldier with R.A. Mountain Battery (India). For seven years he was attached to the North West Frontier Police before joining the Palestinian Police as British Constable, 20.6.1930. He had a thorough and detailed knowledge of the Judean desert and the Bedouin tribes, and the Arabs themselves nicknamed him 'Abu korbaj' (Father of the Whip). An experienced horseman after his years in India, Adams was posted to the newly formed British Mounted Branch. He also knew the Lower Jordan Valley and in particular the town or oasis of Jericho. During the Arab Rebellion 1936-39, insurgents took over Jericho and burned down the police station. For a long time the area was a 'no-go area'. In 1939 Adams rode alone down the main street on a perfectly turned out horse. There was silence from the population looking out from their houses, but nobody challenged him. He took over the ruins of the police station and hoisted the Union Flag and placed a notice at the entrance announcing in English and Arabic 'Business as usual'. For this the Arabs further nicknamed him 'The Uncrowned King of Jericho', and government rule was returned to the area. He was the last British Policeman to leave Jericho in 1948. After the 'Stand Down' Adams went on to serve in Aden, Nigeria, Gold Coast and the Canal Zone. A brilliant horseman, he became an authority on various breeds of Arab bred horses. Inspector Adams retired 15.5.1948 and returned to Swanton Abbot, near Norwich, where he died in 1986. Only nine second award bars to the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry have been awarded. The bar to Inspector Adams was the first bar to be awarded, and is the only bar for Palestine.

Source: http://www.spink.com/

 
 

Inter-War Palestine Distinguished Conduct Medal Group
 

 

An Extremely Rare 'Crowned Head' Inter-War Palestine D.C.M. Group of Eight to Lieutenant L.L. Gasson, Cheshire Regiment.
Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R., 2nd 'Crowned Head' type (4120125 L. Sjt. L.L. Gasson. 2-Ches. R.); General Service Medal 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Palestine (4120125 Sjt. L.L. Gasson. Ches. R.); 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star, with 8th Army bar; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal, with M.I.D. Oak Leaf, all named (Lieut. L.L. Gasson. DCM.); Army Long Service & G.C., G.VI.R., 1st 'Ind Imp' type, with 'Regular Army' suspension (Lieut. (OM) L.L. Gasson. Green Howards.).

D.C.M. London Gazette 6.11.1936
The Recommendation states: 'On the night of the 21/22nd June, 1936, Sergeant Lyle Leavey Gasson of the Cheshire Regiment was in command of the Railway Patrol Train from Jerusalem to Artuf, with a party of one Corporal and eight other ranks. On arrival at Kilo 64, the line was found to be blocked, and when the party started to remove the block, Arabs opened fire on them at close range, Sgt. Gasson being wounded in the eye. The Arabs then commenced to block the line to the rear of the Patrol Train. Sgt. Gasson engaged the Arabs with Lewis guns, under cover of which the blocks on the line were removed. The Arabs, who were in strength and had surrounded the train, were eventually driven off, after five of their number had been killed or wounded. Sgt. Gasson then took the Patrol Train to Deir-es-Sheikh Station, which he placed in a state of defence, and at dawn, in spite of his wound and the reluctance of the native engine driver and fireman, continued the patrol to Artuf and back to Jerusalem.'

Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 20.9.1945

One of only Fourteen G.V.R. 'Crowned Head' type Distinguished Conduct Medals awarded.

Source: http://www.spink.com/

 
 

Inter War 'Palestine' 1939 George Cross Group
 

 
The Extremely Rare Inter War 'Palestine' 1939 George Cross Group of Five to Sergeant T. Atkinson, The Green Howards
a) George Cross, reverse officially engraved 'No.4388265 Cpl. Thomas Atkinson, The Green Howards, 25th July. 1939.'
b) General Service 1918-62, G.VI.R., one clasp, Palestine (4388265 Cpl. T. Atkinson. Green Howards.)
c) 1939-1945 Star
d) Defence and War Medals, last three medals impressed "Boots' style", '4388265 Sgt T. Atkinson G.C. The Green Howards', generally good very fine, mounted as originally worn.

The George Cross replaced the Empire Gallantry Medal by Royal Warrant 24.9.1940. The original E.G.M. citation, published in the London Gazette 25.7.1939, states: No. 4388265 Corporal Thomas Atkinson, 1st Battalion, The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wale's Own Yorkshire Regiment)
'Corporal Atkinson, who was in charge of the mechanical transport when a truck caught fire at Jinsafut Camp, Palestine, on the 15th March, 1939, organized the removal of the remainder of the Mechanical Transport to a point clear of the burning truck.

