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Auction: 16003 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 75

Four: Commander T.J. Linberry, Royal Navy, An Officer Twice Mentioned in Dispatches, Mentioned in Seven Pillars Of Wisdom, by T.E. Lawrence, Who Once Provided Emir Faisal, later King Faisal of Syria and Iraq With A Bath and Supper Aboard H.M.S. Hardinge
Naval General Service 1915-62, one clasp, Persian Gulf 1909-14 (Lieut. Commr. T.J. Linberry. R.N., H.M.S. Swiftsure), official correction to first letter of surname; 1914-15 Star (Commr. T.J. Linberry. R.N.), gilded, the suspension ring removed and replaced with post and ring suspension; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. Oak Leaves (Commr. T.J. Linberry. R.N.), the VM with replacement swivel ring suspension, traces of lacquer, otherwise good very fine, mounted court-style as worn, housed in a contemporary leather case, the lid attractively embossed with the intertwined monogram 'T.J.L.', with neck ribands for the Egyptian and Hedjazi Orders, provided with a copy of T.E. Lawrence and the Red Sea Patrols (4)

M.I.D. London Gazette 14.9.1917 Lieutenant-Commander (Acting Commander) T.J. Linberry, Royal Navy

M.I.D. London Gazette 4.10.1918 Lieutenant-Commander (Acting Commander) T.J. Linberry, Royal Navy
'For valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations in Hedjaz.'

[Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, Second Class] London Gazette 19.12.1917 Lieutenant-Commander (Acting Commander) T.J. Linberry, Royal Navy

[Hedjaz, Kingdom, Order of Al Nahda, Third Class] London Gazette 23.4.1920 Lieutenant-Commander Thomas H. [sic] Linberry, Royal Navy

Commander Thomas John Linberry, born in India, November 1882; entered Royal Navy as Boy Cadet, May 1898; confirmed Sub-Lieutenant, 15.12.1902; promoted Lieutenant, 30.6.1905; served during the Great War aboard Hardinge; retired, 16.6.1926; re-engaged during the Second War for staff duties.

The Holy Carpet
Throughout the Great War, Linberry served as Acting Commander of H.M.S. Hardinge as part of the Red Sea Patrol, which itself saw extremely varied service, with his service records providing interesting insight:
'October 1915. Admiral Huquet's appreciation of good services rendered by Lt. Comdr. Linberry, while under his orders: Senior Officer, North Red Sea Patrol
December 1916. Appreciation of Foreign Office for services rendered to the High Commissioner of Egypt, whilst in the Red Sea Patrol in connection with the Arab Revolt.
November 1917. Foreign Office expresses appreciation of the arrangements made by Comdr. Linberry for the transport of the Holy Carpet.'
Its assistance with regard to the yearly transfer of the Holy Carpet from Cairo to Mecca was well noted. Following an agreement, the Carpet, together with an escort of four hundred troops and a sacred white camel were to be in attendance with the important cargo for the journey in September 1916. A week was required to fit Hardinge sufficiently, with the embarkation beginning during the afternoon of 23.9.1916, for the journey to begin the next morning. The log book notes she 'dressed ship rainbow fashion', with the full cargo being over six hundred and fifty troops, fifty seven horses, twenty six mules and three camels. The journey from Suez took two days, and included a customary twenty one gun salute on arrival. Her precious cargo was successfully delivered, 28.9.1916 (T.E. Lawrence and the Red Sea Patrol, refers). A letter sent by Linberry during 1920 stakes his claim and provides greater insight to the exact involvement:
'Sir, I have the honour to request that in accordance with the Order-in-Council of 10th August 1888 their Lordships will be pleased to allow me Freight Money for the conveyance of gold and silver for the Arabian Government from the 23rd August 1916 to the 2nd November 1917, as marked A on the attached notes, and for the Egyptian Government on the occasion of carrying the Holy Carpet for Mecca on 24th September 1916 and 12th September 1917, as marked B on the attached notes, which were conveyed on board HMS Hardinge, of the Royal Indian Marine, under my command. I beg to submit that the subsequent Orders-in-Council dated 28th August 1914 and 24th October 1916 do not debar Freight Money being claimed from a friendly Foreign Government and that Rear Admiral Thomas Jackson, C.B., M.V.O. made the necessary engagement in this case, as required by paragraph 8 of the Order-in-Council of 10th of August 1888. Furthermore, I beg to submit that beside the additional responsibility assumed by me for the Arabian and Egyptian Governments I was also under liability to them, in accordance with the footnote to the Order-in-Council in the event of loss of the gold and silver under my charge, to be liable for three fourths of its value. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Obedient Servant, T.J. Linberry.'(ibid)
His claim for freight funds may have been in realisation that his Naval career might be close to a close, but the returns would have been extremely significant. The total carried totalled £250,900, which equates to in excess of £10,000,000 today.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Linberry is also mentioned a number of times in T.E. Lawrence's work of 1922. He is credited with being a regular and reliable source of port information, whilst also being a great supplier of Naval hospitality. Book Seven, Chapter 82 gives this delightful report of one King's view of heaven:
'In the early days of the revolt it had been the Hardinge which had been given leisure to play providence to us. Once, at Yenbo, Feisal had ridden to the port from the hills on a streaming day of winter, cold, wet, miserable and tired. Linberry had sent a launch ashore, and invited him to the ship where he had found a warm cabin, a peaceful meal, and a bath made ready for him. Afterwards he lay far back in an armchair, smoking one of his constant cigarettes, and remarked dreamily to me that he now knew what the furnishing of heaven would be.'
Feisal, Feisal I bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashimi, was King of Syria in 1920 and King of Iraq from 1921-33, who fostered unity between the Islamic sects in the region.

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Sold for
£1,900