Orders, Decorations and Medals

An unusual Great War D.S.O. and Second War U.S.A. Bronze Star group of six awarded to Major G. M. Rambaut, Royal Field Artillery, later Senior Principal Scientific Officer, Air Ministry, Chemical Warfare Branch

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., minor enamel chips to obverse wreath; 1914-15 Star (Capt., R.F.A.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. (Major); Coronation 1902, bronze; U.S.A., Bronze Star, reverse officially named, generally good very fine (6)

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

M.I.D. London Gazette 14 December 1917.

Bronze Star London Gazette 3 May 1946. ‘For meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from September 1942 to January 1944, in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, in the furtherance of the war effort of the United Nations. Captain Rambaut was charged with the research and development program for offensive and defensive chemical warfare munitions and smoke munitions for the Royal Air Force and through his cooperation the Chief Chemical Warfare Officer, European Theater of Operations, was able to prepare a list of chemical warfare and smoke munitions which could be used interchangeably by the British and American Air Forces. Group Captain Rambaut made accessible to the United States Army all available information on toxic air force munitions obtained from the British general research program, and the facts thus obtained were of inestimable value to the United States Chemical Warfare Service.’

Gerald Marland Rambaut was educated at Westminster School and received the 1902 Coronation medal as a choir boy at Westminster Cathedral for the Coronation service of King Edward VII. He served in France, Feb 1915 to June 1916, and during 1917. He was wounded three times including June 1916 and December 1917 at Cambrai. He was transferred to the Ministry of Munitions and served there until late 1919. In 1933 he was appointed as a Technical Officer in the Air Ministry and by 1936 had been promoted to Senior Principal Scientific Officer in the Air Ministry. During WW2 he was a Group Captain (A. & S.D.) and Senior Principal Scientific Officer in charge of the research and development program for offensive and defensive chemical warfare munitions.