Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War C.M.G., Second War C.I.E., inter-War O.B.E. group of eight awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel R. R. Burnett, 27th Punjabis, Indian Army, late Machine Gun Corps, who served as Resident of Rajputana, and was then Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck riband; The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s 2nd type breast badge [sic], gold and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Civil) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1930; British War and Victory Medals (Capt. R. R. Burnett.); Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued; Coronation 1953, unnamed as issued, the last six mounted court-style as worn, generally nearly extremely fine (8) £1,600-£2,000

C.M.G. London Gazette 7 June 1951: Robert Richardson Burnett, Esq., C.I.E., O.B.E., Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan for His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom.

C.I.E. London Gazette 8 June 1944: ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Richardson Burnett, O.B.E., Indian Political Service, Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the External Affairs Department.

O.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 3 June 1931: Captain Robert Richardson Burnett, of the Political Department, Secretary to the Agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan.

Robert Richardson Burnett was born on 22 October 1897 and was educated at George Watson’s College, Edinburgh. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots (Territorial Force) in 1915, he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, and served with them during the Great War in Salonika from 13 July 1917. Transferring to the Indian Army in 1918, he served with the 27th Punjabis, before transferring to the Zhob Militia in 1922. In 1925 he was appointed to the Indian Political Service, and was serving as Resident of Rajputana at the time of Indian Independence. He subsequently served as Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan at Karachi from 1947 to 1952, for which services he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and was then a member of the British Sudanisation Committee at Khartoum from 1953 to 1955. He retired in 1956 and died on 3 November 1975.

Note: It is unclear why the C.I.E. badge with this group is the 2nd type breast badge (which was discontinued in 1917), rather than the 3rd type neck badge that was issued from 1917 to 1947.

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