Orders, Decorations and Medals

A Great War O.B.E. group of seven awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel H. P. L. Cart de Lafontaine, 4th London Regiment, later Inspector of Works for the Imperial War Graves Commission and a Founder Member of the International Union of Architects

The Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) 1st type; 1914-15 Star (Capt., 4/Lond.R.); British War and Victory Medals, with oak leaf M.I.D. emblem (Major); Territorial Decoration, G.V.R., the reverse hallmarked 1920, complete with top suspension bar; Legion of Honour, 5th class, silver and enamels; Order of Palmes Académiques, 5th class, silver and enamels, the last two with chips to the enamel, otherwise good very fine (7) £350-400

O.B.E. London Gazette 30 March 1920: ‘For services in connection with the War, to be dated 1 January 1920:- Lt. Colonel Henry Philip Leopold Cart de Lafontaine, Assistant Inspector of Works, Imperial War Graves Commission, France.’

Henry Philip Leopold Cart de Lafontaine was born on 30 March 1884, and was educated abroad, studying at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He served with the 4th London Regiment, with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from 5 September 1914, and with the B.E.F. in France from 6 January 1915. In 1916, he became an Instructor at No. 7 Officer Cadet Battalion in Ireland, and in 1917 he was posted as an Instructor in Aerial Topography at No. 2 Royal Flying Corps Cadet Wing. Between 1918 and 1920, he served as Assistant Director of Graves Registration at GHQ France, and as Inspector of Works, Inperial War Graves Commission, France. He was awarded the O.B.E. in respect of these services, and in 1921 was awarded the Territorial Decoration.

After the War, he resumed his career as an architect, and was very concerned with international relations among architects, and was a founder member of the International Union of Architects. He was a past president of the Franco-British Union of Architects, and was its secretary-general for a number of years. He was also connected with a number of French Architectural and Educational organizations for which services he was twice honoured by the French Government, being created Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and awarded the Palmes Académiques. He died on 2 February 1963.