Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War M.B.E., post-War C.P.M. for Gallantry group of seven awarded to Major P. Beverly, East African Intelligence Corps and King’s African Rifles, later Senior Police Officer, Kenya Police Reserve, who was shot and severely wounded during a skirmish when leading a night-time patrol against a Mau Mau gang on he night of 30-31 May 1953

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; Colonial Police Medal, E.II.R., 1st issue, for Gallantry (Sen. P.O., Phillip [sic] Beverly, Kenya Police Res.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Kenya (E.5664 I.P.I. (R) P. Beverly.) mounted court-style for display, light contact marks, very fine and better (7) £600-£800

M.B.E. London Gazette 14 June 1945.

C.P.M., for Gallantry London Gazette 11 August 1953.

The official citation, published in the Kenya Government Gazette, 24 November 1953, states: ‘For conspicuous gallantry in the execution of his duty. On 30-31 May, 1953, at about 2300 hours, Senior Reserve Police Officer Beverly in command of Section 12, Njoro Sub-district, carried our a raid in the vicinity of a farm where an armed gang of some 20 Mau Mau were reported.
On arrival at the group of huts to be searched, S.R.P.O. Beverly completed his dispositions to prevent escape and then advanced on one of the huts with two Kenya Police Reserve Officers. He called on the inmates to come out, but there was no response and the door was locked. S.R.P.O. Beverly placed his escort to cover him and regardless of personal danger knocked the door in and entered, calling on the inmates to surrender. While searching them he was attacked and fired on by at least two of their number. Though wounded in the face, lung, and shoulder, S.R.P.O. Beverly returned the fire and maintained an offensive action which resulted in the death of six terrorists and the capture of four more. He displayed the highest courage under fire, and though badly wounded continued the fight and was largely responsible for the destruction of the gang.’

Philip Beverly was born in Suffolk in 1909 and emigrated to Kenya with his family when he was 14. Upon its opening in 1932, he was employed as the big game guide at Treetops Hotel (the hotel at which the then Duchess of Edinburgh was staying when she became Queen in 1952), and subsequently organised big game safaris for private clients throughout Kenya, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo.

Beverly joined the Kenya Regiment in in 1937, and served during the Second World War with the East African Intelligence Corps in Abyssinia, for which services he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Following he start of the Mau Mau uprising, he joined the Kenya Police reserve in 1953, and shortly afterwards was severely wounded during a skirmish when leading a night time patrol on a European farm - shot through the neck, shoulder, and face during the battle. Six terrorists were killed, and a further four were wounded and captured. For his gallantry on this occasion he was awarded the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry.

Beverly married Charmain Spencer-Phillips, a driver with the Motor Transport Corps, in July 1941. Subsequently emigrating to South Africa, he wrote his memoir, Under Our Double Terais: A Kenya Memoir, which was subsequently published by his family in 2014.

Sold with the recipient’s wife’s three Second World War Medals, comprising Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45; and Africa Service Medal, all officially impressed ‘W91929 C. Beverly.’, nearly extremely fine