A post-war C.M.G., Second World War Burma operations O.B.E. group of nine awarded to Colonel H. V. Fraser, Royal Tank Regiment, late 2nd London Yeomanry (R.A.C.)

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Spink & Son case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge; 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S.E. Asia 1945-46 (Lt. Col. H. V. Fraser, O.B.E., T.D., R.A.C.); Coronation 1953; Efficiency Decoration, G.VI.R., Territorial, the reverse officially dated ‘1947’, together with a set of related miniature dress medals, very fine or better (18) £1200-1500

C.M.G. London Gazette 4 June 1957.

O.B.E. London Gazette 17 January 1946.

Hugh Vincent Fraser was born in September 1908, the son of William Neilson Fraser of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and was educated at Sherborne. Mobilised direct from his appointment in the Territorials in August 1939, he initially served as Adjutant to the Westminster Dragoons but in May 1942, on being appointed a Temporary Major in the Royal Armoured Corps, attended the R.A.F’s Fighter Command Low Attack School.

Then in August 1944 he was appointed a G.S.O. 1 to (Air) H.Q., 14th Army in India, in which capacity he witnessed active service in Burma and was awarded the O.B.E. and mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 10 January 1946, refers). And from November 1946 to September 1947, he served as G.S.O. 1 at (Air) H.Q. Allied Land Forces, S.E. Asia (Medal & clasp).

Advanced to substantive rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on the General List direct from the Royal Tank Regiment in December 1953, he was appointed a Temporary Brigadier and Military Attache at H.M’s Embassy, Cairo, in the following year, in which capacity he was awarded the C.M.G.

Having then served in the Standing Group, N.A.T.O., 1957-60, Fraser was placed on the Retired List as a Colonel in June of the latter year. He died in August 1982.

Sold with an impressive scrapbook covering much of his military career, with a wide array of documentation, invitations, newspaper cuttings, reunion programmes, etc., and original Buckingham Palace O.B.E. forwarding letter, together with a quantity of post-war documentation relating to hunting and beagling, including another scrapbook with numerous photographs.