113-569: David Adetayo Olusoga OBE (born January 1970) is a British historian, writer and broadcaster. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester . Olusoga has presented historical documentaries on the BBC and contributed to The One Show and The Guardian . David Olusoga was born in Lagos , Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and British mother. At five years old, Olusoga migrated to
226-545: A television presenter , beginning in 2014 with The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire , about the Indian, African and Asian troops who fought in the First World War, followed by other documentaries and appearances on BBC One television's The One Show . In 2015, it was announced that he would co-present Civilisations , a sequel to Lord Clark 's 1969 television documentary series Civilisation , alongside
339-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
452-511: A German operator. The use of diesel engines drew on the experience Blohm & Voss had gained by building diesel-powered U-boats in World War I . Windrush had a set of four four-stroke , six-cylinder, single-acting MAN Diesel engines. She had two screw propellers , each of which was driven by one pair of engines via single-reduction gearing . Her engines' combined output was rated at 6,880 brake horsepower (5,130 kW), and gave her
565-653: A Jamaican newspaper, The Daily Gleaner , offering cheap passage on the ship's return voyage; advertisements were also placed in newspapers in British Honduras , British Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago and other places. However, the cheapest fares were only available to men, who were accommodated in the large, dormitory areas usually allocated to troops. Women were required to travel in the ship's two and four-berth cabins, that cost considerably more. Many former servicemen took this opportunity to return to Britain in hope of finding better employment. Some wished to rejoin
678-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
791-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
904-453: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
1017-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
1130-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
1243-668: A means of strengthening support for the Nazi regime and indoctrinating people in its ideology. The cruises ranged from eight to 20 days in duration. One route went north from Hamburg, along the Norwegian coast and travelling as far as Svalbard . Another was through the Mediterranean, stopping in Italy and Libya, and travelling as far east as Port Said . Each voyage included a number of undercover Gestapo officers, tasked with spying on
SECTION 10
#17327908395201356-814: A member of the board of the Scott Trust , which publishes The Guardian . Olusoga was included in the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Powerlist , a ranking of the 100 most influential Black Britons, and in the 2021 edition he made the Top 10 most influential, ranking eighth. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to history and to community integration. He received his medal from King Charles III in February 2023. On appointing him as
1469-620: A news event. When she was in the English Channel, the Evening Standard sent an aircraft to photograph her from the air, and published the story on its front page. She docked at Tilbury , downriver from London, on 21 June 1948, and the 1,027 passengers began disembarking the next day. This was covered by newspaper reporters and by Pathé News newsreel cameras. The name Windrush, as a result, has come to be used as shorthand for West Indian migration, and, by extension, for
1582-677: A professor in 2019, the University of Manchester described him as an expert on military history, empire, race and slavery, and "one of the UK's foremost historians". Olusoga gave his inaugural professorial lecture on "Identity, Britishness and the Windrush " at the University of Manchester in May 2019. In response to the global Black Lives Matter movement with protests after the murder of George Floyd , Olusoga's Black and British: A Forgotten History
1695-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
1808-404: A small cargo motor ship, Holchu , adrift with a broken mast. Empire Windrush broadcast a general warning by wireless. A British cargo steamship , Ranee , responded by changing course to investigate. Ranee found no trace of Holchu ' s five crew, and towed the vessel to Colombo. Holchu was carrying a cargo of bagged rice and was in good condition apart from her broken mast; the vessel
1921-436: A speed of 14 knots (26 km/h). This was slower than Hamburg Süd's flagship Cap Arcona , but more economical for the emigrant trade, and for pleasure cruises. Electric power was supplied by a set of DC electric generators , powered by internal combustion engines in the engine room. As built, Monte Rosa had three 350 kW generators. A fourth generator was added in 1949. She had also an emergency generator outside
