A sole entitlement officer’s British War Medal 1914-1919 awarded to Major L.D. Chambers, 18th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, late 4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment who having earlier commanded ‘F’ Company, 4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment would later re-enlist and serve in the Great War with the 18th Battalion, Rifle Brigade entering the Burma theatre of war on 25th November 1915.
British War Medal 1914-1919; (MAJOR L.D. CHAMBERS.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Leonard Drysdale Chambers initially saw service as a Private with 7th Battalion, Middlesex (London Scottish) Rifle Volunteers between November 1892 and November 1897 before being commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment and being made a Captain on 1st January 1898. On 25th July 1900 he would be gazetted as Captain and posted to command ‘F’ Company, 4th Volunteer Battalion, East Surrey Regiment in succession to Major Paton.
Chambers would attend the School of instruction at Chelsea barracks, when Captain in December 1902 getting a special mention, and he would subsequently attend the School of Musketry at Hythe in July/August 1904, before resigning his commission in 1905, having last appeared as a Volunteer Army list in December 1904.
He would later see service during the Great War with the 18th (London) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, with the army list showing Chambers as a Substantive Captain on 6th November 1914, a Temporary Major on 4th December 1915 and a Substantive Major from 1st June 1916. He had entered the Burma Theatre of War on 25th November 1915, and this medal is confirmed as his sole entitlement. The proceedings of a medical board held at Rangoon on 11th March 1919 found him suffering from Bronchitis, Laryngitis and Debility, the result of military service in the tropics, he was granted leave to England for six months.
Chambers last appears in the Army List in June 1921.
