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Auction: 23001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 372

Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

The superb 'North Russia 1919' D.S.O., Order of Saint Vladimir, Croix de Guerre group of five to Lieutenant-Colonel H. E. Lavie, Durham Light Infantry attached 13th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment

Having served on the Somme, he would become commander of the Seletskoe Detachment at Archangel; faced with appalling conditions, a fanatical enemy and troops ready to mutiny, he passed these trials with awards from both British and White Russian Governments as well as the high praise of General Ironside, commanding the British Expedition, besides three 'mentions'

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Lt. Col. H. E. Lavie); Russia, Imperial, Order of St. Vladimir with Swords, 4th class, silver-gilt and enamel; Belgium, Kingdom, Croix de Guerre, mounted as worn, in their Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company case, slight chipping to enamel of first, minor contact wear, very fine (5)

D.S.O. London Gazette 3 October 1919:

'For inspiring leadership and devotion to duty when in command of the 'Seletskoe Detachment'. No exertion on his part has been too great in ensuring that proper defensive measures were being taken, and the entire lack of success of enemy attacks made on his front during April, 1919, can be attributed in great measure to the change of morale in the defending troops owing to his personality and power of command'.

Croix de Guerre London Gazette 12 July 1918.

Henry Ernest Lavie was born on 5 August 1879 in Ceylon, the son of Henry and Gertrude Lavie of Fulham, London, and grandson of Major Henry Lavie, 13th Native Infantry. Returning to England for his education he and his brother George grew up in Britain, with Lavie appearing on the 1891 census at the house of his uncle in Battersea.

Joining the Northamptonshire Regiment with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant on 28 September 1898, he transferred to the Durham Light Infantry with the same rank on 18 April 1900. Promoted Lieutenant on 13 July 1901 he lived at Hillfield, Addlestone before being posted to Africa and saw service with the West African Frontier Force between August 1904 - June 1909, being promoted Captain on 26 April of that latter year.

West African service complete, Lavie returned to London and whilst there married Constance McCoan on 3 January 1910 with the couple settling in at St. George Square, Pimlico. Posted to India, he was still there on the outbreak of the Great War and was soon appointed an Assistant Embarkation Staff Officer (August 1914) for units of the Indian Army joining the various theatres around the conflict. Lavie held this position until November 1915 before taking up an appointment as Deputy Acting Quartermaster-General, to commence in December 1915. With the start of the Somme Offensive he received some bitter news - his brother, serving as a Lieutenant with the Canterbury Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was killed in action on 11 June 1916 at Armentieres, France.

Leaving his staff role in September 1916 Lavie then embarked on more active service, and was posted to France on attachment to the York and Lancaster Regiment. Appointed Acting-Lieutenant Colonel he joined the 6th Battalion as their commander for the remainder of the war, earning a 'mention' for his services (London Gazette 24 May 1918). A further award of the Belgian Croix de Guerre seemed to put the capstone to his career as he returned to staff work as an Instructor for the Senior Officers' School, Aldershot.

However, Lavie's military career had yet to reach its zenith and he was offered command of a Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment currently serving in North Russia; arriving there in January 1919 he was placed in command of the 13th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment at Seletskoe. The allied lines were based around the railway and river traffic centred upon the River Dvina of which Seletskoe was a crucial hub, Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia expands upon this stating:

'The River Dvina, a mile and a half wide in places, was nevertheless relatively shallow, with shifting sandbanks. With Archangel situated on its northern bank, the river dominated the region. It followed a course south east from the port and was joined after about 100 miles by its first major tributary, the Vaga. In the late autumn of 1918, the rivers were wide and full. All three had significant settlements along their banks. On the Emptsa, important as a staging post on a rough road that linked the railway with the Dvina.'

While he was commanding the Yorkshire Regiment here Lavie was also placed in command of the entire Seletskoe detachment, a mixed force of Allied and White Russian troops charged with the defence of this vital point on the line. Indeed the position had already been lost more than once in the close fighting the previous year and was only retaken by a significant expenditure of lives and resources. As might be expected with the Spring thaw it again came in for heavy attack by Bolshevik forces and Lavie's experience of command was crucial to its defence. Notably, Seletskoe also featured in the North Russia mutinies that grew out of the continued resentment of British troops to what they saw as an unnecessary war. The first of these occurred not long after Lavie's arrival and it was the slow pace of the Allied authorities in confirming his appointment which were to blame:

'It has to be remembered, since mutinies are a blot on any regiment's escutcheon, that the cap badged Yorkshires, who themselves represented only a modest proportion of the composite Regiment, had suffered rather more than four leaderless months and slack discipline before a commanding officer was appointed - a serious failing by the appointing authorities'

(IBID)

General Ironside himself hastened to the front only to discover upon arrival that Lavie had dealt with the issue under his own steam, calling the men to parade unarmed and arresting the ringleaders. An undercurrent of tension remained however, passed over by Ironside for the moment but very much present within the entire expedition. References by White Russian officers to requests for machine guns to line the road during the parade and the fact that the two ringleaders charged were not the only men arrested implies the true extent of the problem was much greater. Despite this Lavie had managed to get his men into action and regardless of their reservations about the war itself they were clearly more than happy to serve under his command. Indeed this unit earned one Distinguished Conduct Medal and seven Military Medals during the campaign.

Having performed admirably Lavie was suitably rewarded, receiving a 'mention' (London Gazette 21 May 1920) to accompany his award of the D.S.O. He was further honoured with the Russian Order of St. Vladimir with Swords.

Returning to Britain he, was confirmed as Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel commanding 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry - having thus far been serving in a temporary rank - on 3 February 1920. He served on during peacetime, mainly in Northern Ireland, but retired to Cornwall as a result of ill-health on 28 September 1927. Lavie died at Gibraltar Colonial Hospital on 28 February 1930.

Further information on Lavie's service can be found on the Durham at War website: https://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/story/14367/

Details of the award of his Order of St. Vladimir can be found in Officers of the Durham Light Infantry by Colin MacGregor.

For the K.C.B. attributed to the recipient's great Grandfather, Captain Sir Thomas Lavie, commander of the Blanche during her famous capture of the Guerriere, please see Lot 320.

His personal papers and diaries have recently been presented to the Imperial War Museum and will soon be available to be accessed.

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Sold for
£2,600

Starting price
£1000