Books, Newspapers, The London Gazette 35000-39999

War Office, 20th December, 1940. The King has been pleased to approve of the undermentioned awards in recognition of gallant conduct in action with the enemy:-

THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.

Lieutenant (Temp. Major) PHILIP HARKER NEWMAN, F.R.C.S., Royal Army Medical Corps.

THE MILITARY CROSS.

Captain (Temp. Major) Antony Henry Head (age 34), The Life Guards.

Whitehall, February 4, 1941. The King has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, bearing date the 25th ultimo, to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom upon the Right Honourable Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil (age 71) (commonly called Lord Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne Cecil), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Quickswood, Of Clothall In The County Of Hertford.

Central Chancery Of The Orders Of Knighthood.

St. James's Palace, S.W.1. 18th July, 1941.

The King has been gracidusly pleased to award the GEORGE CROSS to:-

Charles Henry George Howard, Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire (deceased), Chief Field Research and Experimental Officer, Directorate of Scientific Research, Ministry of Supply.

For conspicuous bravery in connection with bomb disposal.

Flg. Offs. to be Flt. Lts. (war subs.): 3rd Sept. 1941.

W. R. L. BEAUMONT (72979).

N. BICKNELL, D.F.C. (73041).

R. C. CHOPPING (70126).

The Hon. D. A. COKE (age 25) (73042).

E. J. MARTIN (73004).

Supplement to the The London Gazette 36679. 31st August 1944.

The Distinguished Service Order

Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) Robin Hood William Stewart Hastings, M.C. (70912), The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) (attd. The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of 'Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)) (Moreton-in-Marsh)

Whitehall, July 6, 1945.

The King has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, bearing date the 2nd instant, to confer the dignity of a Viscounty of .the United Kingdom upon the Right Honourable Christopher, Baron Addison (age 77), and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Viscount Addison, of Stallingborough in the County of Lincoln. [Dorothy Low Viscountess Addison by marriage Viscountess Addison of Stallingborough in Lincolnshire]

Whitehall, October 19, 1945. The King has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, bearing date the 19th ultimo, to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom upon Field-Marshal Sir Alan Francls Brooke (age 62), G.C.B., D.S.O., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Alanbrooke, of Brookeborough in the County of Fermanagh.

Admiralty. Whitehall, 13th November, 1945. The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS for valour to: —

the late Temporary Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, R.C.N.V.R., for great valour in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer in Onagawa Wan on 9th 2August, 1945. In the face of fire from shore batteries and a heavy concentration of fire from some five warships Lieutenant Gray pressed home his attack, flying very low in order to ensure success, and, although he was hit and his aircraft was in flames, he obtained at least one direct hit, sinKing the destroyer. Lieutenant Gray has consistently shown a brilliant fighting spirit and most in spiring leadership

Lieutenant Ian Edward FRASER, D.S.C., R.N.R. Lieutenant Fraser commanded His Majesty's Midget Submarine XE-3 in a successful attack on a Japanese heavy cruiser of the Atago class at her moorings in Johore Strait, Singapore, on 3ist July, 1945- Bur ing the long approach up the Singapore Straits XE-3 deliberately left the believed safe channel and entered mined waters to avoid suspected hydrophone posts. The target was aground, or nearly aground, both fore and aft, and only under the midship portion was there just sufficient water for XE-3 to place herself under the cruiser. For forty minutes XE-3 pushed her way along the seabed until finally Lieutenant Fraser managed to force her right under the centre of the cruiser. Here he placed the limpets and dropped his main side charge. Great difficulty was ex perienced in extricating the craft after the attack had been completed, but finally XE-3 was clear, and commenced her long return journey out to sea. The courage and deter mination of Lieutenant Fraser are beyond all praise. Any man not possessed of his re lentless determination to achieve his object in full, regardless of all consequences, would have dropped his side charge along side the target instead of persisting until he had forced his submarine right under the cruiser. The approach and withdrawal en tailed a passage of 80 miles through water which had been mined by both the enemy and ourselves, past hydrophone positions, over loops and controlled minefields, and through an anti-submarine boom.

[13th November 1945]. Temporary Acting Leading Seaman James Joseph Magennis (age 26), D/JX. 144907. Leading Seaman Magennis served as Diver in His Majesty's Midget Submarine XE-3 for her attack on 31st July, 1945, on a Japanese cruiser of the Atago class. Owing to the fact that XE-3 was tightly jammed under the target the diver's hatch could not be fully opened, and Magennis had to squeeze himself through the narrow space available. He experienced great difficulty in placing his limpets on the bottom of the cruiser owing both to the foul state of the bottom and to the pronounced slope upon which the limpets would not hold. Before a limpet could be placed therefore Magennis had thoroughly to scrape the area clear of barnacles, and in order to secure the limpets he had to tie them in pah's by a line passing under the cruiser keel. This was very tiring work for a diver, and he was moreover handicapped by a steady leakage of oxygen which was ascending in bubbles to the surface. A lesser man would have been content to place a few limpets and then to return to the craft. .Magennis, however, persisted until he had placed his full outfit before returning to the craft in an exhausted condition. Shortly after withdrawing Lieutenant Fraser endeav oured to jettison his limpet carriers, but one of these would not release itself and fall clear of the craft. Despite his exhaustion, his oxygen leak and the fact that there was every probability of his being sighted, Magennis at once volunteered to leave the craft and free the carrier rather than allow a less experi enced diver to undertake the job. After seven minutes of nerve-racKing work he succeeded in releasing the carrier. Magennis displayed very great courage and devotion to duty and complete disregard for his own safety.

Whitehall, January 31, 1950. The King has been pleased, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, bearing date the 31st instant, to confer the dignitiy of a Barony of the United Kingdom upon Sir Alexander Steven Bilsland (age 57), Baronet, M.C., and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of Baron Bilsland of Kinrara in the County of Inverness.

Whitehall, July 8, 1952

The Queen has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm, bearing date the 5th instant, to confer the dignity of a Viscount of the United Kingdom upon the Right Honourable Sir Alfred Duff Cooper (age 62), GCMG, DSO, and the heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, by the name, style and title of VISCOUNT NORWICH, of Aldwick in the County of Sussex. [Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners Viscountess Norwich (age 60) by marriage Viscountess Norwich of Aldwick in Sussex.]