Cadet Forces Medal. Commanding Officer Bedford School Contingent, Junior Training Corps CCF. Bevan. Bedford/Norfolk. English international rugby trialist.
£175.00
Availability: 1 in stock
Correctly named Capt OV Bevan CCF
Owen Vaughan Bevan was born to Penry and Hilda in Egham, Surrey in 1909.
Penry, his Father, was a professor of physics at the Royal Holloway College, London and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1911.
In 1911, we find the family living at Glenginn, Morris Street, Sheringham, Norfolk.
Penry passed away in 1913 and Owens mother managed to send her sons to Bedford School.
Bedford School is a 7–18 boys public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bedford School is one of the leading boys schools in the United Kingdom, and was the winner of the Independent Boys School of the Year Award at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in 2021.
Owen was a pupil there from 1916 until 1928. In his obituary, we see he boxed at heavyweight for the school and played in the 1st XV of the rugby team. Its interested to note that he had trials for the England Rugby Team in 1938 but was sadly unsuccessful. In 1938, England came 3rd in the Home Nations Tournament to Scotland and Wales respectively. Another interesting fact is that Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne was at that time an international player for Ireland.
He went from Bedford School to be further educated at Cambridge University where he captained the boat team.
His obituary tells us he returns to Bedford School to train the rugby team and from then in October 1937 became a Lieutenant in Bedford School Contingent/Junior Training Corps CCF. In 1939 he becomes a Captain and September 1940, Acting Major in command.
After WWII, the Bedford School CCF was to be commanded by John Durnford-Slater.
Brigadier John Frederick Durnford-Slater, DSO and bar (1909 – 5 February 1972) was a British Army officer who was credited with establishing the first Army commando unit during the Second World War.
An officer in the Royal Artillery who eventually rose to the rank of brigadier, he was responsible for developing many of aspects of the commando concept. Commanding No. 3 Commando he participated in raids on Guernsey, the Lofoten Islands, Vaagso, Dieppe and Sicily. In Italy he commanded the 2nd Commando Brigade that undertook the capture of Termoli, before serving as deputy commander of the Special Service Group, a divisional level headquarters unit that planned and administered all commando operations during Operation Overlord and the advance into Germany.
EPILOGUE
Apropos the introduction on fame, many Old Bedfordians will remember Brigadier John Durnford-Slater, DSO and Bar. While not being an OB, he was both Bursar and Officer Commanding the Corps in the early 1950s and his name was mentioned quite frequently in the recent television series Commando, particularly in respect of the raid on Vaagso – the first defeat of the hitherto-unbeaten German army in what was called ‘the perfect raid’. He was responsible for the raising and training of the first Commandos … a proud connection for the School.
Between 1950 and 1953, John Durnford-Slater was estate bursar and commanding officer of the CCF at Bedford School. In 1953 he had his memoirs published by William Kimber. He was killed on 5 February 1972.
Owen married Margery Daniel in 1930. On a slight tangent, we see his brother David John Vaughan Bevan married the Honorable Hilary Evelyn Spicer Packington, daughter of Humphrey Arthur Packington, the 5th Baron Hampton.
In 1939 we see Owen, his wife and a servant living at 2 Beverley Crescent, Bedford and his occupation is stated as a schoolmaster.
Owen died in 2004.
Along with this lot comes a copied photograph of Owen with students, 2 Royal Engineers cap badges, one a Kings crown and the other a Queens crown. Also, Royal Engineers collar badges and an unused postcard of Bedford School plus a cloth Bedford School CCF shoulder title. All the badges have their lugs intact and the medal has an original silk ribbon.
