The King's Birthday Honours 1938 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight the meritorious work of his subjects in those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the King's official birthday and for the United Kingdom and Colonies were announced on 7 June 1938.

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.

United Kingdom and Colonies

Viscount The Right Honourable John Lawrence, Baron Stonehaven, . Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, Commonwealth of Australia, 1925–30. Chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Party Organisation, 1931–1936. For political and public services. The Right Honourable William Douglas, Baron Weir, . For public services.

Baron Vivian Hugh Smith. For political and public services. Sir Josiah Charles Stamp, . For public services.

Privy Councillor Sir Donald Bradley Somervell, . Attorney-General since 1936. Solicitor-General, 1933–36. Member of Parliament for the Crewe Division of Cheshire since 1931.

Baronet Sir William Alfred Churchman, . For political and public services in Suffolk. The Right Honourable Douglas Hewitt Hacking, . Member of Parliament for Chorley since December 1918. Chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Party Organisation since 1936. For political and public services. Major Sir William Henry Prescott, . Chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board. For public services. Sir Eugene Joseph Squire Hargreaves Ramsden, . Member of Parliament for Bradford, North Division, 1924 to 1929 and since 1931. For political and public services in Yorkshire. Major Samuel Strang Steel, . For political and public services in Scotland. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir (William Ernest George) Archibald Weigall, . Chairman of the Royal Empire Society.

Knight Bachelor Andrew Agnew, . Managing Director, Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd. William Girling Ball, . Surgeon and Dean of the Medical College, St Bartholomew's Hospital. Kenneth Ralph Barnes, Principal of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art since 1909. Henry Howarth Bashford, . Chief Medical Officer, General Post Office. John Alfred Arnesby Brown, . Artist. Colonel Edward Geoffrey Hippisley-Cox, . Secretary of the Parliamentary Agents' Society. Alderman Arthur John Edward Craig, . For political and public services in Peterborough. Arthur Edwin Cutforth, . Member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. For services to Agriculture. Ronald Conway Davison, a member of the Central Council of the National Labour Organisation. For political and public services. Francis Netherwood Dixon, . Secretary, Exchequer and Audit Department. Walter Newman Flower, Managing Director of Cassell & Co. Ltd. William John Handfield Haslett, . For political and public services in the Spelthorne division of Middlesex. Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Vivian Holbrook, . For political and public services in Rugby. Alderman Arthur Newton Hollely, . For political and public services in Plymouth. Arthur Jackson, Managing Director of Sir John Jackson (Singapore) Ltd. Lieutenant-Colonel John Conway Lloyd, . For political and public services in Breconshire and Radnorshire. Stephen Philpot Low, Solicitor to the Board of Trade. Alexander MacIntyre, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sudan Plantations Syndicate Ltd. Alderman Albert Martin, . For political and public services in Southend-on-Sea. Alderman Ernest Arnold Mills. For political and public services in Lambeth. John Moxon, . For public services in Newport, Monmouthshire. Allan Hume Nicholl, . Chairman of the London Safety First Council and of the National Executive of the National Safety First Association. Sydney Hugo Nicholson, . Warden of St. Nicholas College, Chislehurst. For services to church music. Cyril Norwood, . President of St. John's College, Oxford. John Rowland, . Chairman of the Welsh Board of Health. George Leighton Seager, . For political and public services in South Wales. Alderman Albert Smith, . For political and public services in Lancashire. Charles Herbert Smith. For political and public services in Birmingham. Francis Edward James Smith, president of the Council of the Law Society. Louis William Smith, . Member of Parliament for the Hallam Division of Sheffield since 1928. For political and public services. Henry Toy, . For political and public services in Cornwall. Samuel Turner, . For public services in Lancashire. Sydney Richard Wells, . Member of Parliament for Bedford since 1922. For political and public services. Frank Henry Cafaude Wiltshire, . Town Clerk of Birmingham, vice-president of the Society of Town Clerks. James Lockwood Wood, . For political and public services in Bradford.

Dominions Harry Percy Brown, . Director-General of Posts & Telegraphs, Commonwealth of Australia. The Honourable Harold Crisp, Chief Justice, State of Tasmania. Albert Fuller Ellis, . New Zealand Member of the British Phosphate Commission. Thomas Stewart Gordon. For public services in the Commonwealth of Australia. The Honourable James Ross Macfarlan, . Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, State of Victoria. Robert Blakeway Wade, . President of the Medical Board, State of New South Wales.

India John Francis William James, Indian Civil Service, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Patna, Bihar. Sajba Shankar Rangnekar, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay. Sarat Kumar Ghose, Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal. Rai Bahadur Jai Lai, lately Puisne Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Lahore, Punjab. William Alexander Cosgrave, , Indian Civil Service, lately Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hugh Byard Clayton, , Indian Civil Service (retired), Chairman of the Public Services Commission for the Provinces of Bombay & Sind, Bombay. Major-General Arthur Mordaunt Mills, . Military Adviser-in-Chief, Indian States Forces. Benegal Narsinga Rau, , Indian Civil Service, Officer on special duty, Reforms Office, Government of India. John Frederick Hall, , Indian Civil Service, Member, Board of Revenue, Madras. Hugh Bomford, Indian Civil Service, Member, Board of Revenue, United Provinces, and lately Acting Governor of the Central Provinces & Berar. John Rutherford Dain, , Indian Civil Service, Revenue Commissioner, Orissa. Khan Sahib Adamjee Hajee Dawood, Merchant, Calcutta, Bengal. Dewan Bahadur Harilal Nemchand Gosalia, Dewan and President, Barwani State Council, Central India. William Roberts, . Manager, British Cotton Growing Association Farm, Khanewal, Multan District, Punjab.

