The Order of the British Empire - College of Arms

On June 4, 1917, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was inaugurated by King George V to recognise the efforts of his people in WWI. From the article:

"It was agreed that the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire should consist of five ranks, like the French Legion of Honour, the original 5-grade order. A military division was introduced in December 1918. In some respects the new Order was modelled on the Royal Guelphic Order, which ceased to be conferred in Britain in 1837 with the death of the last Hanoverian monarch. Conferral of the first two ranks brought with it the title of 'Sir' for a man; the title of 'Dame' for a woman was an innovation of the Order of the British Empire. Also like it, there were few restrictions on the overall number of members of the order. Holders would be entitled to bear letters after their names. The ranks, in order of precedence, and postnominal letters, are:

Knight or Dame Grand Cross – G.B.E.
Knight or Dame Commander – K.B.E. / D.B.E.
Commander – C.B.E.
Officer – O.B.E.
Member – M.B.E.

The Order of the Companions of Honour was instituted as a way to honour those who rendered conspicuous service of national importance during the First World War. It was subsequently awarded for outstanding achievements in other arenas. Membership is restricted to the Monarch and sixty-five members from within the British Commonwealth. It is a single-class honour, so has no ranks, and carries with it neither title nor precedence, but is extremely prestigious. Members are entitled to use the initials C.H. after their names. In this year's New Year's Honours List six persons were made Companions of Honour, including:Sir Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes; the famous percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie; and Sir Alec Jeffreys, the geneticist who developed DNA profiling."