A Second World War O.B.E. group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart Barnes, Royal Field Artillery, late Royal Air Force

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; British War and Victory Medals (Lieut., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 8th Army; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1937, these unnamed; Efficiency Decoration, G.V.R., Territorial, with Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Award Clasps, rev. of decoration inscribed, ‘Major Stuart Barnes’, mounted court style for wear, minor contact marks, very fine and better (9) £350-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Long Service Medals from the Collection formed by John Tamplin.

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O.B.E. London Gazette 1 July 1941

Stuart Barnes was born in Portsmouth on 8 March 1897. He was educated at a preparatory school in Worthing and later at Lancing College. He was granted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Wessex Brigade, R.F.A. (T.F.) with seniority of 19 September 1914. He was first with the 1st Wessex Ammunition Column, later with the 1st Hampshire Battery. He was appointed a Temporary Lieutenant on 1 April 1915, and was promoted to that rank on 1 June 1916. He was appointed an Acting Captain on 8 September 1917. Barnes was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps as a Flying Officer (Observer) on 1 January 1918. During the war he served in India from 1914, and in Mesopotamia and Egypt from 1916. Barnes was re-seconded to the R.A.F. for a further two years in August 1919, he was then an Observer Officer. He was re-seconded for a further two years in August 1921. Whilst with the R.A.F. he was with the Inspector of Recruiting, R.A.F., and later with No.4 Squadron. Lieutenant Barnes retired from the Army on 18 January 1923 and was placed on the Reserve of Officers. In 1923, for his Reserve Training he was posted to his former Territorial unit, and he was appointed a Lieutenant in the 54th (Essex) Brigade R.F.A. (T.A.) on 17 March 1923. On the same day he was promoted Captain in the Brigade. Barnes was promoted to Major on 4 August 1928. The Brigade was re-titled the 57th (Wessex) A.A. Brigade in 1932. Major Barnes was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (Territorial) in 1936, being notified in the London Gazette of 25 February 1936. During the early years of the Second World War he commanded the 57th (Wessex) H.A.A. Regiment which was deployed in the defence of Portsmouth. He was promoted Acting Lieutenant-Colonel on 9 June 1940 and Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel a little later on. As such he was awarded the O.B.E. in July 1941. In November 1942 the Regiment was posted to North Africa and joined the 8th Army. He returned to the U.K. in May 1943 and became Deputy Director of Labour in Northern Command until January 1946 when he was released. Barnes was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, R.A. (T.A.) on 11 April 1945. Through his long service in the T.A., Lieutenant-Colonel Barnes, O.B.E., T.D., was awarded four clasps to his Efficiency Decoration; these were promulgated in the London Gazette of 16 February 1951. Sold with copied research.