Wing Commander Horace John Audley Thewles

John Thewles was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of The British Empire) and was Mentioned in Dispatches (MiD).

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions.

The most senior two divisions make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order.

Those five classes of appointment to the Order are, in descending order of precedence:

Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)
Knight Commander or Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE or DBE)
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)

C.B.E. (Commander of The British Empire)

In particular, King George V wished to create an Order to honour many thousands of those who had served in a variety of non-combatant roles during the First World War.

When first established, the Order had only one division.

However, in 1918, soon after its foundation, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions.

The Order's motto is For God and the Empire .

The Order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders.

Mentioned in dispatches

Service men and women of the British Empire or the Commonwealth who are mentioned in despatches (MiD) are not awarded a medal for their action, but receive a certificate and wear an oak leaf device on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal.

A smaller version of the oak leaf device is attached to the ribbon when worn alone.

Prior to 2014 only one device could be worn on a ribbon, irrespective of the number of times the recipient was mentioned in despatches..

Where no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn directly on the coat after any medal ribbons.

In the British Armed Forces, the despatch is published in the London Gazette.

From 1920 to 1993, the device consisted of a single bronze oak leaf, worn on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal, including the War Medal for a mention during the Second World War.