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Auction: 19003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 644

'I remember thinking to myself as I shook hands with some of them - you are very much braver men than I can ever hope to be.'

A fitting tribute from Field-Marshal Slim, on 'The Johnnies'

The mounted group of thirteen miniature dress medals worn by Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Shelley, Grenadier Guards and Special Intelligence Service, late Royal Flying Corps and Royal Lancaster Regiment, an experienced intelligence operator who in 1942, raised and commanded 'Z' Force in Burma, affectionately known as 'The Johnnies'

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Military, Commander's Badge, silver-gilt and enamel; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals; General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals, with M.I.D. oakleaf; Egypt, Order of the Nile, 4th Class; Khedive's Sudan, 1 clasp, Garjak Nuer; Poland, War Cross, mounted court-style by Spink & Son, minor enamel chip to Egyptian Order, otherwise nearly extremely fine (13)

C.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 16 August 1945. The original recommendation - upgraded from an O.B.E. - states:

'I have known Colonel Shelley since his arrival in India in the autumn of 1942. At that time there was no clandestine organisation obtaining information about the Japanese in the area up to about 100 miles behind their foremost outposts in Burma. This task was entrusted to Colonel Shelley who raised a special force for this purpose with conspicuous success.

During the fighting in 1942, 1943 and 1944, this organisation produced more operational intelligence of direct value than any other field organisation in this theatre. Much of the undoubted success of this organisation was due to Colonel Shelley himself, both as a result of his previous experience in this type of work, and by reason of energy, initiative and enthusiasm which he displayed and which gained the affection of all the officers. Although 56 years of age and by no means physically fit as a result of his experiences in Poland in September 1939, he has never spared himself and has set a fine example of devotion to duty. His work and the results of his work has been uniformly excellent and he is eminently worthy of the award proposed.'

Egypt, Order of the Nile, 4th Class London Gazette 24 January 1924:

'In recognition of valuable services rendered while employed by the Egyptian Army.'

Poland, Valour Cross London Gazette 11 April 1941:

'In recognition of distinguished services in Poland.'

John Patrick Shelley was born on 5 March 1888 and attested for the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment on 4 October 1910. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 16 August 1911, he was advanced Captain on 8 June 1915 and served in France and Flanders before being specially employed by the War Office (M.I.5.) on Counter Espionage. Serving with the Royal Flying Corps from April 1916 as a Balloon Officer, he transferred for service with the Egyptian Army, gaining intelligence on southern Sudan - for which he was awarded the Order of the Nile, 4th Class.

Transferred to the Grenadier Guards in 1924 and then to the Shanghai Defence Force as Intelligence Officer, it was in 1933 that Shelley was appointed Head of the first Special Intelligence Service Station in Jerusalem. He received the brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1938 and served in Poland in 1939 as part of General Adrian Carton de Wiart's Mission, being listed as Passport Control Officer in Warsaw.

In February 1939 he married a Polish girl 31 years his junior, before evacuating the British Embassy and Mission to Lukow following the rapid German advance into the Country. Lukow became a target for the Luftwaffe and when it was bombed on 7 September 1939 his new wife became a casualty; Shelley radioed back to London alerting them to the dangerous situation and praised the resolve and courage of three Polish female staff who begged to stay.

Returning to Britain via Romania, Shelley was next sent to the Middle East by the Special Intelligence Service. From Cairo he was sent to India to take charge of the General Staff Intelligence and was given the task of establishing a clandestine force, named as 'Z' Force, to collect and transmit intelligence back to G.H.Q. as well as recruit local Chin, Kachin and Karen people who could operate their own radio sets. These radios were powered by hand generators and all information on Japanese oil dumps, ammunition depots, and unit sizes were relayed to British Headquarters in code, allowing them to plan their advance. Officers, affectionately known as 'British Officer Johnnies' or 'Johnnies' were recruited with specialist knowledge of forest areas who were able to live in the jungle and had friends and acquaintances among the local people.
Each patrol consisted of two officers - designed to lend 'moral support' to each other and in case of casualties - and ten locally recruited other ranks. Initially penetrating Japanese lines on foot, they were later parachuted in by the Royal Air Force, their dangerous missions being carried out in some of the most difficult jungle terrain. To distract the enemy from seeing the location of supply drops, Japanese infantry were simultaneously attacked by fighter planes so as to keep their heads down. Money was also given to Burmese villagers in return for important information.

'Z' Force under the constant command of Lieutenant-Colonel Shelley lasted for 3 years and proved highly successful. In total there were 26 patrols and unsurprisingly, this elite little force received a remarkably high number of gallantry awards; 1 C.B.E., 2 D.S.O.'s, 4 M.B.E.'s, 17 M.C.'s - two of the latter with Bars - and 16 Burma Gallantry Medals. Shelley was also Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 30 December 1941, refers), before being released from the Army on 25 March 1947. He died on 27 December 1966.


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Sold for
£200

Starting price
£100