Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire 1st type (military ribbon).
Neck Insignia: Identical to that of a Knight/Dame Grand Cross, though 64 mm in width. The ribbon passes through a plain gold ring.
Breast Star: A four-pointed star 80 mm wide by 80 mm high with chipped silver rays, in the centre a gold medallion bearing the conjoined crowned effigies of King George V and Queen Mary, circumscribed by a maroon enamel border and the words FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE.
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2nd type (breast star).
Postnominals: KBE or DBE.
Commander
Commander of the Order of the British Empire 1st type (civil ribbon).
Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2nd type (civil ribbon).
Insignia: Identical to that worn by Knights Commander/Dames Commander of the order. Commanders do not wear a breast star.
Suspender: The ring passes through a plain gold ring attached to the top of the insignia.
Postnominals: CBE.
Officer
Officer of the Order of the British Empire 2nd type (civil ribbon).
Officer of the Order of the British Empire 1st type (civil ribbon).
Insignia: Similar to that of a Commander, though 51 mm in width and rendered in gold without enamel. Beginning in the early 2000s, the insignia were changed from a matte to a polished bright gold appearance.
Suspender: A plain gold ring attached to the top of the insignia.
Postnominals: OBE.
Member
Member of the Order of the British Empire 1st type (military ribbon).
Member of the Order of the British Empire (civil ribbon) reverse.
Member of the Order of the British Empire 2nd type (military ribbon).
Insignia: Identical to that worn by officers, though in plain frosted silver. Beginning in the early 2000s, the insignia were changed to a polished bright silver appearance.
Suspender: A plain gold ring attached to the top of the insignia.
Postnominals: MBE.
Insignia Manufacture: The insignia for the GBEs, KBEs/DBEs, and CBEs awarded to Canadians were all made by Garrard & Co. The insignia for the OBE and MBE 1st type were also made by Garrard & Co.; the OBE and MBE of the 2nd type were made by the Royal Mint.
Number of Appointments of Canadians: 4,753.
• GBE: 2 (both civil division 1st type).
• KBE: 8 (all civil division 1st type).
• CBE: 427.
ɣ 4 (civil division 1st type).
ɣ 52 (military division 1st type).
ɣ 160 (civil division 2nd type).
ɣ 211 (military division 2nd type).
• OBE: 1,643.
ɣ 59 (civil division 1st type).
ɣ 261 (military division 1st type).
ɣ 533 (civil division 2nd type).
ɣ 781 (military division 2nd type).
• MBE: 2,673.
ɣ 79 (civil division 1st type).
ɣ 108 (military division 1st type).
ɣ 743 (civil division 2nd type).
ɣ 1,734 (military division 2nd type).
Medal of the Order of the British Empire
Created at the same time as the Order of the British Empire in 1917, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was meant to be a junior award for labourers and workers who were involved in wartime endeavours. The medal was divided into military and civil divisions in December 1918. Canadians were awarded the medal between 1918 and 1920, with all awards being made in recognition of courageous acts rendered in industrial settings. The medal was phased out in 1922 and replaced by the British Empire Medal and the Empire Gallantry Medal (see chapter 5).
Criteria: The medal was awarded for services of special merit rendered by men and women in manual and other work done in connection with the First World War. Such service included acts of great courage, self-sacrifice, initiative, perseverance, skill, invention, or resource.
Medal of the Order of the British Empire (civil ribbon) obverse.
Insignia: A circular silver medal 27 mm in diameter, the obverse depicting a seated effigy of Britannia holding a trident circumscribed by the text FOR GOD AND THE EMPIRE, the reverse bearing the Royal Cypher GRI surmounted by an Imperial Crown and surrounded by a rope motif.
Suspender: A silver ring 15 mm in diameter through which the ribbon passes.
Ribbon: Crimson in colour and 27 mm wide for the civil division. A central 2 mm stripe of scarlet was added for the military division.
Naming: None.
Postnominals: None.
Other: The medals were issued unnamed and were struck by John Pinches.
Number: 44 total: one military, 43 civil.
British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal was created by King George V in 1922 to replace the Medal of the Order of the British Empire. While originally styled “The Medal of the Order of the British Empire (for Meritorious Service),” this was superseded by the more succinctly titled British Empire Medal, a designation that became official in 1941. Prior to the establishment of the Canadian decorations for bravery, the BEM was also used in Canada as a third-tier gallantry award, with the last BEM for gallantry being awarded to a Canadian in 1968.
British Empire Medal (military ribbon) obverse.
British Empire Medal (military ribbon) reverse.
Criteria: Initially instituted to recognize meritorious service rendered by non-commissioned officers and men who were not eligible for appointment to the military