Description
Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, WW1 Pair, WW2 War Medal, Major Geoffrey Neville Kingsford, Royal Engineers.
1914-15 Star officially impressed: “598 Gnr T.D. Mulligan R.G.A.” NOT ENTITLED TO A STAR.
WW1 Pair officially impressed: “Major G.N. Kingsford”
The group is court mounted for wear post WW2, containing a 1914-15 Star to another man, he is only entitled to WW1 Pair but looks to have added it himself in his later years. We have left the star with the mounting as it is how he wore them.
Major Kingsford had first arrived for war service on 30th December 1915, landing in Egypt, after the war he made an application for the 1914-15 Star and these 2 medals in late 1919, but must have been caught out by the regulations for the medal from arriving so late into the year, as he was only awarded the pair, it looks like when he got them mounted up with his new WW2 medal after the war he added the star, as he believed he was entitled.
Full entitlement, all decorations and medals confirmed.
Also with 2 Royal Engineer badges.
Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette, 4th January 1917, as Temporary Lieutenant.
Military Cross Citation, Supplement to the London Gazette, 10th January 1917 reads:
“Temp Lt Geoffry Neville Kingsford, R.E.
For Conspicuous gallantry in action. He and a N.C.O. went out 6 times as a distance of about 100 yards across the open under heavy fire, carrying and placing charges which were successfully fired.”
Awarded the Distinguished Service Order, London Gazette 3rd June 1919:
“Temporary Captain, Acting Major, Geoffrey Neville Kingsford, M.C., 67th Field Company Royal Engineers.”
1918 “Composition of Headquarters, British Armies in France” note him as Adjutant to the HQ Divisional Engineers, under Commander Bt lt Col F.A.K. White DSO RE at Headquarters, 11th northern Division.
In WW2 he returned to be commissioned as a Lieutenant on 4th Nov 1940: “Captain Geoffrey Neville Kingsford D.S.O. M.C. P.A.S.I. (154640).”
Geoffrey Neville Kingsford DSO MC, was Born on 19th June 1882 in Brentford, Middlesex, the son of Mr Douglas Kingsford, a Barrister, and Mrs Beatrice Emma Brock (Hollinshead) Kingsford, Cowden, Edenbridge, Kent.
The family was well regarded, his Grandfather Rev Sampson Kingsford was the Headmaster of both Chard Grammar School as well as Ludlow.
As a boy he attended Malvern College and was in the “Swann” boarding house entering in January 1897.
Mod. IV.-I. Played House Eleven Football, left Mids 1901.
Then went on to South Eastern Agricultural College in Wye, followed by becoming Associate of the Surveyor’s Institution, in business with City Surveyor. Also joining the Old Malvernian Society.
After the war he relinquished his commission on completion of service, dated 4th February 1919, retaining the rank of Captain.
He went over to Montreal, Canada, working as a Civil Engineer noting his travel was to be a “Settler” on the SS Megantic, during May 1921.
He then looks to have gone south into America.
He wasted no time, marrying Margaret Musgrave during 1922, the marriage being registered in King, Washington, USA.
In later life he would return back home to England, the 1939 Register shows him as a “Civilian Garrison Engineer” living with his wife in Lambourn, Hungerford.
Whilst back at home he got brought back into service during World War 2, where he earned his single 1939-45 War Medal for service,
He later died on 27th October 1958 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, aged 76.
