Orders, Decorations and Medals

A C.B.E., K.P.M. group of ten awarded to Chief Officer Bernard Anson Westbrook, Calcutta Fire Brigade

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, with neck cravat, in Garrard, London case of issue; King’s Police Medal, G.V.R., 1st issue (Bernard Anson Westbrook, Ch. Officer, Calcutta F.B., Bengal); British War and Victory Medals (Capt.); Defence; Jubilee 1935; France, Medal of Honour, Ministry of the Interior, silver with gilt suspension, reverse inscribed, ‘Captain Bernard A. Westbrook, C.F.B.’; Austria, Fire Brigade and Rescue Services Long Service Medal, for 25 years, bronze-gilt; London Private Fire Brigades Association Medal, silver, reverse inscribed, ‘C.O. B. Westbrook, Calcutta F.B.’; Austria, Fire Brigade Merit Medal, silver, these nine medals mounted as worn; with Institution of Fire Engineers Past Presidents’ Badge, 9ct. gold and enamel, reverse inscribed, ‘Captain Bernard A. Westbrook, Chief Officer Fire Brigade Calcutta President 1934’, hallmarks for Birmingham 1935, in case of issue; France, Ministry of Public Instruction, National Office of Research and Inventions Medallion, 57mm., bronze-gilt, reverse embossed, ‘Major B. A. Westbrook’, in case of issue, very fine and better (12) £700-800

C.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 1 January 1943. ‘Bernard Anson Westbrook, Esq, O.B.E., Chief Regional Fire Oficer, No. 9 (Midland) Region. Chief Technical Adviser to the Fire Service Department, Home Office’.

O.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 1 March 1929. ‘Captain, Chief Officer, Calcutta Fire Brigade, Bengal’.

Bernard Anson Westbrook was born on 8 March 1884 and was educated at Skinners’ School, Tunbridge Wells. He was employed as Chief Fire Officer, Calcutta Fire Brigade, 1910-36, for which service he was awarded the O.B.E. (1929) and K.P.M. (1918). During the Great War he was a Captain on the General List. He was then Fire Inspector at the Home Office, 1936-38; Chief Inspector, Fire Service Department, Home Office, 1938-39, before being seconded as Chief Regional Fire Officer, Midland Division No. 9 (Birmingham), 1942-45. Served as President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, 1934 and travelled extensively studying fire protection in foreign countries. Westbrook died on 3 January 1969.

Sold with card forwarding box for Defence Medal, addressed to the recipient c/o The Standard Bank of South Africa, West Street, Durban, Natal’. Also with copied m.i.c. and gazette extracts and other research.