Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry

A fascinating and extremely well documented civil division M.B.E. group of six awarded to Flying Officer C. A. Wiard, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who competed for Great Britain in the 4 x 100m relay team at the Berlin Olympics of 1936; before going on to serve during the Second War as second in command of the R.A.F. Seaborne Party for Operation Jubilee - The Dieppe Raid, and in conjunction with the Dutch Underground during the severe winter of 1944-45

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd type breast badge, silver; 1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Air Efficiency Award, G.VI.R., 1st issue (Flt. Lt. C. A. Wiard. R.A.F.V.R.), mounted for wear, together with two mounted sets of miniature awards (one pre M.B.E.), a Past Master’s Jewel for Billingsgate Ward Club, silver-gilt and enamel, reverse engraved ‘C. A. Wiard, M.B.E. Master 1969-70’, Jewel for Lime Street Ward Club, silver-gilt and enamel, generally extremely fine (lot) £2000-2400

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M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1970 (Clerk and Superintendent, Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets).

Charles Arthur Wiard was a son of a Freeman of the City of London, and with the death of his father in 1922, he and his three younger sisters were entered into the Freemen’s Orphan School, Brixton, in 1922. He won a number of prizes, both academic and athletic, including the Lord Mayor’s Prize for the most deserving scholar leaving school. He entered the services of the Corporation of London in the Mayor’s and City of London Court in 1927, and continued his interest in athletics by joining the Blackheath Harriers the following year.

Wiard was the 1st Reserve for England in the Empire Games of of 1934, and was the 100 and 200 yards county Champion for Kent, 1936-38. He was selected to represent Great Britain as part of the 4 x 100 metres relay team at the Berlin Olympics of 1936.

In his postcards home, Wiard gives an insight into the scale and grandeur of the Berlin Olympics, written as they unfolded before him:

‘Everything is marvellous that I shall sit down quietly to think of all that has happened. Berlin went mad when we arrived. Look for us in Gaumont news next week. The village is superb, terrific, colossal, it might be called a town...

This gives you a very good impression of the size of the Dining Pavilion, as you see it is 3 stories high and the Olympic circles are lit up in colours at night...

Here are our houses on pine clad slopes etc, is really a big town. We can get out at several gates, but can only get in at the main gate on producing our cards and badges. All day there are thousands of people outside the gates and we get mobbed when we go out to our special shops...

Here is the open-air theatre, which is just in front of the Parade Ground. Have seen some of the heats of the 100. It looks as if Jesse Owens has it in his pocket.’

Wiard, as part of the 4 x 100 metre relay team, ran the first leg in heat two but sadly the team did not qualify for the final. Returning to England, Wiard continued to compete for both club and country, and as part of the Blackheath Harriers 4 x 110 yards relay team was winner of the English Championship the following year. He joined the Auxiliary Air Force in 1938, and was mobilised as AC2 the following year. Wiard was commissioned a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in October 1940. He served as second in command of the RAF Seaborne Party, as part of the Servicing Commandos, for Operation Jubilee - the Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942. Later in the war he served as part of No 18 R.A.F Staging Post in concert with the Dutch Underground, and was in The Hague attempting to help distribute food to the starving population during the severe winter of 1944-45:

‘R.A.F. food dropping operation. I was on the ground helping the underground to collect and distribute. It was dropped on an occupied airfield at Ypenberg & some lost... At this stage the main body of the Unit (No. 18 Staging Post) hadn’t caught up with us, and we 3 officers - 2 RAF 1 Army liaison - and a handful of men were on our own & alone in the The Hague with what was left of the German Forces. It could have been sticky but we were safe.’ (hand-written note by recipient included with the lot refers)

Wiard advanced to Flying Officer in January 1949, and was awarded the Air Efficiency Award the following year. After the war he returned to employment with the Guildhall, and was appointed Principal Assistant to the Clerk and Superintendent Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets in 1949. Wiard was appointed Clerk and Superintendent of the same markets in 1956, and held this post until his retirement in 1979. He held a number of positions in later life including President of the Blackheath Harriers, President of the Old Freemen’s Association, Vice President of the Kent County Athletic Association, Liveryman of the Fishmongers Company and Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors. He died in Bromley, Kent, in 1994.

Sold with the following related items and documents: recipient’s identity tag; M.B.E. Royal Mint case of issue, a quantity of documentation in relation to the investiture, statutes of the order and a named invitation to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, dated 22 July 1982; card box of issue for Second War campaign medals, addressed to, ‘F/Lt. C. A. Wiard, 9 Arkindale Road, Catford, London, SE6’; card box of issue for single Second War campaign medal, addressed to ‘F/Lt. C. A. Wiard, C/O Mayor’s and City of London Court, Guildhall, London, EC2’, and named card box of issue for Air Efficiency Award; named illuminated scroll from the Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets Committee on the occasion of the award of the recipient’s M.B.E., dated 20 February 1970, this framed and glazed; named illuminated scroll given in recognition of recipient’s service as Clerk and Superintendent of the Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets Committee, dated 20 April 1979, this framed and glazed; named certificate for the Freedom of the City of London, dated 10 February 1946, this framed and glazed; a most interesting book called What the RAF Meant for the Occupied Netherlands, being a sketchbook printed secretly in 1944 with additional sketches added in 1945 including "The Last Sprint of Osendarp" - a hand written note states ‘Osendarp was a Dutch sprinter who I knew in the years before the war. He was 3rd in the Olympic 100 yards and became a Nazi. When I arrived in The Hague in Apl '45 I asked members of the Underground movement - with whom I was in contact - about him. Regarded as a traitor they were searching Holland for him. They found him - to his cost. I didn’t ask what his fate was. This page was added to the book especially for me. Together with the last page it makes this book unique. Here is my Underground armband’, together with an “Oranje” armband in black, grey, white and orange; a quantity of original newspaper cuttings relating to the Dieppe Raid; a large number of phot...