The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division). 5th Class Member’s (M.B.E.) 1st type breast badge. Silver, the reverse contemporarily engraved named (1914-18 Comdt. F. Thake Berks 13 V.A.D.)

A Great War 'Home Front' M.B.E. awarded to F. W. S. Thake, Esq., Commandant in Charge of Motor Ambulance Transport, Reading

M.B.E.: Published in the London Gazette issue of 7 June 1918. Wherein shown as Frank Edward Seymour Thake, Esq., Commandant in Charge of Motor Ambulance Transport, Reading:

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‘For services in connection with the War.’

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British Red Cross Society Medal for War Service 1914-18: Commandant Frank Edward Seymour Thake, M.B.E., British Red Cross Society is also confirmed entitled to the BRCS Medal for War Service 1914-18 (see item codes on this website for examples of this medal that we have for sale). His extant BRCS Index Card is extant, and shows that the recipient served 4000 'Voluntary' Hours during the Great War, in his capacity as Quartermaster of 13th Berkshire V.A.D., in which he served from November 1914, and was still serving post November 1918, having been promoted to Commandant during the War. His duties on the index card show:

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Transport of Wounded at Reading & in charge of Detachment

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The Reading / Berkshire newspapers of circa 1914-1920 (and later) have prolific mentions of Commandant Fred Thake, for us to here cite, We are however hereunder quoting - in-part - from the lengthy obituary that was published (together with a photograph of Commandant Thake in his Red Cross / V.A.D. uniform from the Great War) in The Reading Standard issue of , 27 March 1937:

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DEATH OF MR. F.E.S. THAKE

Business Career in Reading Follows Life in Australian Bush

A prominent member of the Berks. 13th V.A.D. Detachment, who was invested with the M.B.E. by King George at Buckingham Palace, in 1918, died on Saturday. He was Mr. Frank Edward Seymour Thake, of 223, Oxford Road, Reading.

Mr. Thake, who was 70, had an interesting and varied life before he settled down as a sign writer in Reading in 1890. Born in Hertford, he was up to the age of 18 in a solicitor's office which he left to go to Australia. After an eventful voyage, during which he was working his passage, he went into the Australian bush, where he acted for some time as a storekeeper on a farm.

On his return to England, he worked as a sign writer in London, and later came to Reading, as an assistant to Mr. East. whose business was in Oxford Road - on the present site of McIlroys - and in 1902 built premises at, 22 Oxford Road, where he lived until his death.

Mr. Thake was Quartermaster of Berks/13 V.A.D., when the detachment was registered in March, 1914. He was appointed Commandant in 1915, which office he held until 1922, when he was appointed to Hon. Commandant. During the war he was responsible for the detachment providing personnel for meeting all convoys at the station, and the members attended 484 convoys, day and night, moving 31,478 wounded men. In March, 1918, he was presented to the King and Queen, and received his decoration three months later.

Mr. Thake, who had been in failing health for some years, leaves a widow, one son (who is carrying on his father's business), and one daughter.

The funeral service was held at the Oxford Road Methodist Church, on Wednesday, the Rev. A. Shipham Elliott officiating. Mr. Wilfred Johnston was at the organ............

Condition: GVF

Code: 24799