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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 403

Sold by Order of the Family

The impressive miniature dress medal group of eight worn by to Major-General F. H. Treherne, Royal Army Medical Corps, who acted as Director of Medicine during the Great War on three different fronts

Egypt Medal 1882-89, undated, 3 clasps, El-Teb-Tamaai, The Nile 1884-85, Kirbekan; Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith; India General Service Medal 1908-35, 1 clasp, North West Frontier 1908; 1914 Star, clasp; British War Medal and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves; Coronation 1902; Khedive's Star, dated 1884, mounted as worn, very fine (8)

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 January 1916, the original citation quoted in the Edinburgh Gazette, 17 November 1916 states:

'I am much indebted to Surgeon-General F. H. Treherne for the valuable assistance he has consistently rendered since his arrival in the country.'

Francis Harper Treherne was born at Hammersmith on 15 April 1858 to parents Henry Treherne, an Audit Officer at the Exchequer, and Harriet Harper. The family lived at 8 Latymer House in St Paul's, and Treherne attended Godolphin School in Salisbury. He later went into a medical education, receiving the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1884.

On 4 February 1882, he joined the Egyptian Expeditionary Force as a Surgeon, later in 1885 being moved to support the 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Regiment in Sudan. Following this service, he returned to the Medical Office at Aldershot and undertook the Diploma in Public Health at Cambridge in 1887.

In 1892, Treherne was promoted to Surgeon Captain and posted with the Bengal Army in India. In this position, he was the surgeon to the Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal George White. He was soon promoted to Surgeon Major and in 1900, was posted to South Africa for the Boer War where he was 'mentioned' (London Gazette 8 February 1901). He then served in India again with the Highlanders again, this time at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Like many officers of the period, a good way to ensure promotion was through marriage to a more senior officer's daughter. Treherne was no different, and in 1900 married Nona Turner, daughter of General Sir Frank Turner.

He was serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps and in 1912 was appointed Honorary Surgeon to the Viceroy of India. He was subsequently promoted to Colonel and made the Director of Medicine in India.

At the outbreak of the Great War, Treherne remained in India, continuing his role as Director of Medicine, before being appointed Surgeon General. He was transferred to France as the Director of Medicine and served here until 1916. During this time, he was Mentioned in Despatches, for his exemplary work. In 1915, he was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for his wartime services, later being upgraded in 1917 to Knight Commander.

In 1917, he received a promotion to Major and was deployed to Mesopotamia to become the Director of Medicine in the Middle East earing a second 'mention' there (London Gazette 15 August 1917. He was present for the capture of Baghdad. For the last year of the war, he was appointed as Inspector of Medical Services at the War Office, and he retired prior to the end of the war on 15 April 1918. He was given the rank of Major-General upon his retirement.

Following the war, he lived in Red House in Suffolk, which became the Jacob Family home for his son-in-law, Sir Ian Jacob. He died on 30 January 1955, aged 96 years.

For medals to his Son-in-Law, Sir Ian Claud Jacob, please see Lot 396.
For medals to his Grandson, Lieutenant William Le Grand Jacob, please see Lot 189.
For medals to his Son-in-Law's Father, Field Marshal Claud Jacob, please see Lot 395.

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Estimate
£180 to £220

Starting price
£140