45472 Colonel Sir Edward William St Lo MALET, OBE, MiD, 8 King's Royal Irish Hussars: Sun Compass

Personal Number: 45472
Rank: Colonel
Name: Sir Edward William St. Lo MALET, MiD
Unit: 8th Hussars


London Gazette : 8 July 1941
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35209/supplement/3885/data.pdf
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve that the following be Mentioned for distinguished services in the Middle East during the period December, 1940, to February, 1941: —
ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS.
Hussars.
Malet, Capt. Sir Edward W. St. L., Bt. (45472).

London Gazette : 2 July 1946
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37635/supplement/3362/data.pdf
ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS.
The undermentioned Capts to be Majs , 1st July 1946 —
8th H.
(War Subs Maj ) Sir Edward W St. L MALET, Bt. (45472)

London Gazette : 1 June 1953
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39863/supplement/2949/data.pdf
The QUEEN has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of Her Majesty's Coronation, to give orders for the following promotions in, and appointments to, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:—
To be Additional Officers of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order:—
Lieutenant-Colonel (temporary) Sir Edward William St. Lo MALET, Bt. (45472), 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps.

 

London Gazette : 8 July 1941
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35209/supplement/3885/data.pdf

 

Recommendation for Award for Malet, Edward William Rank: Major Service No: ... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 373/161/57
Name Malet, Edward William
Rank: Major
Service No: 45472
Regiment: Staff
Theatre of Combat or Operation: Coronation Honours
Award: Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Date of announcement in London Gazette: 01 June 1953

 

See also:

• Person Page
• Obituary: Col Sir Edward Malet, Bt. O.B.E. | QRH Museum
  
• "Colonel Sir Edward William St.Lo Malet, who died on 9th October 1990, was born in 1908 and joined the 8th Hussars after coming down from Christ Church, Oxford, with a degree in Rural Economy.
  He was the fourth generation of his family to serve in the Regiment and, having been followed into it by a son and a grandson, has created a record unlikely to be equalled.
  Ned Malet, as he was popularly known, stood 6ft 8ins tall, an uncomfortable height for a tank but was an accomplished horseman, adept at many mounted sports including tent-pegging.
  He was commissioned into the 8th Hussars in 1932 and embarked with the Regiment for Egypt the following year. He took part in the last mounted parade on 11th November 1935 and saw the change to mechanization from the start.
  The Regiment moved to Palestine in 1936 where he first saw active service, and on their return to Cairo before war broke out, operated deep patrols into the Western Desert testing the feasibility of enemy attacks into Sudan.
  These experiences led to his becoming the co-inventor, with his squadron leader Major Evans-Lombe, of the Sun Compass, which became a much-used navigation instrument in armoured vehicles.
  His marriage in 1935 to Baroness Benedicta von Maasburg caused a time-honoured but unwritten rule to be abandoned, that if an officer below a certain age became betrothed he had to pay a fine to the Officers’ Mess and was posted away from the Regiment — “pour decourager les autres”. In Ned’s case, the rule was rescinded, much to the benefit of those who followed.
  With the outbreak of WWII in 1939 he was actively involved in the actions that drove the Italians out of Egypt and, as ‘HQ’ Squadron leader, played an important part in setting up the vehicle maintenance and repair organization that became the LAD, still in being today.
  He also took part in the disastrous withdrawals inflicted on the 8th Army by the German Afrika Corps, back to the line at El Alamein, during which he was Mentioned in Despatches, wounded and evacuated to Cairo.
  Discharged from the hospital he was sent to instruct the Turkish army, returning to the Regiment, restored to its full strength, in time for the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
  Landing on D+3 he claimed that this was for him a “return match”, for his ancestor, William Malet, had invaded England with William the Conqueror and had his horse killed under him at the Battle of Hastings.
  With the end of the war in sight, he was posted to the 21st Army Group Civil Affairs Staff and this led to an interesting experience when hostilities ceased.
  Learning that in the adjoining Russian zone many German Burgermeister and minor officials were being summarily executed by the occupying Red Army, Ned organized a “Scarlet Pimpernel” escape route which became so successful that it resulted in lorry loads of innocent people being brought safely into the British zone.
  His strong feeling of humanity was shown again some years later, this time towards Egyptians, As chief Civil Affairs officer in the Canal Zone during the Suez campaign, his chivalrous treatment of an Egyptian officer commanding a post harbouring numerous terrorists earned him a widespread commendation and was a great benefit to subsequent Anglo-Egyptian relationships; it also resulted in his receiving an annual Christmas card sent him personally by President Nasser.
  For his successful diplomatic work in Civil Affairs he was appointed O.B.E. in 1953, and on his retirement in 1955 was granted the honorary rank of Colonel.
  He farmed his estate in Somerset, serving as High Sheriff for that county 1966-67, and was one of the earliest advocates of what is now known as organic farming, campaigning against the use of chemical sprays and fertilizers, thereby doing much for the preservation of wildlife and the environment.
  His wife, Benedicta, died in 1979. Their son, Harry Douglas St.Lo Malet, joined the Q.R.I.H. in 1959 and his son, Charles Edward St.Lo Malet, joined the Regiment just in time to go out to the Gulf and is, therefore, the sixth generation to serve his country as an Irish Hussar."

• 426874 Colonel Thomas Brian Ashton EVANS-LOMBE, OBE, MiD, 8 King's Royal Irish Hussars: Sun Compass