Historically Important WW2 Royal Armoured Corps O.B.E Medal Group of Five Awarded to Captain (temora

Historically Important WW2 Royal Armoured Corps O.B.E Medal Group of Five Awarded to Captain (temorary Major) Acting Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Archibald Bain, For Courage and Leadership in the Development of the Top Secret Duplex Drive ‘Swimming’ Tanks in Preparation for the D-Day Landings and the Second Front, The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officers 2nd type breast badge, 1939-45 star, France & Germany star, Defence medal, War medal with Mention in Despatches oakleaf (the oakleaf is separate, the prongs on the rear having broken off). This lot also includes a unique archive of original documents and ephemera including, a superb framed trio of letters, the first dated 18th May 1944 (just a couple of weeks before D-Day!) from General Bernard Montgomery to Major General Percy Hobart where he shows his appreciation of the ‘difficult and dangerous’ which ‘may well prove to be the decisive factor in the development of the Second Front’. The second letter with the same date is from Hobart to Bain enclosing the letter from Montgomery as he felt the letter should be with Bain as he had ‘been in on it from the very beginning, and it owes such a lot to your reliability, determination and high sense of duty’. The third letter is from Hobart congratulating Bain on the award of the O.B.E. Interestingly the letter is addressed to ‘My dear Anton’, which was how bain was known to Hobart as the cartoonist ANTON supposedley based his character Colonel Blimp on Lieutenant -Colonel Douglas Bain. Bains personal handwritten diaries covering the years 1939 to 1944. A series of secret photographs of the DD tank trials. A number of group photographs of Officers including a couple of presentation photos given to Lieutenant-Colonel Bain on his relinquishing his command. A mounted photograph of H.M. The King at Brookwood Camp, August 1940. Printed orders dated 26th November 1944 designating Lt-Col. Bain as an official courier for classified and unclassified documents. Signed menu dated 25th September 1945 for a meal at Bay House, Stokes Bay, Gosport. Copy of the book Chariots of the Lake, being the history of the swimming tanks of the 79th Armoured Division from the training at Fritton Lake near Lowestoft to their use at D-Day and after. Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Military Division - London Gazette 18th February 1944 - Captain (temporary Major) (acting Lieutenant-Colonel ) Douglas Archibald Bain (53458), Royal Armoured Corps (Petts Wood, Kent). The recommandation for this award is very stronly worded ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Bain has been engaged as Chief Instructor in the trial of a new piece of secret equipment; the successful development of which to its present stage , where it is likely to play a very important part in future operations, is largely due to his devotion and keeness. He has been responsible for training the original small number of instructors and inspiring them by his personal example with his keeness and courage to carry the development through. On him has fallen the responsibility on determining the degree of adverse sea conditions which would permit the use of the craft. In the course of these trials it was inevitable that the craft would be sunk and the small loss of life up to date is largely due to his qualities of thoroughness, leadership and courage. Lieutenant-Colonel Bain has not only rendered very valuable assistance to the Army, but has displayed soldier-like qualities and leadership in danger comparable with gallantry on active service.’ Lieutenant-Colonel Bain reported directly to Hobart, 79th Amoured Division, and was resposible for developing and perfecting the famous ‘swimming’ DD tanks used used during the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944 with some 350 having been modified. In order to achieve this key task Bain commanded three DD Training schools preparing the tanks and their crews for both sea and river assaults. This is a unique and highly important archive to a major contributor to the success of D-Day, the archive is believed to have originated from Bains daughter having been held in the family for many years.