Description
British Empire Medal, EIIR, Civil Division, Geoffrey Sydney Morris, Survey Assistant, Higher Grade Cartographer, Overseas Development Administration, Foreign Office.
Officially impressed: “Geoffrey Sydney Morris”
Award announced in the London Gazette 13th June 1981.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours of 1981.
Geoffrey by the time of his award was a member of the Overseas Development Administration, this was a ministerial department of the Government responsible for administering Foreign Aid internationally.
During the Labour Government of 1964-1970 the “Ministery of Overseas Development” was first created, combining the functions of the Dept of Technical Co-operation and the overseas Aid Policy functions of the Foreign, Commonwealth Relations and Colonial officers all into one.
After the Conservative victory in 1970, it was renamed to the Overseas Development Administration, and at that time incorporated into the Foreign Office.
The ODA was overseen by a Minister of State in the Foreign Office who was accountable to the Foreign Secretary.
In typical British fashion, Labour then returned to the Government in 1974 and announced there would once again be a separate “Ministry of Overseas Development” with its own Minister.
Followed up by Margaret Thatcher then winning the 1979 Election and once again the department was renamed the Overseas Development Administration and returning to the Foreign Office.
The employment of Geoffrey in this department was probably a massive headache with the back and forth sweeping changes made by various governments in the 1970s, especially as he was nearing his retirement at the time.
Notably, during the brief time it was known as the “Overseas Development Administration”.
Mr Geoffrey Sydney Morris was born during 1928.
He later died on Burnley, Lancashire during 2000.
