Meticulous research, nicely produced, a comprehensive review of the origins and history of the OBE. The OBE is one of the most widely recognized Orders, introduced to provide recognition of civilians that also includes a Military Division – Very Highly Recommended.
NAME: The Order of The British Empire FILE: R2689 AUTHOR: Peter Galloway PUBLISHER: Worcestershire Medal Service with WritersWorld BINDING: hard back PAGES: 394 PRICE: £39.99 GENRE: Non Fiction SUBJECT: Orders, decorations, medals, Great Britain, British Empire, civilian orders, OBE, Grand Master, Chapel, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh ISBN: 978-0-9955531-3-2 IMAGE: B2689.jpg BUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/y9h6soey LINKS: DESCRIPTION: Meticulous research, nicely produced, a comprehensive review of the origins and history of the OBE. The OBE is one of the most widely recognized Orders, introduced to provide recognition of civilians that also includes a Military Division – Very Highly Recommended. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was created during WWI and at that time there was a British Empire that accounted for a significant percentage of the world land mass and population. In the period of the dash from Empire, the political popularity of talking Britain down, and the policy of successive British Governments for Managed Decline of the nation, there has been controversy about the 'British Empire' in the Order's title. There have been a variety of crass suggestions, mainly from the left of politics, that the Order either be abolished or renamed The People's Medal. Fortunately, it has survived unscathed and continues to be widely accepted and regarded. This book is a revised and updated edition that will be specially valued by collectors of medals and decorations and as an unequalled reference work. His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GCVO, GBE, AK, QSO Grand Master of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire has written a nicely judged foreword to the book that in a page neatly encapsulates the key factors of the Order since its inception. The Great War of 1914-1918 was dramatically different from previous wars. The American Civil War may have been the first Industrial Revolution War, against an agrarian society, but The Great War was the first Industrial War between Industrial nations. Britain was no longer protected in all respects by the seas. German terror bombers flew over the British Isles targeting civilian locations and German warships carried out hit and run bombardments of coastal towns. There may have been armies in the field, but for the first time all of Britain was in the firing line. The war of attrition in France demanded full mobilization of men to man the trenches and fight at sea, in the air and on land around the world. This required many jobs, including hazardous work, to be taken by women. The military was able to recommend soldiers, sailors and airmen for a selection of medals to recognize conspicuous acts in adequate numbers, but there was no similar method of recognizing civilians who were now as much in the front line as those in uniform. The Order of the British Empire was intended to address this omission. Since its inception, the OBE has provided an Order that could recognize civilians and also provide for a Military Division to fill a gap in the decorations available to recognize outstanding action by military personnel. This book provides the most comprehensive information on the OBE, its inception and development in clear text with good illustration, many images being in full colour. Of particular value are the Appendices that cover the Grand Master and Officials, The Knights and Dames Grand Cross, and the Forfeitures. It is difficult to think of any question that is not answered in this balanced account of a well-known and popular Order, that has adapted to social change.