LIEUTENANT-COLONEL F.J. GAVIN, O.B.E., ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT AND ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS, WHO COMMANDED THE 1ST BATTALION ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT1903-1904 AND THE 3/5TH AND 3/4TH BATTALIONS ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS DURING WW1. Three: Order of the British Empire, military division, type 1, officer's badge, in silver-gilt, hallmarked London 1919 Queen's South Africa Medal, 3 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (officially engraved: Major: F.J. GAVIN, R.IRISH Rgt:) British War Medal (officially impressed: LT. COL. F.J. GAVIN.). Attractively toned, generally Extremely Fine and accompanied by a trio of miniatures comprising India General Service Medal 1854 with Hazara 1888 clasp, India General Service Medal 1895, 2 clasps Punjab Frontier 1897-8, Samana 1897, and Queen's South Africa Medal, 3 clasps, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902.
Group accompanied by original photographs of Gavin's parents, a superb, late-19th century group photograph of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment polo team wearing regimental polo shirts, Gavin seated front centre with the battalion mascot, an Irish terrier, and a WW1 period photograph of Gavin in Royal Welsh Fusiliers uniform mounted on a horse.
Group accompanied by biographical detials, copied extracts Army Lists of the period, London Gazette extracts and Medal Index card.
Frederick James Gavin (1858-1932), born 12/12/1858, in Banda, North-West Provinces, India, was the son of the Reverend Jeremiah Fitzaustin Gavin and Emily Sophia Jackson. He was first commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Irish Regiment, 1/5/1878, promoted Lieutenant, 9/7/1879, Captain, 1/5/1884, Major, 2/3/1892, Lieutenant-Colonel, 16/1/1903 and was placed on half-pay 7/9/1904.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gavin commanded the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment 16/1/1903 to 7/9/1904. He was recalled for service during WW1, commissioned Temporary Major (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel), 20/2/1917, and commanded the the 3/5th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20/2/1916 to 31/08/1916 and the 3/4th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 3/11/1916 to 11/11/1918 and continued to command that battalion following the cessation of hostilities. Lieutenant Colonel Gavin's OBE was announced in the London Gazette of 1/1/1919 "For valuable service rendered in connection with the war". Medal Index card confirms that the British War Medal was his only campaign medal for service during WW1.
There is an notation on Gavin's Medal Index card to the effect that he saw service in France in 1916 at Loos. This is clearly an error.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gavin also entitled IGS 1854, Hazara 1888 clasp and IGS 1895, Punjab Frontier 1897-8 and Samana 1897 clasps.
Following retirement from the army in 1904, Gavin lived in Canada for a while. He landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia on 30/3/1911. On arrival he gave his intended occupation as farmer and his destination as Baynes, British Colombia. Later that year he traveled from Canada to the USA and on arrival at Eastport, Idaho, again gave his trade as that of farmer, resident in British Colombia, Canada. Lieutenant-Colonel Gavin died in March 1932 in Penzance, Cornwall, aged 73.
