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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 565

An outstanding Knight Bachelor, C.B. group of eight awarded to Major Sir S. P. Osmond, Gloucestershire Regiment, who earned a 'mention' for the South East Asia 1945-46 operations and thence forged a notable career in the Civil Service, being Private Secretary to Prime Minister Clement Atlee, 1948-51 who was Knighted in 1980 as Secretary to the Church Commissioners for England

Knight Bachelor’s Badge, 3rd Type neck Badge, by Garrard & Co, the reverse with silver and maker's marks, silver-gilt and enamel; The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Civil) Companion’s neck Badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S. E. Asia 1945-46, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Maj. S. P. Osmond. Glosters.); Coronation 1953, good very fine and a rare combination (8)

Knight Bachelor London Gazette 8 January 1980. Presented by The Queen on 18 April 1980 at Buckingham Palace.

C.B. London Gazette 11 June 1966.

M.I.D. London Gazette 22 August 1946 (Netherlands East Indies).

Approximately 2 'S. E. Asia 1945-46' clasps awarded to the Gloucestershire Regiment.

Stanley Paul Osmond was born on 13 May 1917. His obituary published by the Royal Institution of Great Britain gives perhaps the best overview of his life:

'He attended Bristol Grammar School before studying history at Jesus College, Oxford. During the 1939-1945 War he was an Officer in the Gloucestershire Regiment rising to the rank of Major and serving partly in the Far East. In 1946 he joined the Civil Service and from 1948 until 1951 was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.

He then held office in a number of departments becoming Deputy Secretary of the Civil Service Department, then the Lord Chancellor's Office and finally the Department of Health and Social Security. In these positions he sought to persuade the civil service to take more account of scientific developments. Between 1975 and 1980 he was Secretary to the Church Commissioners.'

Osmond had been appointed Junior Grade of the Administrative class of the Board of Education in October 1939 when the Call of Duty came. Having served in Burma with the 10th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, Osmond earned the very rare clasp to his G.S.M. - with a 'mention' to boot - in the South East Asia campaign of 1945-46. His postings were then as follows:

Ministry of Education 1946-48
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 1948-51
Private Secretary to the Admiralty 1951-54
Assistant Secretary 1954-59
Permanent Undersecretary 1959.

He was at the Treasury from between 1962-68 but transferred to the Civil Service Department on its foundation in 1968 and remained there until 1970. In 1970 he joined the Lord Chancellors Office and was closely concerned with the reorganization of the Law Courts as recommended by a Royal Commission. In 1972 he became Deputy Secretary (Administration) in the Department of Health and Social Security. Knighted in 1980, Osmond died on 17 January 2000 and is buried in the Beckenham Cemetery; sold together with a bound book of copied research.






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Sold for
£2,300

Starting price
£1900