Description
Physical description
badge and neck ribbon
five pointed white enamelled star in gold, with plain pencils of rays between the arms. The obverse medallion bears the royal crown on a blue background, and the reverse medallion bears the letter 'L' for Leopold in a back to back monogram. The badge of the order is surmounted by a green enamelled laurel wreath to which the suspender ring is attached. The ribbon of the order is a plain, dullish, red.
Label
Lieutenant General R G W H Stone CB DSO MC FRGS (16 Jan 1890-27 Jun 1974) late Royal Engineers.
Robert Graham William Hawkins Stone, the son of Brigadier-General F G Stone CMG late Royal Artillery, was born on 16 January 1890. As a mere twelve year old, he accompanied his father to South Africa and while there enlisted in the District Mounted Troop, Aliwal North, and served out the last six months of the Boer War. On his return home, he was sent to Wellington College and it was while he was there that he was presented with his South Africa Medal. Educated at Wellington, he entered the RMA Woolwich (1908-1909) where he received the Pollock Gold Medal for the ' Most Distinguished Cadet of the Season' on 23 December 1909, and the Sword of Honour. Stone was commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant in 1909. He served as a regimental officer during the First World War when he was wounded five times received a mention in despatches and awarded the DSO and MC. After attending Staff College and a period on the General Staff, Stone was promoted colonel and in 1935 was posted to Rome as Military Attaché. In 1938, Stone went to the Sudan as Chief of Staff to Major General William Platt. Promoted major general in 1940, Stone became Chief of the British Military Mission with the Egyptian Army and two years later, as a lieutenant general was appointed GOC British Troops in Egypt (1942-44). After the war General Stone became Chief of an Inter-Services Mission dealing with enemy installations in liberated Europe and was a member of the British Delegation, which arranged the programme of evacuation of troops from Syria and Lebanon. For his service during the Second World War Stone was mentioned in despatches four times and appointed CB; he retired in 1947. In retirement Stone served on the Council of the Royal Geographical Society and was Vice - Chairman from 1960-64. Stone died in 1974 aged 84. The Department of Exhibits & Firearms holds Stone's orders, medals and decorations (Ref: OMD 4326-4342) and his Sword of Honour (Ref: WEA 2117). The Dept of Art hold a portrait of Stone painted in 1942 by Simon Elwes RA (1902-1975) (Ref: IWM ART 16667). The Documents Archive holds some of Stone's papers including notes and lectures from his service as GOC British Troops in Egypt, 1942 - 1944, with interesting ms notes on King Farouk, and diaries, notes and letters from his First World War service with the Royal Engineers on the Western Front. (Ref: 75/27/1)
History note
Lieutenant General R G W H Stone CB DSO MC FRGS (16 Jan 1890-27 Jun 1974) late Royal Engineers.
Robert Graham William Hawkins Stone, the son of Brigadier-General F G Stone CMG late Royal Artillery, was born on 16 January 1890. As a mere twelve year old, he accompanied his father to South Africa and while there enlisted in the District Mounted Troop, Aliwal North, and served out the last six months of the Boer War. On his return home, he was sent to Wellington College and it was while he was there that he was presented with his South Africa Medal. Educated at Wellington, he entered the RMA Woolwich (1908-1909) where he received the Pollock Gold Medal for the ' Most Distinguished Cadet of the Season' on 23 December 1909, and the Sword of Honour. Stone was commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant in 1909. He served as a regimental officer during the First World War when he was wounded five times received a mention in despatches and awarded the DSO and MC. After attending Staff College and a period on the General Staff, Stone was promoted colonel and in 1935 was posted to Rome as Military Attaché. In 1938, Stone went to the Sudan as Chief of Staff to Major General William Platt. Promoted major general in 1940, Stone became Chief of the British Military Mission with the Egyptian Army and two years later, as a lieutenant general was appointed GOC British Troops in Egypt (1942-44). After the war General Stone became Chief of an Inter-Services Mission dealing with enemy installations in liberated Europe and was a member of the British Delegation, which arranged the programme of evacuation of troops from Syria and Lebanon. For his service during the Second World War Stone was mentioned in despatches four times and appointed CB; he retired in 1947. In retirement Stone served on the Council of the Royal Geographical Society and was Vice - Chairman from 1960-64. Stone died in 1974 aged 84. The Department of Exhibits & Firearms holds Stone's orders, medals and decorations (Ref: OMD 4326-4342) and his Sword of Honour (Ref: WEA 2117). The Dept of Art hold a portrait of Stone painted in 1942 by Simon Elwes RA (1902-1975) (Ref: IWM ART 16667). The Documents Archive holds some of Stone's papers including notes and lectures from his service as GOC British Troops in Egypt, 1942 - 1944, with interesting ms notes on King Farouk, and diaries, notes and letters from his First World War service with the Royal Engineers on the Western Front. (Ref: 75/27/1)