The Orders and Medals to Sir George Henry...

The Orders and Medals to Sir George Henry Henderson, C.B., K.B.E., comprising: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Civil Division), Companion's neck badge (C.B.), silver-gilt, London 1939, in Garrard & Co case of issue, nearly extremely fine; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division), Knight Commander's neck badge and breast star, silver, gilt and enamel, in Garrard & Co case of issue, about extremely fine; 1914-15 Star (1991 SJT. G. H. HENDERSON. R. SCOTS.), British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal (LIEUT. G. H. HENDERSON.); Jubilee Medal 1935; Coronation Medal 1937; Coronation Medal 1953; the last six mounted for wearing, good very fine and better [9]; together with the grants of dinity and covering letters for the C.B. and the K.B.E.; a facsimile of a letter written by by the recipient while a prisoner of war; two books: Jack Alexander, 'McCrae's Battalion'; and Tom Steel, 'The Life and Death of St Kilda'; and the recipient's silver cased open face pocket watch.

By direct decent.

George Henry Henderson was born in Wooler, 18/05/1889, and attended Duke School, Alnwick before entering the Civil Service (Board of Education) in 1907. He attested at Edinburgh 02/09/1914 and went to Egypt as a Sergeant in the 5/6th Battalion Royal Scots 15/09/1915. Discharged to a commission 06/11/1916, he was posted to the 16th Battalion Royal Scots 11/12/1916 and was in command of a platoon of A Company when they participated in the attack on Roeux 28/04/1917 - part of the Battle of Arras. "I mopped up the houses and cellars in my area, taking a few prisoners.....we encountered what appeared to be a preliminary counter-attack by the enemy. For some time we maintained our position by rifle fire and bombing in the hope of reinforcements arriving." Henderson attracted the attention of a sniper, and received "a through and through wound of the front of the right thigh....the openings [of which] were large & ragged" and was made a prisoner. He attributed his eventual recovery from his wound to the ministrations of British NCOs and Russian doctors among his fellow prisoners "as the Boche did very little for us, especially in the way of food." Interned in Switzerland, he was repatriated 09/12/1918, and resumed his career in government service. In 1933, as General Inspector Department of Health for Scotland, he superintended the evacuation of the few remaining inhabitants of the remote island of St Kilda.