Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Lot 4428    SESSION 18 (11.30AM FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST)    Orders, Decorations & Medals - Australian Groups

Estimate $15,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

KBE, CBE, MID Group of Nine: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Knight Commander (KBE) (Military) breast badge and star (type 2); The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion (CB) (Military) neck badge; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Pacific Star; Defence Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45 with MID; Australia Service Medal 1939-45; Coronation Medal 1953. The first two unnamed as issued, NX346 A.R.Garrett on third to eighth medals, ninth medal unnamed as issued. The named medals impressed. The first and second (two items) awards in cases of issue, the last seven medals court mounted. The Orders uncirculated and the court mounted group very fine - good very fine.

Ex Colonial Sale (date unknown but about 20-25 years ago).

Together with a court mounted matching group of nine miniatures and a matching set of full-size mounted riband bars in a case with the court mounted group.

Documents for the appointment as CBE (Military) and then KBE (Military) and also CB (Military).

CB: LG 4/6/1957 (13/6/1957) to Lieutenant-General Alwyn Ragnar Garrett, CBE, Australian Staff Corps.
Citation: Lieutenant-General Garrett has given over 36 years of distinguished service to Australia and the Army, both in peace and war. During the 1939-45 War he served overseas in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and subsequently with distinction in operations in New Guinea. In the post war period he held successively the important appointments of Commander of the British Commonwealth Base and Brigadier-in-Charge of Administration at the Headquarters of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force Japan, Commandant of the Australian Staff College, General Officer Commanding Western Command, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Adjutant-General, and General Officer Commanding Southern Command. In all these appointments Lieutenant-General Garrett has made a most valuable and lasting contribution to the well-being and efficiency of the Australian Army. His very high sense of duty, his devotion to the Service far in excess of normal requirements, and his efforts to improve the standing of the Australian Army, have been significant factors in the career of one of the outstanding General Officers of the Australian Military Forces.

OBE: LG 17/7/1945 (19/7/1945) - for distinguished services in the South West Pacific.

KBE: Supplement to LG 1/1/1959 - to Lieutenant-General Alwyn Ragnar Garrett, CB, CBE, Chief of the General Staff, Australian Military Forces.
Citation: Lieutenant-General Garrett was appointed Chief of the General Staff in March, 1958. He has had a distinguished career of nearly forty years in the Australian Army in peace and war and has given outstanding service and leadership in many important posts. In recognition of his service to the Australian Army and the Commonwealth.

MID: CAG 6/3/1947 to Colonel (T/Brigadier) A.R.Garrett C.B.E.

Various other items, including the following.
a) Booklet titled, 'Statutes of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
b) Terms of the surrender of the Japanese forces in Bougainville. Written on the cover page is, 'I drafted the terms.' and initialled ARG. Inside the folder is a printed document signed in Japanese by Lieutenant General Kanda and Vice Admiral Samejima.
c) Colour photograph (approx 50x40.5cm) of the signing of the Japanese surrender in the battle room at II Australian Corps headquarters on Bougainville on 8 September 1945. Photograph shows Lieutenant General Kanda signing the Japanese surrender with Brigadier Garrett standing beside him and Vice Admiral Samejima sitting opposite and Lt-General Stanley G. Savige, General Officer Commanding II Corps, who accepted the surrender sitting at the table with hands clasped in front of him watching the signing with other officers and servicemen watching on.
d) A large album featuring various b&w photographs, documents, various certificates including a graduation certificate to Alwyn Ragnar Garrett from the Royal Military College of Australia dated 14 December 1921. Also newspaper cuttings including the cover page of The Western Mail dated January 10, 1952 featuring Major-General A.R.Garrett in colour and a pair of Army shoulder titles for Lt-General (QC) with R and a pair of gorgets for a General as well as a British Armed Forces special voucher for ten shillings. Also a hand-drawn Appendant Chart showing positions of hydrophones, contact mines, and submarine cables in the vicinity of the Shortland and Faule Islands off Bougaineville and the programme for the funeral service of the late Lieutenant-General Sir Ragnar Garrett K.B.E., C.B. on Thursday 10th November, 1977 at Mount Eliza North in Victoria.
e) Various magazines and cuttings relating to the war. Included is a newspaper cutting of an article by Lt-Gen Sir Ragnar Garrett, former Chief of the General Staff, while head of the Administrative Staff College.
f) Hand-written Japanese documents to occupying forces in Japan in 1949 with typed official translations. Also some letters handwritten by Japanese but in English and typed pages on The Surrender of General Kanda.
g) Various b&w photographs of Japan post war and also of Sir Alwyn Garrett at civic functions.
h) Lt-Gen A.R.Garrett's Pennant in cloth and leather (approx 24x15cm) as General Officer Commanding Southern Command (labelled '4800 Miles Visiting All Military Installations In Victoria Nov 54 - Nov 55').
i) Photo album with the first page titled, 'Presented By/The Minister Of State For The Army And Members Of The Military Board/To/Lieutenant General Sir Ragnar Garrett, K.B.E., C.B./On The Occasion Of His Retirement/30th June, 1960'. Features 11 large b&w photographs with printed titles on opposite page.

Alwyn Ragnar Garrett, Army officer, born 12Feb1900 at Northam, WA; graduated from Royal Military College of Australia, 14 December 1921; to Lieutenant 15Dec1921; Adjutant and Quartermaster in several regiments of Aust Light Horse before undertaking staff training in England; from 1923 to 1937 served with the AMF and in 1938-39 attended the Staff College, Camberley in England; to Major 15Jan1940; Emb.05May1940; to Lt & TOS 70Bn and to Col 16Sep1940; to Greece 31Mar1941; to T/Col 06Apr1942 and GSO; RTA 09Mar1943; to New Guinea 02Sep1943; to T/Brig 08Dec1943; to Col 08Dec1943; RTA 12Dec1943; to New Guinea 10Apr1944 and at Japanese surrender at Bougainville on 08Sep1945; to UK 16Mar1946; appt'd Commandant Australian Staff College 09Jun1946; to HQ, BCOF 08Jul1947 as Brigadier-in-Charge of Administration; to T/Maj-Gen 27Aug1951; to Maj-Gen 04Apr1954; to T/Lt-Gen 29Oct1954; to Lt-Gen 16Dec1954; various overseas and Australian postings; succeeded Lt-Gen Sir Henry Wells as Chief of the General Staff on 23Mar1958; relinquishes appointment as Hon. Col. RAR 30Jun1965; appointed principal of Australian Administrative Staff College for 4-year tenure; appointed Chairman of Western Australian Coastal Shipping Commission until 1970; Died 04Nov1977 at Mornington, Vic.