<P> From time to time, individuals are appointed to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of the junior post-nominal letters . </P> <P> The institution of the Order of the British Empire in 1917 was for meritorious service but from the beginning some appointments and some promotions were for acts of gallantry . There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant marine, police and emergency services and civil defence mostly MBEs but a small number of CBEs and OBEs . Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach the standard of the George Medal, but, as an Order, were listed before it on the Order of Wear . Awards for meritorious service usually appear without a citation but there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic . From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry . </P> <P> Any individual made a member of the Order for gallantry could wear an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same riband, ribbon or bow as the badge . It could not be awarded posthumously, and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the Order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves . However, they only used the post-nominal letters of the higher grade . </P> <P> Members of the Order wear elaborate vestments on important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations), which vary by rank (the designs underwent major changes in 1937): </P>

A member of the british order of honor