Bidspirit auction | A WW2 OBE and NWF

A WW2 OBE and NWF of India operations twice Mentioned in Despatches group of seven to a former regimental Commanding Officer in the Royal Corps of Signals. Consisting of: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Second Type Military Division; India General Service Medal 1908 with clasp ‘North West Frontier 1930-31’ with Oak Leaf emblem for MiD, named to: Lieut F C Seely R Signals;1939-1945 Star; France & Germany Star; Defence Medal ; War Medal 1939-1945; EIIR Coronation Medal. Frank Carse Seely was born at Southsea, Hampshire on 17 May 1906. He was educated at Dulwich College in SW London and, after attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals on 3 February 1926. He served for ten years in India, from 1928 to 1938, and during this time he took part in operations against the Afridi Red Shirt Rebellion for which he was awarded the IGS 1908 with clasp ‘North West Frontier 1930-31’ and was twice Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished service. A keen sportsman, he represented his units at rugby and boxing. He was posted back to the UK shortly before the outbreak of WW 2 and after some staff and regimental duty posts he was appointed as Commanding Officer of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division Signal Regiment on 3 February 1943, as a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel. Formed at the outbreak of war in September 1939, the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was a second-line Territorial Infantry Division, which replicated the renowned 51st Highland Division. It served throughout the North West Europe campaign after landing in Normandy soon after D-day on 14 June 1944. It fought on the Odon River, at Caen, Caumont, Mont Pincon, the Nederrijn, the Rhineland, and across the Rhine, finally halting at Ahrensburg, near Lubeck, when the German surrender was announced on 5 May 1945. After holding a common front with the Soviet Red Army east of the Elbe-Trave Canal, the Division was disbanded on 10 March 1946. The total number of casualties it sustained during the twelve months of fighting was 11,772. Following the conclusion of WW2, Lieutenant Colonel Seely was awarded the OBE (London Gazette dated 11 October 1945) for his distinguished service as CO of 15 Div Sigs and was promoted to Substantive Lieutenant Colonel on 31 December 1947. He served with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) until August 1951, when he was appointed Chief Signals Officer for Malta until July 1954. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal during his period as CSO Malta. His final appointment was as a Grade 1 Staff Officer with HQ AAFCE (Allied Air Forces Central Europe), based at Ramstein in W Germany, until October 1956. He retired from the Army on 25 December 1956 and died suddenly at Chislehurst, Kent on 29 August 1963, at the early age of 57. The OBE gilding is somewhat worn as is usual with these awards, and the MiD emblem is a contemporary tailor’s replacement. Otherwise the medals are in generally Very Fine (VF) condition, with some light contact marking and mounted court-style for wear. Accompanied by various documentation, including a summary record of service, obituary notice, colour panoramic chart of 15 Div’s campaign in NW Europe, recommendation and London Gazette entry for the OBE, photographs (including a rare original photograph of the Princess Royal, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Signals, attending an event with Lt Col Seely and others at the Mercury Theatre, Bad Oeynhausen, then the location of HQ 21st Army Group, on 7 May 1948), and other documents.