A 'City of York' & Glasgow Crown Agent (Railways) & Mechanical Engineers South American Railways interest Great War, Third Afghan War and Distinguished Service medal group of 4: Captain Bernard Charles Bean, late Royal Army Service Corps

- Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil). 5th Class (M.B.E.) Members 2nd type, breast badge
- British War Medal. Silver issue (Capt. B. E. Bean.)
- Interallied Victory Medal. With 'Oakleaves' MID emblem (Capt. B.E. Bean.)
- IGS 1908-35. GV type I 'Afghan N.W.F. 1919' (Capt. B.C. Bean. R.A.S.C.)

M.I.D.: London Gazette 21 February 1919. The preamble to the award listing is quoted below:

Quote,

The Secretary of State for War has received the following despatch addressed to the Chief of the General Staff, India, by Lieut.-General W. R. Marshall, K.C.B., K.C.S.I., Commanding-in-Chief Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force: —

General Headquarters,
Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force,
11th November, 1918.

SIR, With reference to paragraph 29 of my despatch dated the 1st October, 1918, I have the honour to submit herewith a list of names of those officers, ladies, non-commissioned officers and men serving, or who have served under my command, whose distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty I consider deserving of special mention.

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant

Unquote.
 
M.B.E. (Civil) London Gazette 8 June 1950: Bernard Charles Bean, Esq., A.M.L.Mech.E.; Inspecting Engineer, Crown Agents for the Colonies.

Medals & Clasp Verification: The MBE, Mention-in-Despatches & War Medals all confirmed as entitled per below following referenced sources:

- The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil). 5th Class (M.B.E.) Members Type II insignia
- British War Medal. Silver issue: WO 329/2279 shown on roll with second forename initial 'E' (sic)
- Interallied Victory Medal: WO 329/2279 shown on roll with second forename initial 'E' (sic)
- Mentioned-in-Despatches: Published London Gazette 21 February 1919 (for Mesopotamia MEF)
- IGS 1908-35. GV type I & clasp 'Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919': WO 100/I19/485

Prior to joining the British Army, Bernard had enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on February 1916, with which service had qualified for the award of a single British War Medal off the Admiralty Great War Medal Rolls ref ADM 171/125, that medal however, was  never sent or subsequently claimed

Bernard Charles Bean, fourth son (and one of eight children) of George Bean (a General Draper (employer)) & Emma Bean (nee Wise), was a native of York, Yorkshire, England, where he was born on 6 January 1884. At the time of the compilation of the 1901 National Census of England & Wales, Bernard is shown residing with his parents and his 7 x siblings at the family residence located at 41 St George's Place, York, Yorkshire, England. By the time of the 1911 Census, he is recorded employed as a 'Draughtsman Ordnance' (with the famous Messrs Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co, Newcastle) at which time he was boarder, residing at 2 Swinburne Place, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Prior to the Great War, Bernard was sent to South America (Brazil & Peru) as a mechanical engineer working on railways projects.

During the Great War, Bernard served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and subsequently obtained a Commission in the Army Service Corps in February 1916, subsequently serving in the Mechanical Transport Branch of the ASC. He commanded 3 x companies of lorries in Mesopotamia and India (3rd Afghan War), as Workshop Officer (Captain), and extended his service in the British Army to August 1920 (MID for Mesopotamia)

Immediately after de-mobilization from the British Army Bernard re-joined the Inspection Staff of the Crown Agents for the Colonies in August 1920. At that time he had new charge over the Inspection of all Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Motor Vehicles and other important work manufactured in Glasgow, Scotland - then the 'Second City' of the erstwhile British Empire and a bastion of heavy engineering

Bernard married a Scottish woman, Elizabeth Stauart Dundas at Glasgow, on 7 November 1924. The couple remained in Glasgow for many, where Bernard held an important position as Crown Agent (for the Colonies) overseeing the inspection of all heavy engineering and projects for exports to the colonies and overseas destinations - for which he was post-war rewarded with the MBE. Bernard Charles Bean of  is recorded to have died at Acomb, York, Yorkshire England on  29 July 1973

Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd: In 1911, Bernard Charles Bean was working in the 'Confidential Department' of Whiworth's (his application for membership of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers refers). This famous prestigious company was latterly widely known as Armstrong Whitworth among several similarly named variants, was a major British heavy engineering and manufacturing company that was at its peak in the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles and aircraft. The company was founded by William Armstrong in 1847, becoming Armstrong Mitchell and then Armstrong Whitworth through mergers. In 1927, it merged with Vickers Limited to form Vickers-Armstrongs, with its automobile and aircraft interests purchased by J D Siddeley
Bernard Charles Bean led a fascinating and rewarding career as a Crown Agent for the Coloines located in Glasgow, Scotland, and collectors should refer to Ancestry Website for access to the exhaustive, detailed, records of the recipients CV and mechancial engineering projects that he worked on, that which form part of his application for memebership to the Chartered Instuiute of Mechanical Engineers

The medals mounted in the swing-style - and as-worn by the recipient. Some ribands with fraying. All suspended from a white metal mounting bar that retains its long hinged pin & clasp fittings

Condition: About GVF

Code: 26185