Khaki Drill Service Dress tunic of Coldstream Guards
Captain John Desmond Grenville Fortescue
J.D.G. Fortescue was born on March 24, 1919. His father, John Grenville Fortescue had also served with the rank of Captain in the Coldstream Guards in WW1. According to the information available online, "the Fortescues lived at Point Neptune with their three children until 1931 and would later live at Penarwyn in nearby Par". He studied in Eton College.
Fortescue appears on the “Record of Services – Officers” of “The Coldstream Guards 1920 - 1946” by Michael Howard and John Sparrow as a 2nd Lieutenant on October 8, 1938, serving in the Guards Depot and later in the Training Battalion since September 2, 1939. By cross-referencing the aforementioned record with the “Orders of Battle of Battalions” from the same edition, we see that Fortescue was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, commanding the Pioneer Platoon of the HQ Company on August 4, 1940.
He followed the Battalion to N. Africa in November 1942 and after the battles at Medjez - el - Bab and Longstop, he was promoted to Captain on December 25, 1942, later commanding the 2nd Company. Fortescue served with the 2nd Battalion in N. Africa and Italy (Mt. Ornito, Cassino) and was later transferred to the 3rd Battalion on February 28, 1945 and to the 5th on July 23, 1945.
Post-war, he held the offices of Justice of the Peace for Cornwall in 1963, of Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall in 1964, and of High Sheriff of Cornwall between 1966 and 1967. In 2003 he lived at The Stewardry, Boconnoc, Cornwall.
He passed away on September 7, 2017 in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.
Fortescue appears on the “Record of Services – Officers” of “The Coldstream Guards 1920 - 1946” by Michael Howard and John Sparrow as a 2nd Lieutenant on October 8, 1938, serving in the Guards Depot and later in the Training Battalion since September 2, 1939. By cross-referencing the aforementioned record with the “Orders of Battle of Battalions” from the same edition, we see that Fortescue was transferred to the 2nd Battalion, commanding the Pioneer Platoon of the HQ Company on August 4, 1940.
He followed the Battalion to N. Africa in November 1942 and after the battles at Medjez - el - Bab and Longstop, he was promoted to Captain on December 25, 1942, later commanding the 2nd Company. Fortescue served with the 2nd Battalion in N. Africa and Italy (Mt. Ornito, Cassino) and was later transferred to the 3rd Battalion on February 28, 1945 and to the 5th on July 23, 1945.
Post-war, he held the offices of Justice of the Peace for Cornwall in 1963, of Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall in 1964, and of High Sheriff of Cornwall between 1966 and 1967. In 2003 he lived at The Stewardry, Boconnoc, Cornwall.
He passed away on September 7, 2017 in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.