The Brian Kieran Collection

The post-war C.B., O.B.E. group of eight awarded to Brigadier A. M. Anstruther, Royal Engineers, who served in S.O.E. for much of the 1939-45 War
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel, in its Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) Officer’s 2nd type breast badge, silver-gilt; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, 1st Army; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1953, mounted as worn, contact marks, generally very fine (8) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Brian Kieran Collection.

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C.B. London Gazette 1 June 1953.

O.B.E. London Gazette 6 June 1946.

Alexander Meister Anstruther was educated at Malvern and the R.M.A. Woolwich, and was commissioned in the Royal Engineers in January 1923. Described by his R.E. obituarist as an outstanding swordsman, he fenced for Scotland and was twice placed third in the final of the Inter-Services Epee Pool at Olympia, as well as being a member of the British Epee Team in matches against Portugal and Holland in the 1920s and 30s.

But, as a recently promoted Major, it was an entirely different ‘Inter-Services’ role he took up soon after the outbreak of hostilities, namely employment in Inter-Service Research Bureau of the London H.Q. of Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.). Of his subsequent wartime career, according to his R.E. obituarist, he went as a Temporary Colonel to North Africa to represent S.O.E. with the Eastern Task Force of “Torch”, and worked with American O.S.S. representatives, in conjunction with the French military authorities, to form and train an international force known as the “Special Detachment”, to operate on guerilla lines. When the operations of this detachment came to a successful conclusion, he returned to London and became S.O.I.E. (Operations) at the War Office, in which capacity he twice visited Washington D.C.. Then in January 1945 he was appointed C.O. 17th A.G.R.E., which was mobilised in Northern Command for operations in the Far East, where he witnessed further active service in Burma.

In March 1946, he assumed command of 472nd Indian A.G.R.E. in Malaya, where he was given the task of developing a 250-mile stretch of road from Kuantan to Kota Bharu - it was a vast undertaking which included the construction of 16 bridges and 72 culverts, but nonetheless an undertaking that was completed by November of that year. He was awarded the O.B.E. An appointment as Chief Engineer in Singapore having followed, Anstruther was posted to the Canal Zone as Chief Engineer, British Troops in Egypt, and it was for his work in such difficult times that he was awarded the C.B. His final appointment, as a Brigadier, was Chief Engineer Western Command, from which post he was placed on the Retired List in June 1956.

Sold with the recipient’s original O.B.E. Warrant, dated 6 June 1946, his commission warrant for the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, R.E., dated 2 February 1923, and Royal Engineers Journal obituary.