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Auction: 23111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 901

A 1964 M.B.E. group of eight to awarded to Flying Officer H. E. Wheeler, Royal Air Force, who was Bandmaster of the Band of Fighter Command and later a Director of Music

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd Type, Member's (M.B.E.) breast Badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya (Fg. Off. H. E. Wheeler. R.A.F.); Coronation 1953; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R. (W/O. H. E. Wheeler (744386) R.A.F.V.R.), mounted as worn, very fine (8)

M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1964.

Harry Edward Wheeler attended the Royal College of Music where he obtained his ARCM at the age of 17. Three years later he obtained the first diploma of FRCO at the Royal College of Organists and then went to Durham University where the degree of Bachelor of Music was conferred on him.

He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in May 1939 and went straight to the RAF Central Band, acting as an Instructor. Shortly afterwards he was selected to form a band at Manby in Lincolnshire which gave concerts all over the Midlands.

In 1941, he went to the Middle East and formed the well-known Canal Area Orchestra which entertained troops throughout Egypt and Palestine and which broadcast regularly from the Egyptian Radio, Cairo.

In 1943 he was recalled to the United Kingdom to conduct the band of Fighter Command where he remained for the remainder of the war. He was invited by King Haakon of Norway to bring his band for the liberation services in Norway in June 1945 at Oslo, where he gave several programmes to the troops and populace of the city. The band of Fighter Command was reconstructed in 1947 where as well as travelling throughout all the RAF stations throughout the British Isles it began to travel worldwide as No.1 R.A.F. Regional Band. He was sent to Hong Kong in 1949 aboard the Cathage where it performed various concerts and with him independently performing a Piano Recital. He was based at R.A.F. Maintenance Base (Far East) Seletar after his four week visit to Hong Kong, from there the band visited stations in the Federation of Malaya and Singapore, before then going to Ceylon. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 13 April 1949 and appointed as Director of Music.

No.1 Regional Band (later to become the Midland Band of the RAF) during its 70,000-mile tour of the Middle and Far East in 1948. On the nine-month tour, eight different troop ships were used and thousands of miles travelled by air. Visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya, Ceylon, Aden, Egypt, Sudan,
North Africa, Jordan, Iraq, and Malta, it is considered the longest continuous
overseas tour undertaken by a British military band.

Sold together with the following original archive comprising:

(i)
Two photograph albums, one covering his visit to Egypt and the Middle East, the other with photographs of Singapore, Malaya and Hong Kong.

(ii)
An R.A.F. Transport Command Passenger List from Garderden to Rivenhall dated 3 July 1945 with him listed as part of the crew.

(iii)
An unused Permanent Pass.

(iv)
Three G.P.O. Staff Dance Admission Tickets for 10 February 1943 where R.A.F. No.1 Dance Band were playing.

(v)
Numerous loose photographs of him in uniform with and without bands, various sizes of photograph present.

(vi)
A Durham University shield.

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Sold for
£650

Starting price
£280