The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 1st Type, O.B.E.; Military Cross GVR; British War Medal (MAJOR H.L.B. LOVATT.); Victory Medal with M.I.D. Oakleaf (MAJOR H.L.B. LOVATT.); Defence Medal - unnamed as awarded.
Harry Leslie Bache Lovatt was born in Stafford, Staffordshire in 1886 the son of Thomas and Amy Lovatt of St. Jude, Wolverhampton. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment on 5 September 1914. Remaining in Britain for two years he entered the war in France on 17 June 1916 being then advanced Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 7 August.
Transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1916 he was posted to a position as Deputy Assistant Director of Labour at the Headquarters of the Fifth Army from 28 March 1917. Lovatt was promoted Captain in this role on 23 June 1917 and later Major on 1 March 1918. He was awarded the Military Cross for Gallantry in the LG of 1 January 1918, followed by a Mention in Dispatches on 23 December 1918. His OBE was awarded in the London Gazette of 1 January 1919.
According to the 1939 Register he was living at Meeson Hall, Wellington, Salop, Shropshire where he was noted as being a Civil Engineer and Building Contractor, along with being a Major, R.E. Retired.
The Defence Medal was awarded to him in the rank of Lt Colonel with the Home Guard with whom he served wef 1941, attached to the 11th Shropshire Battalion in the North Wales Area.
Lovatt was an extremely wealthy man having been the chairman and joint M.D. of Wilson Lovatt & Sons Ltd, civil engineers and contractors. He left an estate of £205 000 of which £500 was left to his butler, James J Brainch on the condition that he was still in service at the time of his death and "not under notice."!
He passed away in Shropshire on 4 January 1960
Medals are in good condition unless indicated otherwise. Sold with comprehensive research.
