| 1988 | Francis Kenneth Chorley CBE FEng |
| 1987 | Keith Rex Thrower OBE |
| 1986 | Raymond Clement Hills |
| 1985 | Professor James Roderick James |
| 1984 | Professor David Evan Naughton Davies FRS FEng |
| 1983 | Harry Edward Drew CB |
| 1982 | Harry Edward Drew CB |
| 1981 | John Powell TD |
| 1980 | Professor William Gosling |
| 1979 | Denis William Heightman |
| 1978 | Professor William Alexander Gambling |
| 1977 | Percy Albert Allaway CBE |
| 1976 | HRH The Duke of Kent GCMG GCVO |
| 1975 | Ieuan Maddock CB OBE FRS FEng |
| 1974 | Ieuan Maddock CB OBE FRS FEng |
| 1973 | Arthur Albert Dyson OBE |
| 1972 | Arthur Albert Dyson OBE |
| 1971 | Harvey Fisher Schwarz CBE |
| 1970 | Harvey Fisher Schwarz CBE |
| 1969 | Major-General Sir Leonard Henry Atkinson KBE |
| 1968 | Major-General Sir Leonard Henry Atkinson KBE |
| 1967 | Professor Emrys Williams |
| 1966 | Colonel George William Raby CBE |
| 1965 | Colonel George William Raby CBE |
| 1964 | John Leslie Harold Langham Thompson |
| 1963 | John Leslie Harold Langham Thompson |
| 1962 | Admiral of the Fleet the Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG PC GCB GCSI GCIE GCVO DSO |
| 1961 | Admiral of the Fleet the Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG PC GCB GCSI GCIE GCVO DSO |
| 1960 | Professor Eric Ernest Zepler |
| 1959 | Professor Eric Ernest Zepler |
| 1958 | George Armstrong Marriott |
| 1957 | George Armstrong Marriott |
| 1956 | Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Clarke KBE CB DSO |
| 1955 | Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Clarke KBE CB DSO |
| 1954 | William Edward Miller |
| 1953 | William Edward Miller |
| 1952 | Paul Adorian |
| 1951 | Paul Adorian |
| 1950 | Leslie Herbert Bedford OBE |
| 1949 | Leslie Herbert Bedford OBE |
| 1948 | Admiral the Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG PC GCSI GCIE GCVO DSO |
| 1947 | Admiral the Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG PC GCSI GCIE GCVO DSO |
| 1946 | Hubert Leslie McMichael |
| 1945 | Hubert Leslie McMichael |
| 1944 | Sir Louis Sterling |
| 1943 | Sir Louis Sterling |
| 1942 | Charles Cornfield Garrard |
| 1941 | Sir Arrol Moir Bt |
| 1940 | Sir Arrol Moir Bt |
| 1939 | Sydney Alfred Hurren |
| 1938 | Sydney Alfred Hurren |
| 1937 | James Nelson |
| 1936 | James Nelson |
| 1935 | William Beresford Medlam |
| 1934 | William Beresford Medlam |
| 1933 | Francis Thomas Fawcett |
| 1932 | Francis Thomas Fawcett |