Without his initiative and energy in rallying the drivers, and assisting them to move their trucks out of danger, the remainder of the transport must have caught fire as well; and a general conflagration throughout the camp would have been inevitable.

Corporal Atkinson was subsequently indefatigable in his efforts to subdue the fire right up to the time that he was severely burnt in endeavouring to save the life of one of his comrades.'

Sergeant Thomas Atkinson, G.C. (1915-1997), born Redcar; educated at the West Dyke Central School; joined the Green Howards, 1933; posted with the 1st Battalion to Palestine, 1937, and served there during the height of terrorist activity, whilst the area was governed by Britain under a League of Nations Mandate; Atkinson's obituary which appeared in The Daily Telegraph offers further incite into his bravery during this tense and hostile time, 'On the evening of March 15 1939 a lorry caught fire at the Jinsafut Camp, an outpost of the 1st Battalion the Green Howards, 20 miles from Nablus in Palestine. Atkinson, as a Corporal, was in charge of mechanised transport at the camp.

His first action was to rally the drivers to move eight other lorries parked close together in a double line in a narrow garage near the ammunition store in the confines of the high, rocky camp. Unless this could be done rapidly the fire would spread through the whole camp, endangering the lives of the 60 soldiers stationed there. The operation was made more hazardous by fuel that had shortly before been spilled when petrol cans for filling the lorries had been broached. The fire extinguishers proved too small to cope with the blaze, which soon spread over the floor of the garage. Atkinson and his men scraped up the earth to throw on the fire, but one young soldier slipped on to the burning petrol. Atkinson dived towards him in an attempt to pull him clear, but a petrol tank exploded and blew him several feet across the garage. When Atkinson came to, he found he was on fire from head to foot and that he had been partially blinded.

Atkinson was being closely helped in his endeavours by Private Thomas "Jock" McAvoy, who, to avoid another explosion, carried out the approved procedure of piercing the petrol tank of a burning lorry with a pickaxe. He too was badly burned, but he and Atkinson had by then succeeded in preventing a worse disaster'; Atkinson went on to see further service during the Second World War.

For this action two Empire Gallantry Medals were awarded to the Regiment (Atkinson and McAvoy), and two British Empire Medals (Brindle and Fowler).

Source: http://www.spink.com/

 
 

George Medal and Second World War group awarded to Police Sergeant E.A. Smith, Palestine Police
 

 
The unique and exceptional Palestine Jewish Revolt Bombing of the King David’s Hotel 22nd July 1946 George Medal, Palestine Arab Rebellion and Second World War group awarded to Police Sergeant E.A. Smith, Palestine Police, who in the aftermath of the infamous bombing in which 91 people were killed and 46 injured, tunnelled for six hours beneath the debris despite risk of explosive fumes, fire and collapse, to rescue three injured soldiers trapped under the rubble.

Group of 4: George Medal, GVI 2nd type bust; (SGT. EDWARD S. SMITH, PALESTINE POLICE); General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVI 1st type bust, 2 Clasps: Palestine, Palestine 1945-48; (1316 CONST. E A SMITH. PAL POLICE); Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945. Mounted swing style as worn.

Source: http://www.london-medals.co.uk
 
 

Palestine B.E.M. group Royal Engineers
 

 
Palestine B.E.M. group Royal Engineers (42 F. Coy) who's services included dealing with explosives and booby traps.

British Empire Medal, (Military) (GVI)., ( Lce. Cpl. R.E.); G.S.M. clasp, Palestine ( Spr. L. Morris, ), 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, War Medal, L.S. G.C. (GV1) ( Spr. R.E.), L. Morris

B.E.M. L.G. 11/5/1937.

One of just eight such awards for the pre-war Palestine operations and unique to the Royal Engineers. Services of 42nd Field Company included the punitive destruction of Arab houses and the removal of booby-traps. Two officers from the same unit received M.B.Es for this period of operations in Palestine, their recommendations citing ‘the destruction by explosives of houses in Old Jaffa.’

Source: http://www.british-medals.co.uk

 
 

Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (P-4219 Sjt: -A.S.S.Mjr- F.H. Rolfe. M.M.P.),
M.S.M. London Gazette12.12.1919 P/4219 Sjt. (A./ S./ S.M.) Rolfe, F.H., Military Mounted Police (Kentish Town)
''In recognition of valuable services rendered with the British Forces in Egypt and Palestine.''

Source: http://www.spink.com/

 
 
 
Abbreviations
  Boy 1   Boy First Class
  L.S.   Leading Seaman
  A.F.C.   Air Force Cross
  D.F.C.   Distinguished Flying Cross
  R.N.   Royal Navy
 
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