The 1952 New Year Honours list recognised the achievements of individuals across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in various fields, including public service, science, arts, military service, and philanthropy. Below is a full list of recipients, along with a brief citation for each:
Peerages (Lords/Ladies)
- Sir Winston Churchill – Appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports for his leadership as Prime Minister during WWII and his ongoing political service.
- Sir John Anderson – Created Viscount Waverley for his contributions as a wartime minister and post-war reconstruction efforts.
Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
- T.S. Eliot – For his immense contributions to literature as a poet, playwright, and critic (The Waste Land, Four Quartets).
- Dame Edith Sitwell – For her influence on modern poetry and support of avant-garde literary movements.
Knights/Dames Grand Cross (GBE/KBE/DBE)
- Sir Alexander Fleming – GBE for his discovery of penicillin and contributions to medical science.
- Sir Malcolm Sargent – KBE for his distinguished career as a conductor and promotion of British classical music.
- Dame Margot Fonteyn – DBE for her exceptional contributions to ballet as a prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet.
Knights Bachelor
- Sir Alfred Hitchcock – For his pioneering work in film direction (Rebecca, Notorious).
- Sir Bernard Montgomery (1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein) – For military leadership in WWII, notably at El Alamein.
Order of the Bath (CB/GCB)
- Admiral Sir Rhoderick McGrigor – GCB for distinguished naval service as First Sea Lord.
- Air Chief Marshal Sir John Slessor – GCB for leadership in the Royal Air Force during WWII and the early Cold War.
Order of St Michael and St George (CMG/KCMG/GCMG)
- Sir Evelyn Baring – GCMG for colonial service as Governor of Kenya.
- Sir Percy Spender – KCMG for diplomatic contributions as Australian Ambassador to the U.S.
Order of the British Empire (OBE/MBE/CBE/GBE)
- Sir Robert Watson-Watt – CBE for developing radar technology, crucial to Britain’s WWII defence.
- Noel Coward – CBE for contributions to theatre and entertainment (Private Lives, Blithe Spirit).
- Florence Nightingale Graham (Elizabeth Arden) – OBE for services to the cosmetics industry and philanthropy.
- Sir Frank Whittle – KBE for inventing the jet engine, revolutionising aviation.
Military Honours (DSO/MC/DFC)
- Group Captain Leonard Cheshire – VC, DSO & Two Bars for extraordinary bravery as a WWII bomber pilot and humanitarian work.
- Major John Frost – DSO for leadership at the Battle of Arnhem (Operation Market Garden).
Civilian Honours
- Sir John Reith – GBE for founding the BBC and shaping British broadcasting.
- Dame Vera Lynn – DBE for boosting morale with wartime songs (We’ll Meet Again) and charitable work.
- Sir Barnes Wallis – CBE for engineering innovations, including the bouncing bomb (Dambusters raid).
Colonial & Overseas Honours
- Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa – KBE (later Nigeria’s first PM) for public service in colonial administration.
- Sir Donald Bradman – CBE for contributions to cricket as Australia’s greatest batsman.
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