Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War M.B.E. group of eight awarded to Warrant Officer Class I G. Colley, Royal Horse Guards

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1 clasp, 8th Army; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, the Second war campaign awards all privately impressed ‘305120 R.C.M. G. Colley R.H.G.’; Coronation 1937 (305120 L/Cpl. G. Colley. R.H.G.) contemporarily impressed naming; Coronation 1953 (305120 R.C.M. G. Colley. R.H.G.) contemporarily impressed naming; Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 1st issue, Regular Army (305120 W.O. Cl.2. G. Colley. R.H.G.); together with the recipient’s related miniature awards (the L.S. & G.C. an E.II.R. 2nd issue), these mounted as worn, good very fine (8) £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of David Lloyd.

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M.B.E. London Gazette 11 June 1960.

The original Recommendation states: ‘Regimental Corporal Major Colley joined the Royal Horse Guards in 1935 and his entire adult life over 24 years has been devoted to his Regiment, the Royal Horse Guards, and the Household Cavalry. He has risen steadily through every rank and served his Regiment loyally all his life, many of it abroad. He was selected to be the RCM of the Household Cavalry Regiment, Hyde Park Barracks, in 1953 and completed 7 years as RCM before his retirement. It need hardly be said how much a Regiment, who’s duties are completely ceremonial, depends on the bearing and example of its RCM for its success, and the Household Cavalry would not have retained RCM Colley in this responsible post if successive Regimental Lieutenant Colonels had not been extremely satisfied with him.

He has had well over a thousand recruits through his hands for whom he has been responsible as RCM. He has great enthusiasm for the Blues Old Comrades Association and the Combined Cavalry Association. He presides over an unusual NCO’s Mess which is composed of the Life Guards and the Blues, with their different loyalties, and the happy spirit of the NCO’s of the Household Cavalry Regiment at Knightsbridge is very much in his hands.

During his period as RCM the Regiment has furnished escorts on 6 State Openings of Parliament, 5 Queen’s Birthday Parades, 2 State Returns, 8 State Visits, and 8 Guildhall Escorts. Numerous Warrant Officers junior to him have received foreign decorations as a result of the State Visits but RCM Colley has never received one. If the authorities are satisfied with the standard of public duties performed by the Household Cavalry during this long period it is felt that RCM Colley’s contribution at the end of a long and honourable career should receive recognition. He retires this month and this is the last time he can be recommended for a Military Award.’