Beschreibung:

An unusual World War and inter-war campaign service group of six awarded to Brigadier F. Thornton, Deputy Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office, late 16th Lancers and 8th Hussars, who was twice mentioned in despatches in the Palestine operations of 1936-39 and awarded the American Legion of Merit in the 1939-45 War 1914 Star (2 Lieut. F. Thornton, 16/Lrs.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. F. Thornton); General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Lt. Col. F. Thornton, 8-H.); Coronation 1937; United States of America, Legion of Merit, Officer’s breast badge, gilt and enamel, unnamed, with its case of issue, mounted as worn, together with an entirely official double-issue General Service Medal 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Col. F. Thornton), and a set of related dress miniature medals, these latter excluding the G.S.M. but including the Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the Great War awards somewhat polished, otherwise generally very fine or better (14) £600-800 Footnote Frank “Sam” Thornton, who was born in June 1898 and commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 16th Lancers shortly before the outbreak of hostilities, witnessed active service out in France and Flanders in the period November 1914 to March 1915, when he was wounded and invalided home. Advanced to Lieutenant in August of the latter year, he rejoined his regiment on the Western Front in January 1916 and remained similarly employed until the War’s end, following which, as a recently promoted Captain, he served out in Russia 1919-20. He was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 5 July 1919 refers). A period of attachment to the Tanks Corps followed in the period March 1920 to April 1923, but he returned to regimental employ with the recently amalgamated 16th/5th Lancers thereafter, gaining advancement to Major in April 1929 and, following appointments in Egypt and at the War Office, the Brevet of Lieutenant-Colonel in January 1935. Then in October 1938, having transferred to the 8th Hussars as a substantive Lieutenant-Colonel, he was ordered to Palestine and the Trans-Jordan as a G.S.O. 1, in which theatre of operations he remained employed until April 1939, and won a brace of “mentions” (London Gazettes 23 July 1937 and 15 September 1939 refer). Here, then, the likely commencement of his career in Military Intelligence for, as verified by the recommendation for his subsequent award of the American Legion of Merit (London Gazette 18 July 1947 refers), Thornton became Deputy Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office during the 1939-45 War: Brigadier Frank Thornton, British Army, performed meritorious service from March 1942 to May 1945. As Chief of M.I. 3 Branch, and later Deputy Director of Military Intelligence, British War Office, he wholeheartedly co-operated with the office of the United States Military Attache. His efforts greatly assisted the work of American Intelligence Officers and contributed materially to supplying the War Department with Intelligence from British sources’ (T.N.A. WO 373/148 refers). M.I. 3 was originally established to handle geographical information in the Great War but, by the renewal of hostilities in September 1939, was specialising in intelligence gathering and covert operations in the Balkans and the Middle East. Thus Thornton would have been closely associated with S.O.E. policies and actions in such complex theatres of war as Yugoslavia and Greece, working in liaison with the O.S.S. and other American clandestine agencies.