Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War M.B.E. group of four awarded to Major A. I. Fleuret, Falkland Islands Defence Force

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; Defence Medal; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Falkland Islands, reverse inscribed, ‘Major A. I. Fleuret, M.B.E., J.P.’; together with a Bisley Shooting Medallion 1937, 47mm, silver, hallmarks for Birmingham 1936, the obverse featuring an archer and a rifleman, the reverse with the inscription (name and colony engraved), ‘To Commemorate the Coronation of H.M. King George VI Bisley 1937 won by A. I. Fleuret, Falkland Islands’, good very fine and better, the Efficiency Decoration rare (5) £700-£900

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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Provenance: John Tamplin Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, March 2009.

M.B.E. London Gazette 11 July 1940: ‘Captain and Adjutant, Falkland Islands Defence Force.’

Arthur Isadore Fleuret was born in 1899. He came from the Falkland Islands and spent his working life there. In civilian life, he started as a Messenger in the Colonial Secretary’s Officer in December 1912. After work in the Government Printing Office, he was appointed Second Clerk to the Treasury in October 1919. In January 1924 Fleuret was appointed Second Clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Office, and four years later he became the Chief Clerk in the Colonial Secretary’s Office and Clerk of Councils. He was appointed Private Secretary to the Governor, November 1928-January 1929 and was Officer-in-Charge of the Secretariat, October 1928-January 1929 and again during February-June 1931. During the visits in 1929 of H.M. Ships Durban and Caradoc, he acted as Honorary Secretary to the Committee set up to arrange entertainment. Fleuret was appointed a Constable for the Falkland Islands for the special purpose of enforcing the legal arrest of the S.S. Fleurus in August 1931. He was the acting Colonial Postmaster for the Islands, July 1935-February 1936 and again, March-August 1939. On 1 January 1937 Fleuret was appointed Assistant Colonial Secretary and Clerk of Councils and was appointed a Magistrate, 20 May 1938 and J.P., 26 September 1940. On 19 December 1941 and again on 17 April 1942 he was appointed Magistrate in South Georgia; he was also Administrative Officer there.

Fleuret attested for the Falkland Islands Defence Force on 29 January 1923, and was granted a commission as Second Lieutenant on 28 January 1931 and advanced to Lieutenant on 13 March 1934. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency the Governor with effect from 11 February 1935. Lieutenant Fleuret was appointed to act as Officer Commanding, May-October 1935, and as Adjutant, May-December 1935. He was appointed Adjutant on 26 September 1936; promoted to Captain on 4 May 1935 and to Major on 6 August 1942. For his services in the Falkland Islands Defence Force he was awarded the M.B.E. in the Birthday Honours List of 1940, this notified in the London Gazette (above) and the Falkland Islands Gazette of 1 August 1940. Major Fleuret was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (Falkland Islands) on 21 March 1947. He was ‘honourably discharged from the Force on 4 September 1952 after having faithfully and efficiently served therein for a period of 29 years and 220 days, and was placed on the Retired List’. After his retirement he was asked to represent the Falkland Islands at the Coronation of 1953, for which, in that capacity, he was awarded the Coronation Medal. In about 1953 Major Fleuret moved to the U.K., living firstly at Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex, and latterly at Wonerish near Guildford. He died on 9 February 1987.

In The Efficiency Decoration, by J. M. A. Tamplin, just seven Efficiency Decorations (Falkland Islands) (including that for Fleuret) are listed for the period, 1935-1978

Sold with Official Letter of Congratulations on the award of the M.B.E., from and signed by the Governor, ‘H. Henniker-Heaton’; Retired List Certificate and accompanying letter, 1953; original photograph of the Falkland Islands Rifle Team (including Fleuret), Winners of the Junior Kolapore Cup, Bisley 1930; with additional modern photographs; together with copied research including many extracts from the Falkland Islands Gazette and Falkland Islands Magazine and Church Paper.