2034-495: A welfare-officer. He later became Attorney General of Sierra Leone . Others passengers were Nancy Cunard , English writer and heiress to the Cunard shipping fortune; the travel writer Freya Stark (who shared a cabin with Cunard); Lady Ivy Woolley, the wife of Sir Charles Woolley , the governor of British Guiana; Gertrude Whitelaw, the wealthy widow of the former Member of Parliament William Whitelaw . and Peter Jonas , who
2147-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
2260-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
2373-516: Is the second-highest mountain in the Alps. Hamburg Süd registered her at Hamburg. Her German official number was 1640, and her code letters were RHWF. By 1934 her call sign was DIDU, and this had superseded her code letters. Under UK ownership she became one of about 1,300 Empire ships . About 60 Empire ships were named after British rivers. Her namesake, the River Windrush , rises in
SECTION 20
#17327908395202486-682: The Coldharbour Lane Employment Exchange in Brixton , where some of the arrivals sought work. The stowaways were given brief prison sentences, but were allowed to remain in the UK after their release. Many of Empire Windrush ' s passengers intended to stay for only a few years. A number did return to the Caribbean, but a majority settled permanently in the UK. Those born in the West Indies who settled in
2599-530: The Cotswolds , and joins the River Thames a few miles upstream of Oxford . The Ministry of Transport registered her at London . Her UK official number was 181561, and her call sign was GYSF. IN UK service, her name had the prefix "HMT". This could stand for "His Majesty's Troopship", "His Majesty's Transport" or "Hired Military Transport". Some official documents, including the enquiry report into
2712-542: The Great Depression was causing a global slump in shipping, including Hamburg Süd's passenger business. In 1933 trade began to recover, so Hamburg Süd returned the older ships, Monte Sarmiento and Monte Olivia , to their original role of taking emigrants to South America; and put Monte Pascoal and Monte Rosa mainly on cruises to Norway and the UK. By 1935 Monte Rosa was back on her route between Hamburg and Buenos Aires. She made more than 20 round trips on
2825-642: The Minister of Labour , stated in Parliament that there would be no encouragement for others to follow their example. Despite this, Parliament did not pass the first legislation controlling immigration from the Commonwealth until 1962. Passengers who had not already arranged accommodation were temporarily housed in the Clapham South deep shelter in southwest London, less than a mile away from
2938-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
3051-513: The Port of Tilbury coast near London, carrying 1,027 passengers and two stowaways who embarked at Trinidad , Jamaica , Mexico and Bermuda . While the passengers included people from many parts of the world, the great majority were West Indian . Empire Windrush was not the first ship to carry a large group of West Indian people to the United Kingdom, as two other ships had arrived
3164-666: The United Kingdom seized the ship as a prize of war and renamed her HMT Empire Windrush . She remained in service as a troopship until March 1954. While sailing in Mediterranean Sea , there was a sudden explosion and fire in the engine room that killed four people. With the fire out of control, the ship was abandoned; the other 1494 passengers and crew were all rescued. The empty ship remained afloat and on-fire for nearly two days, eventually sinking during an attempt to salvage her. In 1948, Empire Windrush arrived at
3277-745: The battleship Tirpitz in Altafjord in Norway. Germany was unwilling to risk moving the ship to a German dockyard for repair, so in October Monte Rosa was used to take hundreds of civilian workers and engineers to Altafjord, where they repaired Tirpitz in situ. Monte Rosa was docked alongside Tirpitz as an accommodation ship for the workers, and as a repair ship . During the winter of 1943–1944, Monte Rosa continued to sail between Norway and Germany. On 30 March 1944, British and Canadian Bristol Beaufighters attacked her. The strike
3390-541: The 1920s Hamburg Süd believed there would be a lucrative business in carrying German emigrants to South America. (See " German Argentines ".) The first two ships, Monte Sarmiento and Monte Olivia , were built for that trade with single-class passenger accommodation of 1,150 passengers in cabins, and 1,350 in dormitories. However, the number of emigrants was less than expected so the two ships were repurposed as cruise ships , operating in Northern European waters,
3503-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
David Olusoga - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-454: The Baltic damaged Monte Rosa , flooding her engine room. She was towed to Gdynia for temporary repairs. She was then towed to Copenhagen, carrying 5,000 German refugees fleeing from the advancing Red Army . She was then taken to Kiel , where on 10 May 1945 British forces captured her. In summer 1945 a Danish dockyard repaired Monte Rosa ' s war damage. On 18 November 1945, ownership
3729-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
3842-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
