Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War Dental Surgeon’s O.B.E. group of three awarded to Surgeon-Lieutenant J. G. A. Fairbank, Royal Navy

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 1st type breast badge, hallmarked London 1919; British War and Victory Medals (Surg. Lt. J. G. A. Fairbank. R.N.); mounted as worn together with British Red Cross Society medal for war service 1914-1918, and related mounted group of four miniatures, extremely fine (8) £300-£360

O.B.E. (Military) London Gazette 19 August 1919: ‘For valuable services in H.M.S. Bacchante and at the R.N.B. Chatham. This officer entered the R.N. on 24 November 1916, and served in H.M.S. Bacchante and at the R.N.B. Chatham as Inspecting Medical Officer for Dentistry. He is a very able Officer and has effected many improvements in the War in dentistry.’

John Gerald Atkinson Fairbank qualified M.B. St Barts. 1903; Royal Dental Hospital 1905; Temporary Surgeon-Lieutenant R.N., 24 November 1916, serving at R.N.H. Plymouth, and in H.M. Ships Bacchante (1917) and Pembroke (1917-18). In total 88 Dental Surgeons saw service during the course of the war, five of these receiving the O.B.E. in recognition of their services and four being mentioned in despatches.