The potentially interesting attributed June 1946 Far East Wind-up Operations Order of the British Empire and supporting documentation to Senior Commissioned Shipwright G.M. Sopp, M.B.E., Royal Navy. Sopp was a Warrant Shipwright from February 1937, and in June 1939 he crossed the line with the cruiser Manchester. He was awarded a Mention in Despatches in June 1943 for his services aboard the Submarine depot and repair ship Cyclops and went on to be appointed to the Order of the British Empire in June 1946 for his services out in the Far East aboard the Fleet Repair Ship Resource.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Member, M.B.E., 2nd type, Military Division, housed in its Royal Mint fitted presentation case.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Together with the following:
Admiralty Letter of Congratulations on his appointment to The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, issued to: ‘Mr George Michael Sopp, Commissioned Shipwright, Royal Navy.’, dated 12th June 1946.
Admiralty Warrant of Appointment to be a Warrant Shipwright, issued to George Michael Sopp, dated 1st March 1938, with seniority from 4th February 1937.
Admiralty Warrant of Appointment to be a Senior Commissioned Shipwright, issued to George Michael Sopp, M.B.E., dated 24th February 1950, with seniority from 1st April 1946.
Crossing the Line Certificate issued to George M. Sopp when aboard the cruiser H.M.S Manchester during her passage out to join the East Indies Station, dated 8th June 1939 when she crossed the Equator. Hand-written notes added on reverse concerning the fate of Manchester during the war.
The last four all contained in a scroll case for posting, addressed to: ‘Mr. G. Sopp, 8 Alvara Rd. Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants’.
George Michael Sopp was appointed to the rank of Warrant Shipwright in the Royal Navy on 1st March 1938, with seniority from 4th February 1937, and was serving aboard the light cruiser Manchester when he crossed the Equator on 8th June 1939 during her passage out to the East Indies Station. With the outbreak of the Second World War, Manchester was assigned to escorting convoys in the Indian Ocean until she was ordered home two months later. She was subsequently attacked and then scuttled during Operation Pedestal on 13th August 1942.
For his part, Sopp was a Commissioned Shipwright by wars end, and was appointed a Member of the Military Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as published in the London Gazette for 11th June 1946, this being for the wind-up operations in the Far East, and earned by him whilst serving aboard the Fleet Repair Ship Resource. He had previously been awarded a Mention in Despatches in the King’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 2nd June 1943, this being for his services as a Warrant Shipwright with the Submarine depot and repair ship Cyclops.
Sopp went on to be promoted to Senior Commissioned Shipwright on 24th February 1950 with seniority backdated to 1st April 1946, and is known to have lived at Alverstoke near Gosport, Hampshire.
