Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Second War O.B.E. group of ten awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. R. Munro, Royal Field Artillery, late Royal Garrison Artillery, who served at Gallipoli and was wounded in 1917

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt, with Royal Mint case of issue; 1914-15 Star (2. Lieut. A. J. R. Munro. R.F.A.) unit double-struck; British War and Victory Medals (Major. A. J. R. Munro.); 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Sweden, Kingdom, Royal Red Cross Medal for Volunteers, Gustaf V., silver, reverse engraved ‘John Munroe’, the Great War awards nearly very fine, the remainder good very fine and better (10) £260-£300

O.B.E. London Gazette 4 June 1946.

Archibald John Rowcliffe Munro was born in 1895, the eldest son of Charles J. Munro of 5 Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh. Appointed to a commission with the Royal Garrison Artillery (Special Reserve), he served with the Royal Field Artillery in the Gallipoli theatre of operations from 20 March 1915. Recorded as wounded by the Edinburgh Evening News on 19 June 1917, he was promoted Major, and was posted to India in the inter-war years; he later witnessed extensive service in North Africa and North West Europe during the Second World War. Promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 22 November 1941, he took his retirement on 27 July 1947 and was released from the Reserve of Officers (Royal Artillery) in 1949.

Retiring to Alton, Munro is mentioned in the Hampshire Telegraph of 12 December 1952 as winner of the ‘Fancy Pigeon Trophy’ at the Portsmouth Fanciers Society Open Championship Show. He later came second in the Tunbridge Wells Show for birds (cock or hen) ‘bred in 1955’. He died in 1957.