Burma U Paw Tun, Barrister-at-Law, Minister of Home Affairs.

Colonies, Protectorates, etc. Llewelyn Chisholm Dalton, Colonial Legal Service, Chief Justice, Tanganyika Territory. Cyril Gerard Brooke Francis, Colonial Legal Service, Chief Justice, Northern Rhodesia. Robert Hormus Kotewall, . For public services in Hong Kong. Hadji Mohamed Macan Markar. For public services in Ceylon. George Edouard Nairac, Colonial Legal Service, Chief Judge, Mauritius.

Order of the Bath

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) Military Division General Sir William Edmund Ironside, , Colonel Commandant, Royal Artillery, Aide-de-Camp General to The King, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command. Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Louis Norton Newall, , Royal Air Force.

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) Military Division Royal Navy Vice-Admiral Sidney Julius Meyrick, . Vice-Admiral Noel Frank Laurence, . Paymaster Rear-Admiral Arthur Foster Strickland, .

Army Lieutenant-General Maurice Grove Taylor, , late Royal Engineers, Deputy Master-General of the Ordnance, The War Office. Lieutenant-General Bertie Drew Fisher, , Colonel, 17th/21st Lancers, Half-Pay. Lieutenant-General Charles Clement Armitage, , late Royal Artillery, Master-General of the Ordnance, Headquarters Staff, India.

Royal Air Force Air Marshal Philip Bennet Joubert de la Ferté, .

Civil Division Honorary Colonel Robert William Herbert Watkin Williams-Wynn, , President, Territorial Army Association of the County of Denbigh. Air Vice-Marshal Charles Alexander Holcombe Longcroft, , Royal Air Force (Ret'd), President of the Aerodrome Board. Leonard Browett, , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport. Sir William Barrowclough Brown, , Permanent Secretary, Board of Trade. Sir Cyril William Hurcomb, , Chairman, Electricity Commission. Sir Arthur Charles Cosmo Parkinson, , Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) Military Division Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Reginald Vesey Holt, . Rear-Admiral William Jock Whitworth, . Rear-Admiral Bertram Chalmers Watson, . Rear-Admiral Arthur Ninian Dowding. Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Schomberg Arbuthnot, . Engineer Rear-Admiral Harold Hepworth Perring.

Army Major-General George Alfred Duncan Harvey, (late Royal Army Medical Corps), Honorary Physician to The King, Deputy Director of Medical services, Western Command, India. Major-General Geoffry Francis Heremon Brooke, (late 16th/5th Lancers), Major-General General Staff (Cavalry), Headquarters Staff, India. Major-General Geoffrey Taunton Raikes, (late The South Wales Borderers), Half-Pay. Major-General William George Holmes, (late The Royal Welch Fusiliers, and The East Lancashire Regiment), Commander, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, Territorial Army. Major-General Pierse Joseph Mackesy, (late Royal Engineers), Half-Pay. Major-General Desmond Francis Anderson, (late The Devonshire Regiment, and The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own)), Major-General in charge of Administration, Eastern Command. Major-General Francis Poitier Nosworthy, (late Royal Engineers), Half Pay, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Headquarters Staff, India, designate. Major-General The Honourable Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, (late Irish Guards and Extra Regimentally Employed List), Colonel, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment, Indian Army. Commander, 1st Division, Aldershot Command. Major-General Henry Guy Riley, Royal Army Pay Corps, Chief Paymaster at the War Office and Inspector of Army Pay Offices. Colonel (honorary Brigadier-General), Lewis Pugh Evans, , retired pay (late The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)). Major-General Frederick Gwatkin, , Indian Army, Commander, 2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade, Northern Command, India. Major-General George de la Poer Beresford, , Indian Army, Commander, 4th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade, Southern Command, India. Major-General Nigel Maitland Wilson, , Indian Army, Director of Personal Services, and Pay and Pensions, Headquarters Staff, India.

Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Hazelton Robson Nicholl, . Air Vice-Marshal Lawrence Arthur Pattinson, .

Civil Division Honorary Colonel Frank Garrett, , Chairman, Territorial Army Association of the County of Suffolk. Colonel John Balderstone Muir, , Chairman, Territorial Army Association of the County of the City of Dundee. John Jacob Fox, , Government Chemist. Herbert William Sidney Francis, , Director of the Local Government Division, Ministry of Health. William Kenrick Gibbons, Principal Clerk, Public Bill Office, and Clerk of the Fees, House of Commons. David Taylor Monteath, , Assistant Under Secretary of State, Burma Office. Otto Mundy, Secretary and Commissioner, Board of Customs & Excise. Frederick Abraham Slee, Commissioner and Secretary, Board of Inland Revenue. Arthur Egerton Watson, , Principal Assistant Secretary, Unemployment Assistance Board. Thomas Moffat Young, lately Deputy Public Trustee, Manchester.

Order of Merit (OM) Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, .

Order of the Star of India

Knight Commander (KCSI)