The Queen's Birthday Honours 1956 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of The Queen.
They were published for the United Kingdom and Colonies, Australia, and New Zealand on 25 May 1956.
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by honour, with classes (Knight, Knight Grand Cross, etc.) and then divisions (Military, Civil, etc.) as appropriate.
UK and Colonies
Viscount The Right Honourable Frederick Alexander, Baron Cherwell, CH. Lately Professor of Experimental Philosophy, Oxford. Paymaster General, 1942-1945 and 1951–1953. For public services.
Baron Sir Henry Cohen, MD, FRCP, JP. For services to Medicine. Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald Morce Weeks, KCB, CBE, DSO, MC, TD, Chairman, Vickers Ltd. Chairman, National Advisory Council for Education in Industry and Commerce; President, British Scientific Instrument Research Association.
Privy Counsellor Arthur Hugh Elsdale Molson, MP, Member of Parliament for Doncaster, 1931–1935, and for the High Peak Division since 1939; Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Works, 1951–1953; Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation since 1953.
Baronet Alderman Cuthbert Lowell Ackroyd, Lord Mayor of London. Major William John Anstruther-Gray, MC, DL, MP, Member of Parliament for North Lanarkshire, 1931–1945, and for Berwick & East Lothian since 1951. Assistant Postmaster-General, May–July, 1945. For political and public services. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas Cecil Russell Moore, CBE, MP, Member of Parliament for Ayr Burgh, 1925-1950 and for the Ayr Division since 1950. For political and public services. Henry Gray Studholme, CVO, MP, Member of Parliament for Tavistock since 1942. A Conservative Whip, 1945–1951; Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household and a Government Whip, 1951–1956.
Knight Bachelor Austin Innes Anderson. For services to the British Shipping Industry. William Francis Beale, OBE, Chairman, Board of Management, Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. Brigadier Edward Henry Lionel Beddington, CMG, DSO, MC, DL, Chairman of the Hertfordshire County Council. Samuel Phillips Bedson, MD, FRCP. Professor Emeritus of Bacteriology, University of London. Basil Henry Blackwell, JP, Bookseller and Publisher. John Burgoyne, OBE, JP. For political and public services in Luton. Harry George Champion, CIE, Professor of Forestry, University of Oxford. Douglas Clarke, JP. For political and public services in Stockport. Horace William Clarke, Chairman of the Aluminium Industry Council. William Menzies Coldstream, CBE, Painter, and Slade Professor of Fine Art, University of London. Cecil Brooksby Crabbe, Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies and Industrial Assurance Commissioner. George Herbert Dowty, Chairman, Cheltenham & North Gloucestershire Disablement Advisory Committee. Geoffrey Upcott Farrant, CBE. For political and public services in Somerset. Horace Stephen Gibson, CBE, Managing Director, Iraq Petroleum Company Ltd. and Associated Companies. Frederic Collins Hooper. For services to Government Departments. Leonard Hutton. For services to Cricket. James McKinnon, Chief Inspector, Board of Customs & Excise. Arthur Massey, CBE, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. Walter Charles Norton, MBE, MC, President of The Law Society. Frederic James Osborn, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Town and Country Planning Association. Thomas Peacock, CBE, JP, Chairman, Milk Marketing Board. Professor William John Pugh, OBE, Director, Geological Survey of Great Britain and Museum of Practical Geology, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Allan Stephen Quartermaine, CBE, MC. For services to civil engineering. President, Institution of Civil Engineers, 1951–1952. James Jackson Robertson, OBE, JP, Rector, Aberdeen Grammar School. Alderman Stanley Graham Rowlandson, MBE, JP. For political and public services in Middlesex. Brigadier Alick Drummond Buchanan-Smith, CBE, TD, JP, DL. For political and public services in Scotland. Alexander Mainwaring Spearman, MP, Member of Parliament for Scarborough & Whitby since 1941. For political and public services. Gerard Spencer Summers, MP, Member of Parliament for Northampton, 1940–45 and for Aylesbury since 1950. Secretary, Department of Overseas Trade, May–July 1945. For political and public services. James William Tudor Thomas, MD, FRCS, Ophthalmic Surgeon, United Cardiff Hospitals. Thomas Williamson, CBE, JP, General Secretary, National Union of General and Municipal Workers. Maurice Gordon Willmott, MC, Chief Chancery Master, High Court of Justice. John Frederick Wolfenden, CBE, Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading. State of Victoria Norman Myer. For political and philanthropic services in the State of Victoria. The Honourable Arthur George Warner, Minister of Transport, State of Victoria. Commonwealth services George Alexander Strachan Sim, President of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India, 1955–56. Oversea territories Thomas Algernon Brown, Chief Justice, Northern Region, Nigeria. Chau Tsun-nin, CBE. For public services in Hong Kong. Colonel Ralf Billing Emerson, CIE, OBE, Chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation. Joseph Welsh Park Harkness, CMG, OBE, MB, ChB, Medical Adviser to the Comptroller for Development and Welfare in the West Indies. Guy Wilmot McLintock Henderson, QC, Chief Justice, Bahamas. Commander (S) Robert Gillman Allen Jackson, CMG, OBE, Chairman, Preparatory Commission, Volta River Project, Gold Coast. Thomas Spurgeon Page, CBE. For public services in Northern Rhodesia. Ronald Lindsay Prain, OBE. For public services, in Northern Rhodesia. Ronald Ormiston Sinclair, Vice President, East African Court of Appeal.
Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) Military Division Admiral Sir Guy Grantham, KCB, CBE, DSO. General Sir Eric Carden Robert Mansergh, KCB, KBE, MC (18612), late Royal Regiment of Artillery; Colonel Commandant, Royal Regiment of Artillery.
Civil Division Sir Ivone Augustine Kirkpatrick, GCMG, KCB, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office.
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) Military Division Royal Navy Vice-Admiral Eric George Anderson Clifford, CB, CBE. Vice-Admiral Caspar John, CB.
Army Lieutenant-General Gerald William Lathbury, CB, DSO, MBE (34834), late Infantry. Lieutenant-General William Pasfield Oliver, CB, OBE (18260), late Infantry; Colonel, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.
Royal Air Force Air Marshal Richard Bowen Jordan, CB, DFC. Air Marshal Theodore Neuman McEvoy, CB, CBE.
Civil Division Edward Francis Muir, CB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works. Sir (William) Gordon Radley, CBE, Director-General, General Post Office.
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) Military Division Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Richard Allix Braine. Rear-Admiral Patrick Willet Brock, DSO. Rear-Admiral Benjamin Bryant, DSO, DSC. Rear-Admiral John Dent, OBE. Rear-Admiral William Kaye Edden, OBE. Rear-Admiral Henry John Bedford Grylls. Surgeon Rear-Admiral (D) Leslie Bartlet Osborne, FDS, RCS(Ed.) Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Thistleton-Smith, GM. Rear-Admiral Robert Dymock Watson, CBE. Rear-Admiral William Kenneth Weston, OBE.
Army Major-General George Alexander Bond, CBE (37433), late Royal Army Service Corps. Brigadier Arthur Evers Brocklehurst, DSO (34654), late Royal Regiment of Artillery. Major-General George Oswald Crawford, CBE (12462), Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Major-General Wilfred George Fryer, CBE (6549), late Corps of Royal Engineers. Major-General Charles Ernest Rickards Hirsch, CBE (27204), late Infantry. Major-General Albert Edward Morrison, OBE (17226), late Royal Corps of Signals. Major-General William Gregory Huddleston Pike, CBE, DSO (31590), late Royal Regiment of Artillery. Colonel (acting) (Honorary Brigadier) George Rowland Patrick Roupell, VC, DL, Colonel, The East Surrey Regiment, South East Surrey Home Guard. Major-General Thomas Patrick David Scott, CBE, DSO (30926), late Infantry. Major-General Nigel Prior Hanson Tapp, CBE, DSO (30558), late Royal Regiment of Artillery.
Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Reginald Horace Stanbridge, OBE, MRCS, LRCP, (Retd.) Air Vice-Marshal John Noel Tracy Stephenson, CBE. Acting Air Vice-Marshal Frederick George Stewart Mitchell, CBE. Air Commodore Henry Eeles, CBE. Air Commodore John Grandy, DSO. Air Commodore Douglas William Robert Ryley, CBE. Acting Air Commodore Patrick Hunter Dunn, CBE, DFC, ADC. Group Captain James Douglas Melvin, OBE.
Civil Division Louis Arnold Abraham, CBE, Principal Clerk of Committees, House of Commons. John Anderson, CBE, Chief Scientist, Admiralty Signal & Radar Establishment, Portsdown, Cosham, Hampshire. William Forbes Arbuckle, Under-Secretary, Scottish Education Department. William Lethbridge Gorell Barnes, CMG, Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Colonial Office. Leonard Henry Curzon, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Supply. Arthur Edward Miles Davies, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Education. Harold Sidney Gilham, Assistant Comptroller, Patent Office, Board of Trade. Gordon Grant, Under-Secretary, Board of Trade. Colonel Alfred Halkyard, MC, TD, DL, Chairman, Counties of Leicester and Rutland Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association. Ronald Montague Joseph Harris, MVO, Permanent Commissioner of Crown Lands; lately Under-Secretary, Cabinet Office. Jonathan Edgar Keel, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation. United Kingdom representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Joseph Irvine Macgowan, lately Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Ireland. Albert Edward Hefford Masters, CBE, Director, Fighting Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, Ministry of Supply. Albert Gordon Newman, CBE, Principal Assistant Solicitor, Office of HM Procurator General & Treasury Solicitor. Reginald Owen Mercer Nicholas, Secretary, Board of Inland Revenue. Group Captain Marcus Robinson, AFC, DL, Chairman, County of the City of Glasgow Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association. Eric Roll, CMG, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. Peter Humphrey St. John Wilson, CBE, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Labour & National Service.
Order of Merit The Right Honourable William Malcolm, Baron Hailey, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE.
Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) Sir Charles Brinsley Pemberton Peake, KCMG, MC, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Athens.
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) Air Commodore James Alfred Easton, GB, CBE, RAF (Retd.) For Official services. Denis Hubert Fletcher Rickett CB, CMG, Third Secretary, HM Treasury. Henry Steven Potter, CMG, British Resident at Zanzibar. Charles Beresford Duke, CMG, CIE, OBE, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Amman. Hugh Southern Stephenson, CMG, CIE, OBE, Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Saigon. John Guthrie Ward, CMG, Deputy Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office.
Honorary Knight Commander Raja Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, CMG, His Highness the Raja of Perlis, Federation of Malaya.
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) Donald Harrison Black, Chief Scientific Officer, Ministry of Supply. Charles Hubert Sebastian De Peyer, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Fuel and Power. Minister in the United Kingdom Delegation to the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community.