1948 New Year Honours

Encyclopedia

The 1948 New Year Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1948 for the British Empire and New Zealand to celebrate the past year and mark the beginning of 1948. By coincidence it coincided with the nationalization of the Big Four railways into what is now known as British Railways.

The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by honour, with classes (Knight, Knight Grand Cross, etc.) and then divisions (Military, Civil, etc.) as appropriate.

British Empire

Viscount

  • The Right Honourable John Scott, Baron Hyndley, GBE, Chairman, National Coal Board. Lately Controller-General, Ministry of Fuel and Power, and Chairman, Finance Corporation for Industry Ltd.

Baron

  • Sir Valentine George Crittall, JP. For political and public services.
  • Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir (William) Sholto Douglas, GCB, MC, DFC, Commander-in-Chief and Military Governor, Germany, 1946–1947.
  • Sir Harold Vincent Mackintosh, Bt., JP, DL, Chairman, National Savings Committee.
  • Colonel the Right Honourable Sir (David) John Colville, GCIE, TD, Governor of Bombay, 1943–1947 (dated 14 August 1947).

Privy Counsellor

  • George Buchanan, MP, Minister of Pensions. Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, 1945–1947. Member of Parliament for the Gorbals Division of Glasgow since 1922.
  • David Kirkwood, JP, MP, Member of Parliament for Dumbarton Burghs since 1922. For political and public services.
  • The Honourable William John McKell, KC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.
  • The Honourable Sir Malcolm Martin Macnaghten, KBE, lately Judge of the High Court of Justice.
  • George Heaton Nicholls, High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in London, 1944–1947.
  • The Honourable Sir Humphrey Francis O’Leary, KCMG, Chief Justice of New Zealand.

