Description
Physical description
Single-breasted, open-collared Service Dress jacket of khaki barathea featuring epaulettes, pleated breast pockets with scalloped flaps and exposed buttons, large bellows skirt pockets with rectangular flaps and exposed buttons, inverted 'V' cuff decoration and a rear vent. Buttons are gilded metal George VI Cypher pattern. All pocket buttons and the left epaulette button are absent.
Fitted to each epaulette are gilded metal rank badges of a three pips below one crown, while attached to the collar points are scarlet gorget patches with a line of crimson braid running down the centre.
Above the left breast pocket are the following medal ribbons: Order of the Bath; Order of the British Empire (Military); Distinguished Service Order; General Service Medal; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-45 (with bronze Oakleaf); Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953; Order of Orange-Nassau (Dutch); Legion of Merit (USA); Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia); War Cross 1939-45 (Czechoslovakia).
Label
Major-General Ronald Frederick King Belchem CB CBE DSO was commissioned into the Royal Tank Corps in 1931 after military education at Sandhurst, becoming an Officer of 3rd Battalion Royal Tank Corps from 1932-36. From 1936-39 he served as an Officer with 6th Battalion RTC in Egypt and Palestine, fulfilling internal security duties during the Arab Revolt. During the Second World War he served as a Staff Officer with the 8th Army in North Africa, 1941-42, and commanded 1st Royal Tank Regiment 1943. He then served as Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in the 8th Army during the planning and execution of Operation Husky and operations in Italy, 1943-44, and then with 21st Army Group during the planning of D-Day and the Normandy campaign, as well as operations in Northwest Europe, 1944-45. In 1948 he commanded the 6th Infantry Brigade in Germany, and then became Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Montgomery at Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe, from 1948-50. Belchem ended his military career as Commanding Officer of the 33rd Armoured Brigade from 1950, retiring in1953.