British WW1 and WW2 medal group to Lieutenant De Pinto, 9th Battalion West Riding Regiment and Tunnelling Officer M.I.D.1916

WW1 and WW2 medal group to Lieutenant De Pinto, 9th Battalion West Riding Regiment and Tunnelling Officer who was mentioned in despatches 1916. He suffered from shell shock as a result of being entombed for 20 hours and being ‘blown up twice previously’. He was probably involved in the tunnelling for the Battle of Messines. Between the wars he was married to British socialite & novelist Flavia Forbes. He served with the Royal Artillery during WW2 in France & Germany.

1914 - 15 Star, impressed named LIEUT. L.M. DE PINTO. W.RID.R.; British War & Victory Medals, impressed named LIEUT. L.H. DE PINTO with M.I.D oak leaf; France & Germany Star; Defence & War Medal s 1939-45. WW2 medals unnamed as issued. Original period swing set as worn. Comes with copies of WW1 enlistment application, M.I.C, medal roll, medical records shell shock, London Gazettes, seniority lists, newspaper articles & census.

Lionel Herbert de Pinto was born on the 14/9/1893 in London. His father was a British subject, whose occupation being ‘merchant’, his mother was an American national. He was educated at Clifton College and on completing his schooling was working as a railway engineer. At the outbreak of the war he applied for a commission on the 11/8/1914 listing his prior service with the Officer training Corps whilst at Clifton College. His height was recorded as 5’ 2 3/4” tall. The minimum height at the time was 5’3’. He was commissioned as a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant with the 9th Service Bn The Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment with seniority 25/9/1914. Lieutenant 3/3/1915. Seconded to RE post March 1915. 21/3/1918 from R.E back to his former regiment. Demobilised 9/4/1919 & resigned Commission 1/9/1921. He landed in France on the 15/7/1915 with the 9th Bn and within the week was in the trenches at Ypres. He was awarded a Mentioned in Despatches 1/1/1916 which would have been one of the first decorations awarded to the Bn considering that they had only deployed 4 months previously. The battalion war diary records constant frontline activity from 1st landing in France. He was seconded to the Royal Engineers Tunnelling Company probably due to his Engineering degree. (The tunnelling Companies were first formed in February 1915). September 1917 Lens Area shell shock, entombed for 20 hours in a tunnel following German counter mining. He had been ‘blown up’ twice previously. Evacuated to England and transferred to the 3rd Bn D.O.W. Last medical board 30/9/1918 & instructed to re-join unit. Between the wars he moved to and from America with his occupation recorded as Engineer. He appears in several newspaper articles due to small court matters regarding unpaid licences etc and bankruptcy in 1936. A failed marriage to British socialite & novelist Flavia Forbes 1933-38 (infidelity on her part). Forbes was known as a forces sweetheart for organizing soldiers' canteens in France during the First World War. The newspapers reported him as a Lt Colonel however it should read Lieutenant. WW2 Service included 1939 census shows him living at Harsford Cottages Petworth Sussex occupation Lt R.A. 1939 Emergency commission RA Staff Captain Shoreham Sub Area. Temp Maj 4/5/42. He was still on Army lists in 1945. He died in 1953 at Gloucestershire.