The very good and rare Great War Army Paymaster’s Salonica 1916 Mention in Despatches, Kurdistan 1923, Second World War North Africa and North West Europe group awarded to Brigadier L.J. Lightfoot, C.B.E., Royal Army Pay Corps, formerly Army Pay Department and Middlesex Regiment. Born out in Luskmond, India, he became a pre-war regular officer and was commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment in 1909, only to transfer into the Army Pay Department in 1912. With the Great War, he saw service out in Egypt from December 1915, and from the following year was with the forces under General Milne in Salonica, for which he was gazetted with a Mention in Despatches on 6 December 1916, and for his further distinguished services in the Balkans, was appointed an Officer of the Order the British Empire in June 1919. Lightfoot had the most unusual appointment in that he was seconded to the Royal Air Force for employment in the Accountant duties in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and Acting Wing Commander between August 1922 and July 1925. In this period, he saw active service during the operations in Kurdistan between May and September 1923. His rank of Flight Lieutenant and Acting Wing Commander is almost certainly unique for this medal. With the Second World War he initially saw service as a Colonel and Chief Paymaster, but was sent out to join the Middle East Forces as the Deputy Paymaster in Chief from September 1942 and promoted to temporary Brigadier in March 1943. He was then responsible for the payment of the troops during the period that the 8th Army was advancing through Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and into Tunisia. The various differing currencies that were therefore encountered during the advance of the 8th Army, and the exchange problems that therefore ensued and were dealt with, resulted in his being recommended for and then appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, as gazetted to him on 14 October 1943. He continued this role with the 21st Army Group during the whole of the operations in North West Europe between June 1944 and May 1945, and for these services was twice Mentioned in Despatches, these awards being gazetted on 22 March 1945 and 9 August 1945 respectively, and he was further appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Orange Nassau from the King of the Netherlands, this being gazetted to him on 18 July 1947. He had carried out the complete responsibilities for the Pay Services of the Army Group, and maintained most cordial relations with the Allied Authorities with whom he had worked.
Group of 11: 1914-1915 Star; (LIEUT: L.J. LIGHTFOOT. A.P.D.); British War Medal and Victory Medal with original Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; (CAPT. L.J. LIGHTFOOT.); General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVR Coinage bust, 1 Clasp: Kurdistan, officially re-named and as issued to the recipient; (F/L (ACT. W.C.) L.J. LIGHTFOOT. R.A.F.); 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal; War Medal; Jubilee Medal 1935; Coronation Medal 1937. Mounted swing style as worn.
Condition: fourth officially renamed as issued, Good Very Fine.
Together with the recipient’s matching group of miniature medals, these though also bearing his insignia of a Commander of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at the front, and his insignia of the Dutch Order of Orange Nassau with Swords at the end. 13 miniatures in all, mounted swing style as worn.
Leslie Jabez Lightfoot was born on 11 April 1889 in Luskmond, India, the third child of Jabez Lightfoot and Theresa Sarah Clark. His family had returned home as of August 1897 when his younger brother was born in Hampton Hill, Middlesex. As of 1901 he and his two older siblings, were boarding in the house of a Belgian lady, one Jesse Bocqust in Bedford St. Paul in Bedfordshire, as his parents were back out in India, his father, who was originally from Faversham, Kent, being employed with the Indian Public Works Department as a manager on the railways.
Having been a Gentleman Cadet with the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, Lightfoot was then commissioned into the British Army regular forces on 6 November 1909 as a 2nd Lieutenant with the Middlesex Regiment, being promoted to Lieutenant on 7 May 1912, before being permanently appointed as a Lieutenant and Assistant Paymaster to the Army Pay Department on 8 November 1912. With the Great War, Lightfoot saw service out in Egypt from 19 December 1915, and in the following year was with the forces under Lieutenant General G.F. Milne in Salonica. For his gallant and distinguished services in Salonica, Lightfoot’s name was featured in Milne’s despatch of 8 October 1916, he being awarded a Mention in Despatches, with this award being published in the London Gazette for 6 December 1916.
Having held the rank of Lieutenant and temporary Captain and Paymaster, Lightfoot was promoted to Captain and Paymaster on 8 November 1917, and having continued to see service in the Balkans, was appointed to be an Officer in the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the King’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 3 June 1919.
Lightfoot was still a Captain and Paymaster in the Royal Army Pay Corps when he then transferred on secondment for a period of three years with the Supplementary List of the Royal Air Force on 14 August 1922, being granted a temporary commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and Acting Wing Commander with seniority from 1 April 1918, and employed on Accountant duties. In this most unusual rank, he then saw active service in Kurdistan on operations there during the period from May to September 1923. Lightfoot relinquished his temporary commission in the Royal Air Force and reverted to his British Army service on 10 July 1925, and then continued to see service as a Major and Staff Paymaster in which rank he had been promoted to back on 17 October 1923.
Lightfoot, who was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Staff Paymaster 1st Class on 24 February 1934, was awarded both the Jubilee Medal 1935 and the Coronation Medal 1937, but had then become a member of the Reserve of Officers, when owing to the imminent outbreak of the Second World War he returned to uniform, and was promoted to Colonel and Chief Paymaster on 24 August 1939. In the following month he married Isabella Henry Brown.
In September 1942 he was sent out to join the Middle East Forces as the Deputy Paymaster in Chief, and he was then responsible for the payment of the troops during the period that the 8th Army was advancing through Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and into Tunisia. Lightfoot held the rank of temporary Brigadier from 1 March 1943. The various differing currencies that were therefore encountered during the advance of the 8th Army, and the exchange problems that therefore ensued and were dealt with, resulted in his being recommended for an award in the form of an appointment to by a Commander of the Military Divisions of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
The recommendation, made on 20 April 1943, reads as follows: ‘Brigadier Lightfoot arrived in the M.E.F. to take over the duties of Deputy Paymaster in Chief in September, 1942. He immediately tackled the various problems with energy and initiative. He has carried out frequent tours and discovered difficulties in the Field in order to remedy them. He has not been content to allow the Pay procedure to be unaltered if any variation to it would increase efficiency and add to the contentment of the Troops. He has had many complicated Pay problems to deal with during the advance of the Eighth Army through Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, into Tunisia, particularly as regards exchange problems with different currencies, and to ensure that his organisation was sufficiently flexible and mobile so that money was always available. He has dealt with all of these problems so satisfactorily that I think it can be said that the Royal Army Pay Corps has considerably enhanced its prestige in the M.E.F. I strongly recommend the award of the C.B.E.’
Lightfoot’s appointment to be a Commander in the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, was published in the London Gazette for 14 October 1943.
Lightfoot would further distinguish himself when with the Headquarters of the 21st Army Group during the fighting in North West Europe, he being the Deputy Paymaster in Chief throughout the campaign from June 1944 until May 1945. He was awarded a Mention in Despatches ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe’ on two occasions, the awards being published in the London Gazettes for 22 March 1945, and 9 August 1945.
Further to this he was recommended for appointment to be a Knight Commander of the Order of the Orange Nassau from the King of the Netherlands. The recommendation reads as follows: ‘Brigadier Lightfoot has been Deputy Paymaster in Chief throughout the campaign and as such has carried out the complete responsibilities for the Pay Services of the Army Group. His admit handling of this complex problem and great devotion to duty have ensured not only the efficiency of his service, but the most cordial relations with the Allied Authorities with whom he has worked.’
Lightfoot’s appointment to become a Knight Commander of the Order of Orange Nassau was published in the London Gazette for 18 July 1947.
As of 1959, Lightfoot was living in Buckhurst, Essex, and he died in September 1975 in Chichester, West Sussex.