3955-835: The Jamaican Government could not legally stop people from leaving, and the UK government could not legally stop them from landing. However, he stated that the Government was opposed to this migration, and both the Colonial Office and the Jamaican government would take all possible steps to discourage it. The day after arrival, several MPs, including James Dixon Murray , warned the Prime Minister that such an " argosy of Jamaicans", might "cause discord and unhappiness among all concerned". George Isaacs ,
4068-533: The Mediterranean and around South America. This venture became a great success. Until the 1920s, cruise holidays had been the preserve of the very wealthy. But by providing modestly-priced cruises, Hamburg Süd could profitably attract a large new clientele. The company commissioned another ship, Monte Cervantes , to meet the increased demand, but an uncharted rock sank her after only two years' service. Hamburg Süd then ordered two more ships: Monte Pascoal and Monte Rosa . Monte Rosa ' s registered length
4181-712: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
4294-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
4407-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
4520-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
4633-453: The RAF. Others decided to make the journey just to see what the "mother country" was like. One passenger later recalled that demand for tickets far exceeded supply, and there was a long queue to buy one. The British Nationality Bill to give the status of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC status) to all British subjects connected with the United Kingdom or a British colony,
David Olusoga - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-546: The Royal Air Force during World War 2. She was also carrying 257 civilians, including women and children. The ship departed from Southampton on May 7 and arrived in Trinidad on May 20. She then stopped at Kingston, Jamaica , Tampico, Mexico , Havana, Cuba and Bermuda , before returning to the United Kingdom. Several weeks before the ship left the United Kingdom, opportunistic advertisements had been placed in
4859-762: The Trinidadian singer Mona Baptiste , one of the few women on the ship, who travelled first class. Also aboard were 66 Poles who had embarked in Tampico. They were women and children whom the Soviets had deported to Siberia after the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, but who had escaped and travelled via India and the Pacific to Mexico. About 1,400 had been living at a refugee camp at Santa Rosa near León, Guanajuato since 1943. They were granted permission to settle in
4972-485: The UK in this migration movement over the following years are now typically referred to as the "Windrush Generation". While the 1948 voyage of the Empire Windrush is well-known, she was not the first ship to bring West Indians to the UK after World War II. On 31 March 1947, Orient Line 's Ormonde reached Liverpool from Jamaica with 241 passengers, including 11 stowaways. They included Ralph Lowe, who became
5085-560: The UK to rejoin the RAF. He later helped to found the Notting Hill Carnival , and became the first black Mayor of Southwark . The Jamaican artist and master potter Cecil Baugh was also aboard. There were a number of musicians, who were later to become well known. These included the Calypso musicians Lord Kitchener , Lord Beginner and Lord Woodbine , all from Trinidad; the Jamaican jazz trumpeter Dizzy Reece and
5198-547: The UK under the Polish Resettlement Act 1947 . One of them later recalled that they were given cabins below the waterline, allowed on deck only in escorted groups, and kept segregated from the other passengers. Of the other passengers, 119 were from the UK, and 40 from elsewhere in the World. Non-Caribbean people aboard included a serving RAF officer, Sierra Leonean John Henry Clavell Smythe , acting as
5311-525: The UK with his mother and grew up in Gateshead , Tyne and Wear . He was one of a very few non-white people living on a council estate . By the time he was 14, the National Front had attacked his house on more than one occasion, requiring police protection for him and his family. They were eventually forced to leave as a result of the racism. He later attended the University of Liverpool to study
5424-463: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
5537-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
5650-587: The aim of integrating it into the mainstream of national history rather than relegating it only to "Black History Month". Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions,
5763-512: The beginning of modern British multiracial society. The purpose of Empire Windrush ' s voyage to the Caribbean had been to repatriate service personnel. The UK government neither expected nor welcomed her return with civilian, West Indian migrants. Three days before the ship arrived, Arthur Creech Jones , the Secretary of State for the Colonies , wrote a Cabinet memorandum noting that
SECTION 50
#17327908395205876-413: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
