Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War C.B.E. group of four awarded to Lieutenant E. R. Childe, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, later Chairman, Public Service Commission, Hong Kong, who was twice wounded in action on the Western Front

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E., (Civil) Commander’s 2nd type, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with both full and miniature width neck ribands, in Garrard, London, case of issue; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. E. R. Childe.); Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued, mounted as worn, good very fine (4) £300-£400

C.B.E. London Gazette 13 June 1964: Edgar Ronald Childe, Esq., J.P.
‘For services in Hong Kong.’

Edgar Ronald Childe was born in Finchley, Middlesex, on 23 January 1892 and was educated at Christ's College, Finchley, subsequently being employed by the Phoenix Assurance Co. Ltd. in London from 1908 to August 1914. Following the outbreak of the Great War he joined the Royal Fusiliers as a Private, prior to being commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 15 March 1915. He served during the Great War on the Western Front from March 1916 and was promoted Lieutenant on 1 July 1916. He was wounded by shrapnel at Delville Wood during the Battle of the Somme on 1 September 1916, and was sent to hospital at Osborne on the Isle of Wight. He returned to his Regiment in France in November 1916 to be wounded again by machine gun fire on 14 April 191; sent to Blackheath Military Hospital he remained there until July 1917, and from that August to the end of hostilities he was an instructor in gas warfare.

Following the cessation of hostilities, Childe spent a year back in London with his previous employer but in December 1920 he arrived in Shanghai to work for the China Mutual Life Assurance Co., Ltd. In 1924 he moved to Hong Kong and remained with the same firm until 1941. He joined the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps as a Gunner but left Hong Kong in 1941 for Australia and remained in Victoria. He served as State Controller for Victoria of the Australia War Damage Commission until 1944.

Childe returned to Hong Kong in 1945 as Quartering Officer in the British Military Government with the military rank of Major. He then returned to China Mutual and in 1958 worked for Humphrey's Estate and Finance Co., Ltd. He continued his public service being appointed an unofficial Justice of the Peace in 1946, and served as Chairman of the Public Service Commission from 1959 to 1965, as well as being a member of the Senate of Hong Kong University from 1963 to 1966. For his services in the Colony he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1964 Birthday Honours’ List.