Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A post-War M.B.E. group of six awarded to Major T. R. King, Royal Ulster Rifles, late King’s African Rifles, who served as Permanent President for Courts Martial in South Western and Salisbury Plain Districts, having previously served as President for Courts Martial in Madagascar and Kenya

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue, Kenya (Maj. T. R. King.) officially re-impessed naming, generally good very fine and better (6) £240-£280

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

View
Collection

M.B.E. London Gazette 31 May 1956.

The original Recommendation states: ‘Major Travers Richard King has held the appointment of Permanent President for Courts Martial in South Western and Salisbury Plain Districts since September 1952, and is now to be released from the Army in May of this year. His total Army service is 17 years.
His work as Permanent President has been abnormally heavy, due to the large number of units and establishments in both Districts, and consequent movement of units through the Command. Not only has this involved long hours of hard work, but also continuous travelling between Districts and Garrisons, commencing very early in the morning and ending late at night. The exacting nature of this work has demanded a great deal of him.
His standards have been of the highest throughout. He has combined high personal efficiency with a cheerful willingness to advise those less experienced in legal matters, whenever asked to do so. He is accurate and dependable at all times. In Court, he has earned the reputation of being completely fair and impartial, with the result that although he has tried persistent offenders on several occasions, there has never been an objection to him as President.
His industry, efficiency, and human understanding have been outstanding in the difficult and somewhat thankless service he has been called upon to perform.’

Travers Richard King was born in 1904, the son of the Very Reverend R. F. S. King, and the maternal grandson of the Very Reverend A. F. Smyly, both Deans of Londonderry. Emigrated to Kenya at the age of 18 to farm, he later joined the Kenya Defence Force, and following the outbreak of the Second World War was commissioned into the King’s African Rifles. Advanced Major on 11 May 1944, he later became President of Courts Martial in Madagascar and Kenya, and was awarded his Efficiency Medal in 1950 (Official Gazette of Kenya, 15 August 1950).

Returning to the U.K. King transferred to the Royal Ulster Rifles, and was appointed Permanent President for Courts Martial in South Western and Salisbury Plain Districts in September 1952. He relinquished his commission on 1 June 1956, and in later life took up wood-carving, carving an Irish Cross for his father’s and grandfather’s old Cathedral. He died in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, on 22 December 1991.