Knight Bachelor

  • Richard Harold Armstrong, LLD, Chairman of the Royal Liverpool United Hospital.
  • Michael Elias Balcon, Director and Production Head of Ealing Studios Ltd.
  • Frederic Charles Bartlett, CBE, FRS, Professor of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge.
  • Leslie Cecil Blackmore Bowker, OBE, MC, City Remembrancer.
  • Colonel Eric Gore Browne, DSO, OBE, TD, ADC, Chairman, Southern Railway Company.
  • George Chester, CBE, General Secretary, National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives.
  • Harold Claughton, CBE, MA, Principal of the University of London.
  • John Douglas Cockcroft, CBE, PhD, LLD, MSc, MIEE, FRS, Director, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Ministry of Supply.
  • Commander Geoffrey Edgar Duveen, VRD, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (Retired), Chairman of the Royal Ear Hospital, London.
  • His Honour Tom Eastham, KC, Senior Official Referee, Supreme Court of Judicature.
  • Robert George Erskine, CBE, Deputy Chairman, Navy Army and Air Force Institutes.
  • Vincent Ziani de Ferranti, MC, Chairman and Managing Director, Ferranti Ltd.
  • Robert Macdonald Gould, CB, Chief Industrial Commissioner, Ministry of Labour and National Service.
  • Philip Buhner Johnson, President, Engineering and Allied Employers’ National Federation.
  • Edward Redmayne Redmayne-Jones, lately Chairman of the National Federation of Corn Trade Associations.
  • Ralph Wilfred Lacey, Cotton Controller, Board of Trade.
  • John Loudon, Director of Bacon and Ham, Ministry of Food.
  • James Gow Mann, FSA, Director of the Wallace Collection.
  • John Parkinson, MD, FRCP, Physician to the Cardiac Department, London Hospital.
  • George Lionel Pepler, CB. For services to town and country planning.
  • Harry Platt, MD, MS, FRCS, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Manchester.
  • Charles Garonne Renold, JP, Chairman, British Institute of Management.
  • Harry Ralph Ricardo, LLD, FRS, Chairman and Technical Director, Ricardo & Co. Ltd.
  • William Dunkeld Robieson, LLD, JP, Editor of The Glasgow Herald.
  • Herbert Septimus Scott, CMG. For services to education in Africa.
  • Richard Vynne Southwell, FRS, Rector of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London.
  • Professor Frank Merry Stenton, DLitt, LittD, FBA, President of the Royal Historical Society.
  • John Walker Stephenson, CBE, JP, General Secretary, Plumbers’, Glaziers’ and Domestic Engineers’ Union.
  • Philip Crawford Vickery, CIE, OBE, Civil Assistant, War Office.
Dominions
  • Francis Raymond Connelly, Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, State of Victoria.
  • The Honourable Frank Ernest Gibson, a Member of the Legislative Council, State of Western Australia. For public and municipal services.
  • The Honourable Charles John Lowe, Judge of the Supreme Court, and Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, State of Victoria.
  • Ernest Augustus Lee Steere, a pastoralist, State of Western Australia. For public services.
Burma
  • Ronald Nesbitt-Hawes, CBE, Director-General, Posts and Telegraphs, Burma.
  • Charles Frederick Byrde Pearce, CBE, Indian Civil Service, Auditor-General, Burma.
Colonies, Protectorates, Etc.
  • Hussein Hassanal Abdool Cader, CBE. For public services in the Malayan Union.
  • Tsibu Darku IXth, OBE, Omanhene of Asin Atandasu. For public services in the Gold Coast.
  • William Ivor Jennings, LittD, LLD, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ceylon.
  • John Harry Barclay Nihill, MC, Colonial Legal Service, Chief Justice, Kenya.
  • Professor Luigi Preziosi, MD, President of the National Assembly, Malta.
India (dated 14 August 1947)
  • Albert Roderick Chisholm, Managing Director, Imperial Bank of India.
  • Charles Beaupre Bell Clee, CSI, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Revenue Commissioner for Sind and Secretary to the Government of Sind in the Revenue Department.
  • Colonel David Clyde, CIE, MD, VHS, Indian Medical Service, Surgeon-General with the Government of Bengal.
  • Hugh Douglas Cumberbatch, Chairman of the Directors, Messrs. Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd., Calcutta, Bengal.
  • Norman Frederick Frome, CIE, DFC, MIEE, Chief Engineer, Posts and Telegraphs.
  • Harry Greenfield, CSI, CIE, Chairman, Central Board of Revenue.
  • Lancelot Cecil Lepel Griffin, CSI, CIE, Indian Political Service, Secretary to His Excellency the Crown Representative.
  • Wilfred Vernon Grigson, CSI, Indian Civil Service, Revenue Minister, Hyderabad State.
  • Mr. Justice Arthur Comyn Happell, Indian Civil Service, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Fort St. George, Madras.
  • Francis Herbert du Heaume, CIE, OBE, Indian Police, Deputy Inspector of Police, Training and Technical, Punjab.
  • Mr. Justice Lionel Clifford Horwill, Indian Civil Service, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Fort St. George, Madras.
  • John Wardle Houlton, CSI, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Member, Board of Revenue, Bihar.
  • Arthur Cecil Inskip, CBE, General Manager, Messrs. Cooper Allen & Co., Cawnpore.
  • William Norman Prentice Jenkin, CSI, CIE, Indian Police, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Punjab.
  • Mr. Justice Ronald Francis Lodge, Indian Civil Service, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal.
  • Christopher Hughes Masterman, CSI, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Member, Board of Revenue, Madras.
  • Mr. Justice Herbert Ribton Meredith, Indian Civil Service Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Patna.
  • Charles Watt Miles, OBE, Senior Partner, Messrs. Shaw Wallace & Co., Calcutta.
  • Samuel Harrison Yardley Oulsnam, CSI, CIE, MC, Indian Civil Service, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Health.
  • Charles Ridley Pawsey, CSI, CIE, MC, Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, Kohima, Assam.
  • George Alfred Pearce, OBE, Indian Police, Inspector-General of Police, United Provinces.
  • Emil Athol Owen Perkin, CIE, Chairman, Joint Public Service Commission of Bihar, the Central Provinces and Berar, and Orissa.
  • Major-General George de la Poer Beresford, CB, MC, Controller of Salvage, General Headquarters, India.
  • Geoffrey Charles Frescheville Ramsden, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Financial Commissioner (officiating), Central Provinces and Berar.
  • William Robert Tennant, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Deputy Auditor-General of India.
  • Joseph Herbert Thompson, CIE, Indian Political Service, Resident on Special Duty in the Political Department Secretariat, India.
  • Herbert John Todd, CIE, Indian Political Service, lately Resident for the Eastern States.
  • Hugh Weightman, CSI, CIE, Indian Civil Service, Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations.
  • Bernard James Whitby, JP, ACA, RA, Senior Partner, Messrs. A. F. Ferguson & Co., Chartered Accountants, Bombay.

Order of the Bath

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)

Military Division
  • Admiral Sir Edward Neville Syfret, KCB, KBE.
  • General Sir Montagu George North Stopford, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC, ADC (Gen.), (4554), late Infantry.
Civil Division
  • Sir Thomas James Barnes, KCB, CBE, HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor.

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)