5989-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
6102-687: The class were sunk in Kiel harbour by separate wartime air-raids, Monte Sarmiento in February 1942 and Monte Olivia in April 1945. Monte Pascoal was damaged by an air raid on Wilhelmshaven in February 1944. In 1946 she was filled with chemical bombs , and the British scuttled her in the Skagerrak . As a troopship, Empire Windrush made 13 round trips between Britain and the Far East. Her route
6215-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
6328-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
6441-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
6554-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
6667-424: The engine room. The ship also carried two Scotch marine boilers to produce high-pressure steam for some auxiliary machinery. These could be heated either by burning diesel fuel, or by using the hot exhaust gases from her main engines. The Monte -class ships were named after mountains in Europe or South America. Monte Rosa was named after Monte Rosa , which is a mountain massif on the Swiss-Italian border, and
6780-449: The father of the author and poet Hannah Lowe . Liverpool Magistrates Court tried the stowaways and sentenced them to one day in prison, which effectively meant their immediate release. On 21 December 1947, Royal Mail Line 's Almanzora reached Southampton with 200 passengers aboard. As with Empire Windrush , many were former service personnel who had served in the RAF in World War II. 30 adult stowaways and one boy were arrested when
6893-403: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
SECTION 60
#17327908395207006-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
7119-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
7232-417: The historians Mary Beard and Simon Schama . His most recent TV series include Black and British: A Forgotten History , The World's War , A House Through Time and the BAFTA award-winning Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners . Olusoga has written stand-alone history books, as well as those accompanying his television series. He is the author of the 2016 book Black and British: A Forgotten History , which
7345-509: The history of slavery, and in 1994, graduated with a BA (Hons) History degree, followed by a postgraduate course in broadcast journalism at Leeds Trinity University . Olusoga began his television career as a researcher on the 1999 BBC series Western Front . He became a producer of history programmes after university, working from 2005 on programmes such as Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich , The Lost Pictures of Eugene Smith and Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner? . Subsequently he became
7458-540: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". HMT Empire Windrush HMT Empire Windrush
7571-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
7684-468: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
7797-439: The last British troops stationed in Greece, embarking the First Battalion of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment at Thessaloniki on 5 February, and other troops and their families at Piraeus . British troops had been in Greece since 1944, fighting for the Kingdom of Greece in the Greek Civil War . On 7 February 1953, around 200 nautical miles (370 km) south of the Nicobar Islands , Empire Windrush sighted
7910-457: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
8023-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
8136-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
8249-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
8362-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
8475-446: The most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
8588-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
8701-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
8814-556: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
8927-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
9040-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
9153-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
9266-595: The passengers. When visiting South America, the ship was used to spread Nazi ideology among the German-speaking community there. When in port in Argentina, she hosted Nazi rallies for German Argentines . In 1933, the new German ambassador, Baron Edmond von Thermann [ de ] , sailed to Argentina aboard Monte Rosa . He disembarked wearing an SS uniform in front of an enthusiastic crowd. He spent his time in office promoting Nazi ideology. The ship
9379-659: The previous year. But her 1948 voyage became very well-known and a symbol of post-war migration to Britain. British Caribbean people who came to the United Kingdom in the period after World War II, including those who came on other ships, are often referred to as the Windrush generation . Monte Rosa , was the last of five almost identical Monte-class passenger ship [ de ] s that were built between 1924 and 1931 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg for Hamburg Süd (Hamburg South American Steam Shipping Company). In
