Orders, Decorations and Medals

The post-war C.B.E. group of five awarded to Deputy Chaplain-General to the Forces Brigadier The Rev. N. Maclean, Royal Army Chaplains’ Department: he had earlier been awarded the M.B.E. for his gallant and distinguished services while a P.O.W. and went on to become Honorary Chaplain to the Queen

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military) Commander’s 2nd type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine (Rev. N. MacLean, R.A. Ch. D.); 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, M.I.D. oak leaf, these last four mounted as worn, together with Honorary Chaplain to the Queen Badge, E.II.R., gilt and enamel, a set of related miniature dress medals and a tie-pin, generally good very fine or better (12) £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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C.B.E. London Gazette 2 June 1962.

Mention in despatches London Gazette 20 June 1946:

‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Field.’

Norman Maclean was born in June 1905 and was appointed a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class in May 1934, having earlier acted as minister at South Church in Paisley. His subsequent services in the pre-war Palestine operations are verified by contemporary Army Lists, as indeed is his award of the M.B.E. - ‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services while a prisoner of war’ (London Gazette 21 February 1946 refers). And given his subsequent “mention” for services ‘in the Field’, and the fact he does not appear on the published roll of 1939-45 P.O.Ws, it is worth speculating that he may have been taken prisoner as early as 1940 and sometime thereafter been repatriated prior to the end of hostilities.

Advanced to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class in July 1946, Maclean went on to enjoy a long and successful career, including stints of service out in the Middle East, West Africa and Germany, finally attaining the rank of Deputy Chaplain-General - equivalent to Brigadier - in January 1960, and appointment as an Honorary Chaplain to the Queen in February of the same year. And having in the interim been appointed O.B.E. (London Gazette 1 January 1957), he was promoted to C.B.E. in 1962.