A fine North West Frontier of India and Second World War Mentioned in Despatches group awarded to Lieutenant, later Brigadier R.C.N. Jenney, Royal Engineers later Bombay Sappers and Miners and Survey of India. A specialist in mapping from aerial photographs he worked across South Asia and also in Persia and Iraq , by December 1942 he as responsible for the entire map drawing and printing output of the Survey of India being Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 14th January 1943. After the partition of India he served as the first Director General of the Survey of Pakistan and was largely responsible for it's firm establishment and 2,000 people being employed by the early 1950s. Returning to the UK after this, by 1957 he would be promoted to Brigadier and appointed Director, Field Surveys, Ordnance Survey, retiring in October 1959. He would be created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in 1960.
Group of 5: India General Service Medal 1908-1935, 1 Clasp: North West Frontier 1935; (LIEUT. R.C.N. JENNEY. R.E.) 1939-45 Star; Defence Medal; War Medal with Mention in Despatches oak leaf; Coronation Medal 1953. Loose-mounted for wear.
Condition: Loose-mounted for wear, Good Very Fine
Reginald Charles Napier Jenney was born at Quetta on 24th January 1906, the second son of Colonel G.W. Jenney, Indian Medical Service. He would be educated at Dover College and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 3rd February 1926, he would undertake several courses and two years at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge before returning the Indian in April 1929 to join the Bombay Sappers and Miners. He would spend a short period as Assistant Adjutant at Kirkee, before moving on to the Frontier where he was employed on the Wana Road project and later as Assistant Garrison Engineer at Manzai.
On 2nd January 1930, he joined the Survey of India starting a career he was then to follow for the rest of his service. This taking him to Dehra Dun, Nagpur, Waltair, Bangalore and Quetta and included a period of active service during the Mohmand operations of 1935.
From 1935 to 1939 he would specialise in techniques of mapping from air photographs. In August 1940 he would mobilise the first Indian Field Survey Company, which he commanded until December 1942. His company was the first to go overseas carrying out mapping projects in Persia and Iraq.
In December 1942 he was recalled to India where he became responsible for the technical planning and production of at first part, and later the entire map drawing and printing output of the Survey of India. At this time he was responsible not only for all surveys in Northern India but also the intensive post war training of all new officers and field surveyors of the Department of Abbotabad, until riots and other troubles forced the transfer of training to Dehra Dun. He would be Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 14th January 1943.
Upon the partition of India on 15th August 1947, he was selected as the first Director-General of the newly formed Survey of Pakistan. It was largely due his efforts that by the time he handed over in early 1950 the Survey of Pakistan was firmly established and hard at work with a staff of about 2,000.
In May 1950 he returned to England where he joined the Ordnance Survey as Assistant Director, Field. A year later he moved to the Directorate of Military Survey, War Office and Air Ministry as Assistant Director in charge of map production, map records and distribution.
On 1st May 1952 on promotion to Colonel he would become Deputy Director with special responsibilities for matters affecting the Air Ministry. On 23rd May 1955 he returned to the Ordnance Survey as Deputy Director, Field Division responsible for the planning and execution of field and air surveys. On 6th May 1957 he was promoted to Brigadier and became Director, Field Surveys, the post he held until his retirement on 26th October 1959. He was created Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1960.
After retirement he took up the post of Retired Officer (Grade 1) in charge of Research and Development in the Directorate of Military Survey, War Office and Air Ministry for which his unusually wide experience of all branches and survey, and air survey in particular, made him exceptionally well qualified.
He would die suddenly on 1st June 1960.
His obituary was published in The Royal Engineers Journal go September 1960:
BRIGADIER R. C. N. JENNEY, CBE REGINALD CHARLES NAPIER JENNEY, always Rex to his many friends, died very suddenly on 1 June 1960. He was the second son of Colonel G. W. Jenney, IMS, born at Quetta on 24 January 1906. Educated at Dover College, he passed out fourth from the Shop and was commissioned into the Corps on 3 February 1926. After the usual YO courses and two years at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, he returned to India in April 1929 to join the Bombay Sappers and Miners. After a brief spell as Assistant Adjutant at Kirkee, he moved to the Frontier where lie was employed on the Wana Road Project and later as Assistant Garrison Engineer at Manzai. On 2 January 1930, he joined the Survey of India to start the career le was to follow for the rest of his service. The next five years, after training at Dehra Dun, took him to Nagpur, Waltair, Murree, Bangalore and Quetta and brought him experience of many parts of India with a spell of active service in the Mohmand Operations of 1935. From 1935 to 1939 lie specialized in the rapidly developing techniques of mapping from air photographs, including a short course with the Swiss firm of Henri Wild of Heerbrugg. In August 1940 he mobilized the first (No 1) Indian Field Survey Company, which he commanded until December 1942. His Company was tle first Indian Survey Company to go overseas, and carried out extensive mapping projects in Iraq and Persia, in addition to providing the main map production resources for PAIFORCE. In December 1942 he was recalled to India where he became responsible for the technical planning and production of at first part, and later the entire map drawing and printing output of the Survey of India. In the peak year of 1944-45 this output reached 22 million copies of maps averaging five colours. At the end of the War, in April 1946, he became Deputy Director and, five months later, Director of the Frontier Circle of the Survey of India. At this time lie was responsible not only for all surveys in Northern India but also for the intensive post-war training of all new officers and field surveyors of the Department at Abbotabad, until riots and other troubles forced the transfer of training to Dehra Dun. On the partition of India on 15 August 1947, lie was selected as the first Director-General (T/Colonel) of the newly formed Survey of Pakistan. It was very largely due to his personal strength of character and untiring efforts that by the time lie handed over early in 1950, the Survey of Pakistan was firmly established and hard at work with a staff of about 2,000, properly equipped Drawing Offices, Map Reproduction Offices and a Training Unit. In May 1950, lie returned at long last to England, to join the Ordnance Survey as Assistant Director, Field. A year later lie moved to the Directorate of Military Survey, War Office and Air Ministry as Assistant Director in charge of map production, map records and distribution. On 1 May 1952, on promotion to Colonel, he became Deputy Director, with special responsibilities for matters affecting the Air Ministry. On 23 May 1955 he returned to the Ordnance Survey as Deputy Director, Field Division, responsible for the planning and execution of field and air surveys. On 6 May 1957 he was promoted to Brigadier and became Director, Field Surveys, in the Ordnance Survey, the post he held until his retirement on 26 October 1959. He was created CBE in 1960.
On retirement, he took up the post of Retired Officer (Grade I) in charge of Research and Development in the Directorate of Military Survey, War Office and Air Ministry, for which his unusually wide experience of all branches of survey, and air survey in particular, made him exceptionally well qualified. Rex Jenney was gifted with a quick brain, a very good eye for a ball and unbounded energy. Throughout iis life he was a keen cricketer, tennis and hockey player, but he was prepared to tackle any form of sport available with such energy and enthusiasm that he rapidly became a performer abovc average, although his chosen career rarely permitted him to reach the limelight. He did, however, get cricket and hockey blues at the Shop and gain an Army Cap for Hockey in 1928. After his return to England in 1950 he devoted the same unflagging energy and enthusiasm to the maintenance of his house and garden. Roses were his favourite flowers and for quality and size his blooms reached standards envied by his friends. Rex was always cheerful, but the quality which endeared him most to his friends was his moral honesty. He never did a dishonest or mean act and his opinions, frankly given, were his honest beliefs unbiased by any ulterior motives. In December 1932, ie married Violet Rochfort, eldest daughter of George Flowers, ICS, Commissioner of Jhansi. They had five children, four boys and one girl.