9492-558: The route before the outbreak of World War II. After coming to power in Germany in 1933 , the Nazi Party used ships including Monte Rosa to further its ideology. In 1937 the Nazi government chartered Monte Olivia , Monte Rosa , and Monte Sarmiento to provide cruise holidays for the state-owned Kraft durch Freude ("Strength through Joy") programme. This provided concerts, lectures, sports activities and cheap holidays as
9605-603: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
9718-406: The ship docked; they were jailed for 28 days. In May 1949, Empire Windrush was en route from Gibraltar to Port Said when fire broke out aboard. Four ships were put on standby to assist if she had to be abandoned. The passengers were placed in the lifeboats , but the boats were not launched, and the ship was subsequently towed back to Gibraltar. In February 1950, Empire Windrush repatriated
9831-526: The ship was carrying German troops, plus Norwegian women with young children, who were being taken to Germany as part of the Lebensborn programme. The explosion was at 0500 hrs, and about 200 people aboard were trapped and drowned as the ship's captain closed the watertight bulkhead doors to limit flooding and keep the ship afloat. On 16 February 1945 a mine explosion near the Hel Peninsula in
9944-405: The ship was near Øresund . They damaged her hull, but she stayed afloat, and returned to harbour under her own power. In September 1944 another explosion, possibly by a mine, damaged Monte Rosa . Odd Claus [ no ] , a Norwegian boy with German parents who was being forcibly taken to Germany, was one of those aboard when it happened. In his memoirs, published on 2008, he wrote that
10057-498: The ship's manifest , kept in the United Kingdom National Archives , shows that 802 passengers gave their last place of residence as a country in the Caribbean. A small number of the Caribbean people aboard were Indo-Caribbeans . One of whom, Sikaram Gopthal, was the father of the record-label owner Lee Gopthal . Among West Indian passengers was Jamaican-born Sam Beaver King , who was travelling to
10170-691: The ship's loss, use "MV" (which stands for Motor Vessel ), instead of "HMT". Blohm & Voss launched Monte Rosa on 13 December 1930. Early in 1931 she made her sea trials and was delivered to Hamburg Süd. Her maiden voyage was from Hamburg to Buenos Aires . She left Hamburg on 28 March 1931, and got back on 22 June. For the remainder of 1931, all four Monte sisters were scheduled to sail between Hamburg and Buenos Aires. They were scheduled to call at A Coruña and Vigo on outward voyages only; and to call at Las Palmas , Rio de Janeiro , Santos , São Francisco do Sul , Rio Grande , and Montevideo in both directions. Monte Rosa entered service just as
10283-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
10396-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
10509-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
10622-441: Was 500.3 ft (152.5 m), her beam was 65.7 ft (20.0 m), her depth was 37.8 ft (11.5 m), and her draught was 26 ft 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in (8.04 m). Her tonnages were 13,882 GRT and 7,788 NRT . All five Monte -class ships were motor ships. The first two to be launched, Monte Sarmiento and Monte Olivia , were the first large Diesel-powered passenger ships to serve with
10735-542: Was a barracks ship at Stettin (now Szczecin ), and in April 1940 she was a troopship for the invasion of Norway , mainly sailing to Oslo . She was one of two ships used in 1942 to deport Norwegian Jews . She made two trips from Oslo to Denmark on 19 and 26 November, carrying a total of 46 people, including the Polish-Norwegian businessman and humanitarian Moritz Rabinowitz . All but two were murdered at Auschwitz concentration camp . In September 1943 she
10848-602: Was a passenger motor ship that was launched in Germany in 1930 as the MV Monte Rosa . She was built as an ocean liner for the German shipping company Hamburg Süd . They used the ship to carry German emigrants to South America, and as a cruise ship . During World War II , she was taken over by the German navy and used as a troopship . During the war, she survived two Allied attempts to sink her. After World War 2,
10961-577: Was also a venue for Nazi gatherings when docked in London. On 23 July 1934 Monte Rosa ran aground off Thorshavn in the Faroe Islands . She was refloated the next day. In 1936 she rendezvoused at sea with the airship LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin , and a bottle of Champagne was hoisted from her deck to the airship. When World War II began, Monte Rosa was in Hamburg. From 11 January 1940 she
11074-653: Was announced that Olusoga had been awarded the President's Medal by the British Academy . Olusoga is the 39th person to receive the medal, which has been awarded since 2010, and recognises services to the humanities and social sciences. In 2024, Olusoga with his siblings Yinka and Kemi co-created the book Black History for Every Day of the Year , including an entry for each calendar day with details of an event, theme, person or place associated with "Black history" with
