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    Single WW1 War medal...he did it all and then some!!


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    Single British war medal (entitled to a Trio) to Wyndham John Dorney Harding MBE later Reverend.
    Born Sept 1877, son of J. Harding of Coaley, Gloucester and Rockfield, Monmouthshire,

    Fettes Collage (were the fictional James Bond went) , Governors Exhibitioner to Edinburgh University. Left 1895. Edinburgh Univ. 1895-1898

    Crown Agent for the Colonies Office, 1900-02;
    Secretary to His Highness the Gaekwar of Barodia, 1902-05; 
    Munich University Psychology;
    Schoolmaster; Business; 1914-18 War; Intelligence 1915-1919; GHQ, France and War Office; MBE; despatches.
    Journalist;

    Royal Marine officer...Inter-allied Naval Commission of Control; 

    Clergyman Church of England 1924.

    Died 26 June 1945, St Thomas's Hospital, London

    Great war Interpreter commissioned 1915 Censors office Boulogne, France.
    October 1916 left Field Censor's officer in Boulogne to GHQ (Intelligence)

    29th October 1916, Assistant Commandant and 3rd Class agent

    22nd December 1917 assistant Commandant Intelligence Corps
    Mentioned in Dispatches (Haig) 7th November 1917
    17th November 1918 Appointed 2nd Class Agent and attached MI2 (e) Room 254 War Office (preparation of historical and political papers)

    Employed MI6 (b) Wireless interception 1918

    MBE Supplement to the Edinburgh Gazette, June 5th 1919. 184 
    Harding, T./Lt. Wyndham John Dorney, Spec. List.

    Demobilised 1st November 1919 from the Army and later obtained a temporary Commission in the Royal Marines, Inter-Allied Commission of Control Germany,1919 as an Interpreter

    Lieutenant General List, Wyndham John Dorney Harding was employed in the Office of the Deputy Chief Field Censor at Boulogne, A.P.O./3, B.E.F. It was in this capacity that a M.O.5a report, dated 14 November 1915 concerning him was made which questioned his loyalty:
    ‘We have received a certain amount of information about this person which, although it is not sufficed to throw suspicion on his loyalty, ought perhaps to be known to you in view of his present occupation”.
    He is believed to have been educated in Germany, he knows German well, and appears also to have German friends. He has certainly been once, and it believed twice, to Holland since war began. He is reported to have said that on one occasion he crossed the frontier into Germany. ... At the time when war broke out, he called at the Territorial Offices in Gloucestershire and asked a number of questions about military matters. His manner aroused suspicion and no information was given to him. He has been a good deal in India and was at one time in the employ of the Gaekwar of Barodia. He appears to have been very hard up at different times”
    After taking up references, M.O.5 (a) concluded, ‘There does not appear to be any need for further action.’, this signed on behalf of Lieutenant-Colonel V. G. Kell.
    M.O.5, the War Office’s Intelligence Department, was created in 1907, for special duties which included protective security, cyphers and code, and censorship of posts and telegraphs. M.O.5 also had a small counter-espionage branch, comprising two or three officers under Vernon Kell.
    For his wartime services Harding was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 24 December 1917) and was awarded the M.B.E. On 1 November 1919 he relinquished his commission whilst retaining his rank of Lieutenant.

    Feel there is much more to Mr Harding .....

    Harding17.jpg

    harding 7.jpg

    Harding15.jpg

    Harding 8.jpg

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