Orders, Decorations and Medals

An interesting Suez Operations M.B.E. group of ten awarded to Lieutenant Commander G. H. Creese, Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm

The Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) 2nd type, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Burma Star, clasp, Pacific; Defence and War Medals, with oak leaf M.I.D. emblem; Korea 1950-53 (Lt.Cdr., R.N.); U.N. Korea, the last nine court mounted as worn, together with companion group of ten miniatures and various ribbon bars, good very fine (20) £300-350

M.B.E. London Gazette 13 June 1957 ‘In recognition of distinguished services in the operations in the Near East, October-December 1956.’ Presented at Buckingham Palace on 22 July 1958.

M.I.D. London Gazette 23 February 1943. H.M.S. Kipanga, Royal Naval Air Station, Killendi, Kenya. Awarded for operations ‘Streamline’ and ‘Jane’, the successful invasion of Madagascar.

George Hill Creese joined the Fleet Air Arm as a Midshipman (Air) on 16 January 1939. In April 1940, as an Observer, he was appointed to 700 Squadron flying Walrus aircraft aboard the cruiser Glasgow, seeing action in the North Sea, Norway and the Atlantic Ocean, as part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. It was aboard Glasgow that the King and Crown Prince of Norway were evacuated to Trondheim. Creese was on board when Glasgow was part of the covering force to Illustrious during the attack on Taranto by Swordfish aircraft, and in 1941 took part in operations on the Greek coast, until Glasgow was badly damaged by torpedoes from Italian aircraft off Crete and put into Alexandria for repairs. He wide suspension then posted to H.M.S. Kipanga, Royal Naval Air Station at Killendi, on the coast of Kenya, taking part in the successful invasion of Madagascar. In Novemebr 1942, he was appointed to the Staff of the Air Group Commander aboard the aircraft carrier Illustrious, and took part in many subsequent operations in the Mediterranean, Indian and Pacific Oceans. In April 1949 he joined the aircraft carrier Triumph, serving in this ship during the Korean War with No. 13 Carrier Group.

On his return from Korea he was appointed to H.M.S. President and joined the Hydrography Department at the Admiralty. He returned to the Fleet Air Arm in October 1953, on appointment to H.M.S. Fulmar, R.N.A.S. Lossiemouth, and in September the following year transferred to H.M.S. Seahawk at Culdrose. In 1956 he was serving on H.M.S. Eagle, aircraft carrier, which was heavily engaged in air strikes during the Suez conflict. On leaving Eagle in 1957 he was appointed to the Admiralty for duty in the Naval Information Department, and retired from the Royal Navy in September 1958. Commander Creese died in November 1985. Although it is probable that he should be entitled to the N.G.S. medal with Near East clasp, there is no evidence that he received it. Indeed, whilst he has mounted the M.B.E. in his group of miniatures, there is no N.G.S. miniature included, leading one to suppose that it was never issud.