An absolutely incredible WWI/WWII Officer Grouping of Captain Benjamin Soule Gantz (1890-1979). He was a U.S. Navy officer who was awarded a CBE by King George VI for his preparations for the Normandy landings on D-DAY. It’s extremely rare for an American (or any foreigner for that matter) to be named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire which is what is so unique about this spectacular grouping! A CBE award, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, is a prestigious UK honour recognizing significant contributions at a national level or leading roles in regional affairs, often for innovation, service, or achievement in arts, science, charity, or business, ranking below a knighthood but above OBE/MBE. It's part of the Order of the British Empire, given by the Monarch to reward valuable service and commitment to the unique grouping consists of four main parts:
1.) His Presidential Naval Commission from 1916 which is **hand signed by President Woodrow Wilson.**
2.) His 1852 Model US Navy Officer's Sword with Scabbard. The sword is 37" in length and was manufactured by W.H. Horstman & Co in Philadelphia. The sword is very nicely engraved with a Navy motiff along both sides of the blade.
3.) His Certificate, Citation, plus other paperwork & letters associated with his CBE. **The certificate itself is hand signed by King George VI at the top, and also by his mother, Queen Mary of Teck, at the bottom.** Queen Mary signed every certificate for the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire because her husband, King George V was the one who established the order on June 4th, 1917. Even though she was no longer the reining Queen, she was still the Grand Master of the order which is why she signed the certificate. He was awarded his CBE for his preparation for the Normandy landings on D-Day and on subsequent operations. CBE stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire. It was rare for the King to bestow this title/award to a foreigner. The CBE is one step away from being an actual knight, getting knighted by the King, etc. Included with it is multiple letters from the British Embassy in Washington D.C., the British Admiralty, the King’s personal secretary at St. James Palace, and his original award citation!
4.) Captain Gantz’ CBE medal in its original case. These medals are difficultto come by and usually cost at least $1,500-$2,000 just by themselves. This one is in excellent condition and the case is near flawless, which is hard to find with these medals.
CBE stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire. There are five orders of the British Empire, with each subsequent one bring more important that the one before it. CBE is the third order, making it very significant. The Order of the British Empire was established in 1917 by King George V to recognize significant contributions to the Empire, especially during World War I, rewarding services in both military and civil spheres for people not typically in frontline roles.
All Signatures (President Woodrow Wilson, King George VI, & Queen Mary of Teck) are authentic. All three of them were known to hand sign these types of certificates. I personally guarantee that all signatures will pass authentication by any of the three most trusted & reliable third party authenticators (PSA, JSA, or BAS). If for any reason at all they were to deem any of the three signatures not authentic, I will gladly refund you in full, no matter how much time has passed since you made your purchase. I stand by any autographed items that I sell 100%!
Both the CBE certificate & the Naval Commission are currently framed.
Captain Gantz’ CBE citation reads:
“HONORARY COMMANDER OF THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE
MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE”
“For distinguished service as Staff Supply Officer on the Staff of Commander, United States Naval Forces in Europe, from February, 1944, until April, 1945. Captain Gantz carried the heavy burdon of the preparation for the assault on Normandy and for subsequent operations. He performed these duties with the utmost enthusiasm and efficiency. In his many dealings with the admiralty his charming and holpful personality was a great asset to mutual cooperation between the United States and British Navies.”
Feel free to message me with any questions or for more photos. I have many more that I took which show each item in great detail, but I was limited to only 24 photos by when creating this listing. Will ship everything fully insured for $50 flat anywhere in the United States.
I will consider international shipping, please contact me before making a purchase to discuss & for a custom shipping quote, as it will cost much more to send all of these things abroad.
Will ship fully insured via USPS. Thanks for looking!
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