WW1 DSO, OBE (Kurdistan), 4 x MID (France and North West Persia) Medal Group of Eight – Lieutenant Colonel R.E. Sanders, Army Service Corps

A first world war DSO medal group of eight awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Ernest Sanders, Royal Army Service Corps. 

Distinguished Service Order, GVR unnamed as issued  
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) (Military) unnamed as issued 
1914-15 Star named to Major R.E. Sanders, A.S.C. 
British War Medal named to Lt. Col. R.E. Sanders 
WW1 Victory Medal (with MID oak leaf emblem) named to Lt. Col. R.E. Sanders 
General Service Medal (Clasps – N.W. Persia, Kurdistan) named to Lt. Col. R.E. Sanders. 
WW2 Defence Medal unnamed as issued 
War Medal 1939-45 unnamed as issued 

The medals are in good condition and are mounted on card for display.

D.S.O – London Gazette, 3rd June 1918
‘For distinguished services in connection with military operations in France and Flanders’.

O.B.E. – London Gazette, 3rd June 1924
For operations in Kurdistan 1923

Mentioned in Despatches –
London Gazette:
24th December 1917 (France)
25th May 1918 (France)
10th July 1919 (France)
9th September 1921 (North West Persia 1920)

Reginald Ernest Sanders was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Service Corps on 19th September 1914 and was promoted to Temp. Captain on 1st December 1914. In February 1915 he was Temp. Captain with the 13th Reserve Park (129 Coy. A.S.C.) and in May 1915 was promoted to Temp. Major. Sanders landed in France with his unit on 23rd September 1915. 

On 9th May 1917, Sanders was promoted to Act. Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Divisional Train of the 4th Cavalry Division (previously 2nd Indian Cavalry Division). He served with this unit, including during the Battle of Cambrai, until its disbandment on 31st March 1918 and was twice mentioned in despatches. On 1st July 1918 he was appointed commander of 15 (Scottish) Divisional Train, comprising 138, 140 and 141 Companies, Army Service Corps, servin with this unit until the end of the war. The 15 Div was attached to the 10th French Army during the Battles of Soissonais and the Ourcq and was mentioned in a Special Order by the French General Mangin. From August 1918 the Division was attached to 1 Corps, 1st Army and later the 5th Army, for the fighting at Loos and the Advance to Victory. For his service with 15 Division, Sanders received a DSO and was Mentioned in Despatches. 

Sanders then served in the North West Persia operations, 10th August – 31st December 1920, and was Mentioned in Despatches for a fourth time. From 19th March – 18th June 1923 he served in Kurdistan in the operations against the Kurdish chief Sheikh Mahmoud and was awarded the OBE for his services. 

In 1924, Sanders was put on the RARO (Class I), as a Lt Col with seniority as of 28th September 1917. On 24th August 1939, with the outbreak of war, he was recalled as a Lt Col and was promoted to Act. Colonel on 13th June 1940. On 12th January 1942 he was appointed District Barrack Officer, Northern Ireland, then a large training area. On 1st May 1923, he was appointed Assistant Director Supply and Transport (Barracks), South Eastern Command, where he was heavily involved in finding billets for the massive numbers of troops massng for the D-Day invasion. 

Colonel Sanders retired on 29th January 1945. 

Comes with research.