Description
An Interesting Officers WW1 Cheshire Regiment, later Captain R.A.F. during WW1, M.I.D during First and Second World War, Commanding Armoured Car Company in Iraq between the wars, and ends up as Group Captain.
1914-15 Star, Lieut T.S. Ivens Ches.R.; British War and Victory medals, Capt T.S. Ivens RAF.; 1937 Coronation medal; French Croix de Guerre (1914-18) (Group mounted as worn)
Thomas Stanley Ivens was born on the 15th June 1892 in Haynes Park, Bedford, he enlisted into the army on the 15th October 1906 aged 14 and served in the Irish Guards.
He served in the ranks for 7 years , in the Irish Guards as a Lance Sergeant, being appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion Cheshire Regiment on the 15th September 1914, temporary Lieut on the 23rd October 1914 to the 4th December 1914,
A medical board report (held on the 22nd May 1915) records that he was suffering from “Shock” “He had good health at the time for about 3 months ten days ago a shell burst in a house where he was and gave him a severe shock – after nine days in the trenches he collapsed – has now nearly recovered.”
Serving in the 3rd battalion Cheshire Regiment, he went on to serve in the Royal Flying Corps from 22nd September 1915, with copied correspondence regarding his transfer to the R.F.C.
Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazetted 3rd June 1919)
WW1 medals issued to him at the Air Ministry, London.
Appointed Wing Commander from the 11th February 1937
The 1938 RAF list shows him as commanding No 1 Armoured car Company, in Iraq
On the 2nd October 1939 command transferred to Group captain Daly AFC, with Ivens reverting to Wing Commander taking over the duties of chief instructor (Armament)
on the 18th September 1939 formed the RAF station at Jury, Isle of Man, which formed part of 25 group.
Recommended for the C.B.E. in the New Years Honours List 1941:
Non operational commands (Flying training command.) –
“Group captain Thomas Standley Ivens. This officer has shown conspicuous ability and devotion to duty as commanding officer of this school with the result that he has brough his unit up to a very high standard of efficiency.”
It appears that this was down graded to an M.I.D. (London Gazette 1st January 1941)
Promoted to Group captain 1st April 1942
Retired 20th May 1946.
Croix de Guerre – un-confirmed.
With a good set of copied research.
Condition – VF
