Offley Bohun Stovin Fairless Shore was born on 9 Aug 1863, the only son of Dr Offley Bohun Shore and Anna Maria Shore (neé Leishman) of Norton Hall. The Shore family was connected to Florence Nightingale. He was educated privately and abroad. Offley entered the 18th Bengal Cavalry on 27 April 1884 and was promoted to captain on 10 May 1893. He was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General India from 1895 to 1900 and passed Staff college. He served in Malakand in 1897, and took part in the action at Landakai during the Bajaur operations. He was a staff officer after that and took part in the action of Chagru, receiving a brevet of major. He reached his majority in July 1901 while serving in the Boer War. He served as Commandant at Matjiesfontein and was an Administrator in Ceres. He was awarded the DSO in South Africa and promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 June 1906, and Colonel in Jan 1911.
During WW1 he held the rank of brigadier and served in the Indian Expeditionary Force up to October 1916. He was on the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force from Oct 1916 to April 1918. He was appointed CB and CIE. The Shore family website says that he carried out intelligence work for the British government, reporting on Turkish military strength, and in Moscow during the 1917 Revolution he looked after British banking interests. He escaped through Iraq. He was fluent in several languages. In 1917 he was awarded the Serbian Order of the White Eagle, 3rd Class (with swords). He was married to Caroline Perry Sinnickson. Brigadier Shore died on 26 Oct 1922 in Inverness.
His medals are, from left to right; the white enamelled DSO, the India General Service with bars for PUNJAB FRONTIER 1897-98 and TIRAH 1897-98. The Queen’s South Africa medal with clasps for CAPE COLONY, DRIEFONTEIN and TRANSVAAL. The King’s South Africa with two clasps for SOUTH AFRICA 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA1902. British War medal, Victory medal with Mentioned-in-Despatches Oakleaf. The Delhi Durbar medal of 1911, and the Russian Order of St Vladimir, 4th Class with swords. His Order of the White Eagle from Serbia was a separate neck badge as was his CB and CIE. The medals below were sold at Bonhams in September 2007 for 7,050 pounds.
