An Order of the Bath, Military C.B.E.; medals & ephemera group to Major General Harry Longden, who in 1943 accompanied Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the United States for the scheduled two power conference. Groups consists of Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) – Military Division, neck badge silver-gilt and enamel, extremely fine, with thin neck riband, in Garrard & Co. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2nd type, Military Division, Commander´s (C.B.E.) neck Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, extremely fine, with full neck riband, in Garrard & Co. case of issue & Belgium, Order of Leopold II, Commanders Grade, neck order, gilt & enamels, extremely fine, with full neck ribband, in Walravens & Co. case of issue. Court mounted, for display, medal bar, including: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, O.B.E., breast badge, 1939 - 1945 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence & War Medal, the last with M.I.D. oak leaf, George V Silver Jubilee medal, Belgium, Order of Leopold II, Officer’s Grade with palm leaf citation & rosette to ribbon & Belgium, Croix De Guerre, 1939-45, with palm leaf citation to ribbon. Large amount of original & copied paperwork is included. Most notably, a very large bound, scrap book, including passes, documents, paper cuttings, photographs. Includes a plethora of material, including Royal invitations, including the 1937 coronation and many other events. A May 1943 War Office notebook, used as a personal diary, titled ‘American Trip May 1943’. The diary is meticulous in detail, showing hourly entries from 5th May 0345 HRS through to 23rd May. Entries show he was detailed as the General Officer in charge of stores, to accompany Churchill and his staff to visit President Roosevelt in regards to the war effort, and as Longden mentions, to talk about specific details relating to Lend Lease and stores, with references to supplying the ‘second front’ (most likely D-Day June 1944). Original award documents for the O.B.E., dated 11th July 1940, C.B.E., dated 28th September 1944, M.I.D. document, dated 10th May 1945, Order of the Bath, dated 12th June 1947, Order Leopold II (Ofr) & Croix De Guerre, dated 11th March 1946 & Order Leopold II (Cdr), dated 31st August 1948. Original commissioning document, for 2nd Lieutenant H. L. Longden, Dorsetshire Regt, dated 23rd January 1920. Copy of ‘Winston Churchill’, an eightieth year tribute book. Photo of Longden, with General Eisenhower & British Staff Officer’s & copied service paperwork. Major General Harry Leicester Longden was born in Peshawar, India, 12th December 1900. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Dorsetshire Regiment, 17th December 1919. Attended Staff College, Quetta 1930-31, serving Staff War Office 1934-38. Promoted Captain 5th April 1935, Major 1st August 1938, Lt. Colonel 1st September 1939. Chief Staff Officer 43rd (Wessex) Division in 1940, Assistant Quarter Master General, Southern Command 1940 – 41. Brigadier & Quartermaster Operations War Office 1942-43, Deputy Quarter Master General, 21st Army Group, N.W. Europe (G.O.C. Field Marshall Montgomery in Normandy - Germany) & Director of Quartering at War Office 1945-47. He was appointed President of the War Crimes Court, Hamburg in 1947 (Ravensbrück Concentration Camp trials), before retiring from the British Army in 1948. He died in 1981.
