The 1949 King's Birthday Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth Realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made "on the occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday", and were published in supplements to the London Gazette of 3 June 1949 for the British Empire, New Zealand, India and Ceylon.
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour.
British Empire
Baron
George Archibald, JP. For political and public services. Sir Henry John Fanshawe Badeley, KCB, CBE, lately Clerk of the Parliaments.
Privy Counsellor
John Dugdale, MP, Financial Secretary, Admiralty, since 1945. Member of Parliament for West Bromwich since 1941. Sir Oliver Shewell Franks, KCB, CBE, His Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington. The Right Honourable Robert Craigmyle, Baron Morrison, JP, DL, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Works, since 1948; a Lord-in-Waiting, 1947–1948. Member of Parliament for North Tottenham, 1922–1931, and 1935–1945. William Donald, the Honourable Lord Patrick, a Senator of His Majesty's College of Justice in Scotland.
Knight Bachelor
Reginald Greenwood Bailey, CBE, Adviser to the Board of Trade on wool exports. President, British Wool Federation. Giovanni Battista (John) Barbirolli, FRAM. For services to Music. James Barr, FRICS, Senior Partner, James Barr and Sons, Surveyors, Glasgow. Henry Vaughan Berry. For services as Regional Commissioner, Hansestadt-Hamburg, Control Commission for Germany, British Element. Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley, MC, Portrait Painter. David Brunt, ScD, FRS, Professor of Meteorology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. Arthur Strettell Comyns Carr, KC, Chief British Prosecutor before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. John Charrington, Chairman, Charrington, Gardner, Locket and Company, Ltd. James Fitzjames Duff, LLD, Warden of the Durham Colleges in the University of Durham. John Maxwell Erskine, CBE, JP, DL, Chairman, Scottish Savings Committee. Robert Brown Fraser, OBE, Director-General, Central Office of Information. John Green, JP, Director, Thos. Firth and John Brown, Ltd., Chairman of the Central Conference of the Engineering and Allied Employers' National Federation. Ronald George Hatton, CBE, DSc, FRS, lately Director of the East Malling Agricultural Research Station, and Consultant Director of the Commonwealth Bureau of Horticulture and Plantation Crops. Captain Cyril Gordon Illingworth, lately Commodore Master, Cunard White Star Line, Ltd. John Ernest James, Chairman, Lancashire Steel Corporation Ltd. Charles Hilary Jenkinson, CBE, LLD, FSA, Deputy Keeper of the Public Records. William Jones, CBE. For public services in North Wales. Albert Edward MacColl, MIEE, Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chairman, North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. Laurence Pierce Brooke Merriam, MC, Examiner of Controls, Board of Trade. Frederick Lucius O'Brien, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Trust. Leslie Arthur Plummer, Chairman, Overseas Food Corporation. Joseph Francis Engledue Prideaux, CBE, MRCS, LRCP, Director General of Medical Services, Ministry of Pensions. James Reginald Howard Roberts, CBE, JP, DL, Clerk of the London County Council. Ambrose James Sherwill, CBE, MC, Bailiff of Guernsey. Henry Sessions Souttar, CBE, DM, MCh, FRCS, Consulting Surgeon, London Hospital. Kenneth Raydon Swan, OBE, KC, lately Chairman of the Committee set up to consider the Patents and Designs Act. Godfrey Hilton Thomson, DCL, DSc, Bell Professor of Education, University of Edinburgh. Arthur Egerton Watson, CB, CBE., Chairman, Civil Service Sports Council. Professor James Anderson Scott Watson, CBE, MC, LLD, DSc, Chief Scientific and Agricultural Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Percy Henry Winfield, KC, LLD, FBA, JP, Emeritus Professor of English Law, University of Cambridge.
State of Victoria
The Honourable Thomas Karran Maltby, Speaker of Legislative Assembly, State of Victoria. Gordon Keith Snow, Chief Confidential Adviser to Premier, State of Victoria.
Colonies, Protectorates, etc. Gerard Lewis Howe, Colonial Legal Service, Attorney-General, Nigeria. John Alfred Lucie-Smith, OBE, VD, Colonial Legal Service, Chief Justice of Sierra Leone. Thorleif Rattray Orde Mangin, CMG, Colonial Administrative Service, Chief Commissioner, Gold Coast. Arthur Morse, CBE. For public services in Hong Kong. Frederick Jacob Seaford, CBE. For public services in British Guiana.