Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The K.C.M.G. group of nine awarded to Colonel Sir John Buchanan, Royal Army Medical Corps, late Black Watch and Colonial Medical Service; he was the last Chief Medical Officer of the old Colonial Office

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, K.C.M.G. Knight Commander’s set of insignia, neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, and breast star, silver, gold appliqué and enamel, contained in an earlier Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knight of Grace set of insignia, neck badge and breast star, silver base metal and enamel; British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Lieut. J. C. R. Buchanan); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaf; Coronation 1937, generally good very fine (11) £1400-1800

John Cecil Rankin Buchanan was born on 18 June 1896, son of John Buchanan, C.M.G., of Blantyre, Nyasaland, and was educated at Daniel Stewart’s College, Edinburgh. He served in the Great War as a Lieutenant in the Black Watch and was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917). On mobilization he went to Edinburgh University, where he graduated in medicine in 1923, proceeding to his M.D. with commendation in 1928 He played Rugby for the Scottish XV, 1921-25, and was Captain of the team in 1924.

He entered the Colonial Medical Service in 1925, and was Medical Officer, Tanganyika and British Somaliland, 1925-35. He was then appointed Senior Medical Officer of British Somaliland in 1935 and of Aden in 1936. During the Second World War he served with the E.A.A.M.C. as Lieutenant-Colonel, and then with the R.A.M.C. with the rank of Colonel and was D.D.M.S. Uganda in 1943. For his services in the East Africa Army Medical Corps he was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 30 December 1941). His final posting was as Inspector-General South Pacific Health Service from 1945 to 1948, in which year he was appointed C.M.G.. In 1960 he was appointed Chief Medical Officer at the Colonial Office and in the following year received the K.C.M.G. He retired in 1962 and died on 19 February 1976.

Sold with a riband bar and some copied research.