Handbook to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (1921)

In the summer of 1917 the Great War was at its height, and there was no prospect of its early conclusion.Instead, the only light on a dark horizon was the entry of the United States into the war, though it would be some time before it could make its presence felt.The entire British nation was, by midsummer 1917, fully mobilized for war as never before in its history.All the energies of the State, of industry and of virtually the entire population were directed towards bringing this titanic struggle to a victorious conclusion.It was at this juncture, on June 4th 1917, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal, that the King instituted The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as a means of recognizing signal service to that country by any individual serving wherever and in whatever capacity, in contradistinction to existing Orders of Chivalry which were restricted, either to the limited number that could be appointed or to certain walks of life.Furthermore, unike the other Orders, apart from the Royal Victorian Order awarded for personal services to the Sovereign, the Order of the British Empire would have five classes:'I. Knights/Dames Grand Cross (GBE) II. Knights/Dames Commanders (KBE/DBE) III. Commanders (CBE) IV. Officers (OBE) V. Members (MBE)'Thus, the Order of the British Empire is, in the truest sense of the word, the British Democracy’s own Order of Chivalry.Eighteen months after the instituion of the Order, in December 1918, a Military Division was added.In the pages of this splended book will be found a full list of those who were admitted to the Order from its institution up to February 1921, some 26,000 names.After an introduction giving the history and statutes of the order, the entries are listed in two parts. The first is the complete roll in alphabetical order under the heading “Biographies”.In this section as many biographical details are given as it was possible to obtain at the time of its publication, and there is much useful and interesting information for the researcher.The second part provides the same full list but by class and in order of precedence within each class.Each entry is preceded by a number which gives a cross-reference to the biographical list.This reprint of a rare and monumental work of reference, a sort of Everyman’s “Who’s Who”, provides not only a lasting memento of the Great War, but also a valuable historical and sociological commentary on those critical times.