& Spencer Ltd.
Number of Canadian Appointments: 9
• General Harry Crerar, CH, CB, DSO, CD (1945).
• The Right Honourable Vincent Massey, PC, CH, CC, CD (1946).
• General the Honourable Andrew George Latta McNaughton, PC, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD (1946).
• Dr. Charles Best, CC, CH, CBE (1971).
• Arnold Smith, OC, CH (1975).
• The Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC (1976).
• The Right Honourable Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC (1984).
• General Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain, CC, CMM, CD, CH (1998).
• Professor Anthony Pawson, OC, OOnt, CH (2006).
Knights Bachelor
Knights Bachelor insignia.
Knights of the United Kingdom (also known as Knights Bachelor because of the title’s non-hereditary character) comprise the most junior form of knighthood. Established in the eleventh century, the honour has become syn-onymous with chivalry and service. Knights Bachelor are permitted to prefix their names with the appellation “Sir.” Women, though, have never been granted this honour. Since 1917, women have been appointed as Dames of the Order of the British Empire instead.
A knighthood is a title conferred by the Sovereign, and Knights Bachelor are not connected with any order: they are members of “the ancient concept of knighthood and chivalry” and become such when the Sovereign lays the blade of his or her sword upon the right and then the left shoulder of a kneeling subject. Beginning in 1926, Knights Bachelor were presented with an oval breast insignia worn in the same fashion as a breast star. In 1973 this was replaced with an oval neck badge, and since 1988 recipients are permitted to wear both the oval neck badge and the breast insignia.
Most Canadians who were knighted became Knights Bachelor, and 107 received the honour for services rendered in and to Canada. A total of nine were awarded to Newfoundlanders prior to that dominion joining Canadian Confederation.
The award was limited, but not always confined, to the bench and men of literary or scientific note. Pressure to award a knighthood to the politically connected came from Canada. Provincial and puisne judges and chief justices were most frequently given the honour, receiving forty-two in total, while politicians received eighteen and businessmen fifteen.
Criteria: Service national in scope in a variety of fields.
Insignia: Three types of insignia have been issued for this order, though it is only the 2nd type that was awarded to Canadians. The 1st type (1926–33) is a gold oval-shaped breast badge 76 mm high and 56 mm wide, displaying within a scroll, a cross hilted sword belted and sheathed, pommel upward between two spurs, rowels upward, the whole set about with the sword belt. The 2nd type (1933–73) is identical to the 1st, though smaller in size, measuring 56 mm high and 32 mm wide. The 3rd type (1973 to present) is identical to the 1st type, 50 mm high and 36 mm wide, hung from a loop on a ribbon around the neck.
Suspender: For the breast insignia, a narrow gold pin and clasp on the reverse of the insignia for attaching to the jacket or uniform tunic. For the neck insignia from 1973, an oblong wire loop 18 mm tall.
Ribbon: Introduced in 1973, crimson in colour 38 mm wide bordered on each side by a 3 mm of yellow. The only Canadian Knights Bachelors living at the time were Sir Ernest MacMillan, Sir Leonard Outerbridge, and Sir William Stephenson.
Postnominals: Kt, almost solely used in Canada.
Other: The insignia were made by a number of manu-facturers, notably the Royal Mint, Spink & Son, and Garrard & Co.
Number of Appointments: 107 Canadians; 9 Newfoundlanders.
The Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order obverse.
Origins: The Distinguished Service Order was created by Queen Victoria in 1886 as a reward for commissioned officers for distinguished war service. In some ways the DSO was meant as an award junior to being appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath. During the South African War (1899–1902), the First and Second World Wars, and the Korean War, the DSO was awarded to officers for gallantry below that necessary for the award of the Victoria Cross.
Distinguished Service Order George V reverse.
Criteria: Awarded to members of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Merchant Navy for gallantry or leadership under fire, defined as “meritorious or distinguished service in war.”[3] The order was usually only awarded to majors and lieutenant-colonels, though appointments to more junior commissioned ranks were made — generally only in circumstances of significant acts of gallantry. From 1914 to 1916 the order was also awarded for services rendered under circumstances not considered to be “under fire.”
Insignia: A gold cross 42 mm wide with curved tips and white enamelled fields, the obverse bearing a central roundel displaying either a Tudor or St. Edward’s Crown in gold on a field of red enamel circumscribed by gold and green laurelled leaves. The reverse being identical to the obverse with the crown replaced by the Royal Cypher:
• Victoria (1886–1901): VRI.
• Edward VII (1901–10): EVIIR.
• George V (1910–36): GVR.
• George VI 1st type (1936–48): GRI.
• George VI 2nd type (1948–52): GVIR.
• Elizabeth II (1952 to present): EIIR.
Distinguished Service Order George VI 1st type reverse.
Suspender: A gold rectangular laurelled bar 31 mm wide with a raised border. An identical bar is mounted to the top of the ribbon as a brooch.
Ribbon: A crimson ribbon 29 mm wide edged with 3 mm of garter blue.
Bar: A gold bar 32 mm wide with a graduated line bisecting the length, displaying a Tudor Crown in the centre.
Postnominals: DSO.
Other: From 1886 to 1889 the insignia was made of carat gold while subsequent issues have been in silver gilt. All of the insignia awarded to Canadians were manufactured by Garrard & Co. Beginning in 1938, all awards of the DSO had the year of the award engraved on the reverse of the lower suspension.
