A fine Civil Servant’s Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Second World War Civil Defence and Coronation 1953 group awarded to Mr. W.H. Ford, O.B.E., Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Relations Office, formerly India Office and Burma Office. Ford, who was sometime residing in Illford, Essex, originally going the Civil Service as a clerk, being appointed to the India Office in October 1921. Just under 20 years later he was working as a Higher Clerical Officer when he was appointed a Member of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the New Years Honours List of January 1941. Having seen service in Civil Defence during the war, he went on to become Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Relations Office, and was upgraded to an appointment as an Officer of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of June 1959.
Group of 3: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer, O.B.E., 2nd type, Civil Division, housed in its Royal Mint fitted presentation case, and together with its Instructions for wearing card; Defence Medal 1939-1945, this together with its Hoe Secretary sole-entitlement award slip, and housed in its Home Office card box of issue, addressed to: ‘Mr. W.H. Ford, M.B.E., 22, Monkswood Gardens, Ilford, Essex.’, with the reverse of the box also stamped with the number: ‘63397’; Coronation Medal 1953, this in its card box of issue.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Together with the following:
Warrant of Appointment to be a Officer of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, this issued in the name of: ‘William Henry Ford, Esq., M.B.E.’, dated 13 June 1959, and bearing the facsimile signatures of ‘Elizabeth R’ for Queen Elizabeth II, and ‘Phillip’ for Prince Phillip as Grand Master of the Order of the British Empire.
Warrant of Appointment to be a Member of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, this issued in the name of: ‘William Henry Ford Esq.’, dated 1 January 1941, and bearing the facsimile signatures of ‘George R.I.’ for King George VI, and ‘Mary R’ for the Dowager Queen Mary as Grand Master of the Order of the British Empire. This document now creased in split in places.
Coronation Medal 1953 Buckingham Palace Award Certificate, issued in the name of: ‘William Henry Ford, M.B.E.’ This together with its original forwarding envelope, bearing similar typed details for: ‘W.H. Ford, Esq., M.B.E.’
Provenance: acquired by the London Medal Company directly from the family.
William Henry Ford was a long service member of the Civil Service, who was originally gazetted ‘after open competition’ on 31 October 1921 as a clerk to work for the India Office. Just under 20 years later he was working as a Higher Clerical Officer with the Burma Office when he was appointed a Member of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, this award being announced in the New Years Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 1 January 1941.
At this time the Second World War was ongoing, and it would appear that Ford, whose address was subsequently given as Monkswood Gardens in Ilford, Essex, saw service in some capacity in Civil Defence, hence his award of the Defence Medal.
Continuing his work in a senior role within the clerical departments of the Civil Service, Ford was awarded the Coronation Medal 1953, and was Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Relations Office when he was appointed an Officer of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, this award being announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 13 June 1959.