11187-853: Was awarded both the Longman–History Today Trustees Award 2017 and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2017. His other books include The World’s War , which won First World War Book of the Year in 2015, The Kaiser’s Holocaust: Germany’s Forgotten Genocide and the Colonial Roots of Nazism (2011) which he co-authored with Casper Erichsen, and Civilisations (2018). He contributed to the Oxford Companion to Black British History , and has written for The Guardian , The Observer , New Statesman and BBC History magazine; since June 2018 he has been
11300-516: Was between Southampton and Hong Kong , via Gibraltar ; Suez ; Aden ; Colombo ; and Singapore . Her route was extended to Kure in Japan during the Korean War . She also made ten round trips to the Mediterranean; four to India ; and one to the West Indies. In 1948, Empire Windrush travelled from the United Kingdom to the Caribbean, to repatriate around 500 West Indians who had served in
11413-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
11526-574: Was going through Parliament. Some Caribbean migrants decided to embark in anticipation that the bill would become an Act of Parliament . Until 1962, the UK had no immigration control for CUKCs. They could settle in the UK indefinitely, without restriction. A figure often given for the number of West Indian migrants aboard Empire Windrush is 492, based on news reports in the media at the time, which variously announced that "more than 400", "430" or "500" Jamaican men had arrived in Britain. However,
11639-473: Was in Oslo harbour. The British had learned the ship was to take 3,000 German troops back to Germany. The raid's purpose was to sink her during the voyage. The pair twice bluffed their way into the dock area by posing as electricians, then hid for three days as they waited for the ship to arrive. After she docked, they paddled out to her in an inflatable rubber boat and attached their mines. The mines detonated when
11752-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
11865-762: Was near the Norwegian island of Utsira . The RCAF and RAF crews claimed two torpedo hits on Monte Rosa . Cannon fire and eight rockets also hit her. One German Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter was shot down, and 404 Squadron lost two Beaufighters. The two crew of one aircraft were killed; the crew of the other (one of whom was the squadron commanding officer) survived and were made prisoners of war. Despite her damage, Monte Rosa reached Aarhus in Denmark on 3 April. In June 1944, Max Manus and Gregers Gram , members of Norwegian Independent Company 1 (a British Army sabotage and resistance unit composed of Norwegians), attached limpet mines to Monte Rosa ' s hull while she
11978-456: Was only two years old and travelling with his mother and older-sister. He would be later well known as an arts administrator and opera company director. One of the stowaways was a woman called Evelyn Wauchope, a 27-year-old dressmaker. She was discovered seven days out of Kingston. Some of the musicians on-board organized a benefit concert that raised enough money for her fare, and £4 spending money. Empire Windrush ' s arrival became
12091-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
12204-470: Was planned to sink her, after a reconnaissance aircraft of 333 (Norwegian) Squadron had tracked her movements. The ship was sailing south, escorted by two flak ships ; a destroyer ; and German fighter aircraft. The attacking force comprised nine aircraft of Royal Air Force (RAF) 144 Squadron , five of which carried torpedoes; and nine aircraft of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 404 Squadron , all armed with armour-piercing RP-3 rockets . The attack
12317-505: Was re-broadcast, along with Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners , also fronted by Olusoga. On 13 November 2020, the BBC announced that it had commissioned Barack Obama Talks To David Olusoga , a special programme in which Barack Obama discusses the first volume of his presidential memoirs, A Promised Land . The programme aired on 19 January 2021. In January 2021, Olusoga appeared on BBC Radio 4 's Desert Island Discs . In December 2021, it
12430-645: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
12543-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
12656-652: Was to be used for the deportation of Danish Jews. The German chief of sea transport at Aarhus in Denmark, together with Monte Rosa ' s captain, Heinrich Bertram (captain) [ de ] , conspired to prevent this by falsely reporting serious engine trouble to the German High Command. This action may have helped the rescue of the Danish Jews . In September 1943, Royal Navy X-class submarines in Operation Source badly damaged
12769-525: Was transferred to the UK as a prize of war . In 1946 she was refitted at South Shields as a troopship. On 21 January 1947 she was renamed HMT Empire Windrush . She was registered as a UK merchant ship , and assigned to the UK Ministry of Transport, who contracted The New Zealand Shipping Company to manage her. By then she was the only survivor of the five Monte -class ships. Monte Cervantes sank near Tierra del Fuego in 1930. Two members of
#519480