A post-War ‘Malaya operations’ M.B.E. group of six awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. C. S. Savory, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, who was twice Mentioned in Despatches, for Burma and Palestine, and is reported as being present in the King David Hotel when it was bombed on 22 July 1946

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, the Second War awards all contemporarily impressed ‘Major A. C. S. Savory. D.W.R.’; General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. A. C. S. Savory. D.W.R.) mounted court-style as worn and housed in a Baldwin, London, leather case, good very fine (8) £600-£800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to recipients of the Burma Star.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 28 April 1959:
‘In recognition of distinguished service in Malaya for the period 1 July to 31 December 1958.’

The original Recommendation states: ‘Major Savory has been Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General (Q Maintenance) HQ Singapore Base District since January 1957 and has been responsible for the detailed planning of many functions of the Base, on which a number of operations in Malaya depended.
For instance, he has planned the accommodation and equipping of all units arriving in Singapore, before being engaged in operations. Since January 1957 he has been responsible for one Regiment RAC, one Field Regiment RA and four Infantry Battalions.
Likewise he has planned with equal success the accommodation and re-equipping of units leaving this theatre, which has involved the moving of nine major units, seven of which were Infantry Battalions.
His careful and competent planning did much to build up the confidence of those units proceeding on operations and the efficient way in which units leaving the theatre were re-equipped was largely due to Major Savory.
By his attention to detail and untiring efforts Major Savory has set an example which is well deserving of the award of the MBE.’

Anthony Charles Sutherland Savory was born in Docking, Norfolk, on 29 May 1918 and was commissioned from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, into the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment on 27 January 1938. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, then serving in India, he was promoted Lieutenant on 1 January 1941, and served for most of the Second World War in India and Burma, being advanced Temporary Major on 26 January 1943. For his services in Burma he was Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazette 5 April 1945).

Post-War, Savory saw further service in Palestine in the rank of Acting Lieutenant-Colonel, serving with HQ Palestine, based at the King David Hotel, and was reported as having been present in the Hotel when it was bombed by militant Zionists on 22 July 1946. For his services in Palestine Savory was again Mentioned in Despatches, ‘for distinguished services in Palestine during the period 27 September 1945 to 26 March 1946’ (London Gazette 7 January 1949).

Proceeding to Malaya, Savory saw further service during the ongoing operations, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Returning home, he commanded the regimental depot from 1954 to 1956, and retired in 1959. On retirement from the army he established a career in industry, first with the Rootes/Chrysler Group and later with Unigate. He was a member of the Regimental Council and editor or the regimental journal, The Iron Duke, from 1982, and was the joint author (with J. M. Brereton) of The History of The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) 1702-1992, published by the regiment in 1993. He also wrote a short history of the regiment, and was a member of the Council of the Society for Army Historical Research from 1982 to 1992. He died in July 1997.

Sold with a photographic image of the recipient.