Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An inter-war C.B., Mesopotamia operations O.B.E. group of twelve awarded to Major-General F. W. Barron, Royal Artillery, who was also five times mentioned in despatches in the Great War

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, silver-gilt, hallmarks for London 1919; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 3 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal (Lieut. F. W. Barron, R.G.A.); King’s South Africa, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lt. F. W. Barron, R.G.A.); 1914 Star, with clasp (Capt. F. W. Barron, R.G.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lt. Col. F. W. Barron); Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; France, Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, contact marks and polished, from about very fine (12) £1100-1300

C.B. London Gazette 1 January 1936.

O.B.E. London Gazette 12 December 1919:

‘In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the Military Operations in Mesopotamia'.

Frederick Wilmot Barron was born in June 1880 and was educated at Radley and the R.M.A. Woolwich.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the eve of the outbreak of the Boer War, he was quickly embarked for South Africa, and served in operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to November 1900, including the actions at Reit Vlei and Lydenburg; also in later operations in the Orange River Colony and Cape Colony (Medal & 3 clasps; King’s Medal & 2 clasps).

By the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he was serving as a Captain at the War Office. Quickly advanced to Major, he was embarked for France as a Staff Officer, in which capacity he would afterwards serve in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Persia. According to one obituarist, he was ‘in the thickest of the fighting’ and, in addition to his award of the O.B.E., he was five times mentioned in despatches (London Gazettes 13 July 1916, 15 August 1917, 12 March and 27 August 1918, and 5 June 1919, refer); so, too, awarded the French Croix de Guerre (London Gazette 7 June 1919, refers).

Between the wars, Barron remained employed on the Staff at the War Office, latterly as Inspector of Fixed Defences 1934-38, in which capacity he visited Hong Kong and Singapore and was awarded the C.B. Having then been placed on the Retired List as a Major-General in the latter year, he was recalled in September 1939 and served as Inspector of Fixed Defences, G.H.Q. Home Forces and War Office, 1939-41, as well as serving as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Home Guard.

The General, ‘a kind and Christian gentleman’, who always ‘treated others with consideration and respect’, died at his home in Whitchurch, Devon in January 1963, aged 83 years; sold with copied research.